Beyond endorsement: The rise of bespoke talent partnerships in luxury brand building

Oisin James Deady, co-founder of creative content agency TwelveA.M., argues modern consumers demand more meaningful connections. That being the case, companies must carefully choose talent partnerships that genuinely align with their brand values.

Celebrity endorsements have long been a staple in luxury marketing, but the days of simply attaching a famous face to a brand with little to no thought have lost their lustre. As the media landscape evolves, luxury, and other sectors, can no longer rely purely on glossy magazine editorials or traditional TV ads to reach audiences. Social media is where the next generation of luxury consumers is spending a large part of its time, consuming content and creating it. And ‘talent’ partnerships have adapted to become a powerful element in this world, as well as brand building more broadly. 

Luxury brands such as Tiffany, Augustinus Bader and others have been leaning into bespoke talent partnerships across all media types, including social, which allow them to build brand relevance, drive engagement and capture consumer attention. 

How has talent changed?

The term ‘talent’ now covers a much broader range than in the past, from A-list celebrities who remain an option for brands with the budget, to influencers and creators with a variety of interest areas and tastes. 

What makes a stand-out talent partnership is the ability to cut through to audiences searching for authenticity. Today’s consumers are hungry for deeper, more meaningful connections and are quick to dismiss partnerships without depth.

How brands can ensure smooth partnerships

To move beyond the superficial, brands need to focus on bespoke. This begins by choosing partners who genuinely align with brand values and by making a commitment to co-creation and storytelling. The most impactful partnerships are always collaborative, with talent helping shape content in a natural way. By doing so, brands can link partnerships to broader brand objectives, including positioning, audience engagement and brand storytelling.

In practice, this involves careful planning and research to reach a deep understanding of partners, including their interests, their ambitions and how their personal brand has evolved over time. Due diligence is essential for ensuring a good fit and laying the foundation for a positive partnership. 

In this process, the agency's role is to bring out the added value, acting as the bridge between brand and talent so that partnerships are mutually beneficial, rather than a transactional agreement which serves no one.

Crafting richer, more engaging content

Co-creation where talent is treated as individuals – rather than commodities – is key to crafting more creative and richer content.

When premium skincare brand Augustinus Bader teamed up with film director Sofia Coppola, the partnership went far beyond a typical endorsement. Coppola was involved in product development for the collaborative range of skincare and also in directing the campaign with the Twelve.AM. team.  

This co-collaboration transformed the partnership into something more meaningful and impactful, allowing the brand to benefit from Coppola’s creative input across both product and storytelling.  

Building local relevance

Another strategic shift in bespoke talent partnerships is the move towards hyperlocal storytelling. 

During the launch of its Lock campaign, for example, Tiffany & Co engaged Twelve.A.M. to develop partnerships with local talent in six different cities. Each talent had their own set of followers and was given the creative freedom to tell their stories in an authentic way to connect with local audiences. Relevance and storytelling are a compelling double act; in markets targeted, the campaign led to a rise of 117% in in-store appointments for the brand. 

In adopting a hyperlocal strategy, Tiffany & Co is prioritising culture and relevance over mass, while using social media to great effect. It’s a sign that brands are paying greater attention to what they’re saying and who they are saying it with, rather than simply the numbers of people they’re saying it to. In today’s social-first world of brand building and communications, it gives talent initiatives a leading role and a place at the top table of brand development and decision making. 

Through meaningful collaborations with celebrities, influences and creators, brands are recognising the potential of bespoke talent partnerships to achieve brand objectives.

It’s why Publicis Groupe recently paid $0.5BN to acquire influencer marketing company Influential; and it’s why the winner of the social and influencer category at Cannes Lions also took home the Grand Prix this year. 

With the rise of organic social media and the ability of talent to connect with digitally-native audiences brought up on online storytelling, brands that invest in authentic talent partnerships will be well placed to succeed during this new era of brand building.