Rolex keeps ticking in Mariana Trench

Dubai National Geographic explorer James Cameron made history with his solo dive down to the deepest point on Earth — the Mariana Trench that lies 10.99km below the ocean's surface. Ticking in the deep along with him was a water-proof Rolex watch.

Using the deep-sea expedition to float the Oyster Perpetual Rolex, the watchmaker was able to showcase its waterproof diving watch that resists extreme pressure of up to 12,000 metres.

In a high-profile stroke of product placement, the watch and the brand name became part of the historic journey that was covered by the international media.

Marketing experts say the move, which required intense planning and a massive budget, was an effective technique for brand visibility and recall, but not necessarily to induce purchasing.

The exclusivity of the brand and the event were a perfect match, they said.

"It will help get the brand high-level visibility. The need of the hour is to stand out from the clutter. You need a cause that will help the brand get registered in the minds of consumers. When you do something that no one else has done, the association becomes stronger," said Sunil Roy, senior client service manager at Publilink advertising agency.

"Only a brand that believes in exclusivity and is a leader can afford to do such things."

Synergy

However, companies attempting to use high-profile events to promote their brand need to think carefully about their strategy.

"There has to be a synergy between the brand and the cause that you are associated with. The cause will overshadow brand. There are certain attributes for the brand and the cause. Those two should synergise somewhere otherwise it will be an exercise in futility," he said.

Companies also need to recognise that an association between the brand and exclusive events may not necessarily result in a sales increase, he added.

"For the ultimate purchase, especially for a brand like Rolex, a lot of other factors come into play. To what extent this [expedition] will serve the purpose is debatable… it's not necessarily the only trigger that can induce purchase," according to Roy.

Finding the right match between the brand and the cause is the key to a successful marketing campaign, industry experts said.

Credibility

"National Geographic is a strong brand, whether the TV channels or magazine. On one hand National Geographic is a huge brand and has huge credibility. If they're doing something like a deep-sea expedition and Rolex has a range of watches with capabilities in underwater performance and Rolex is brand people respect, then the association is a strong one. They really feed on each other," said Gautam Sen Gupta, Managing Director of Brand Finance Middle East.

"What it does is, Rolex is telling the world that its watches perform well under water and this is one hell of a good way to show it's working, it's a testimonial," he said.

When there is a mismatch between the brand and the event, it is the "makings of a disaster," he said.