Tom Waterhouse does not understand the responsibility of being the face of a brand: John Symond

Bookmaker Tom Waterhouse does not understand the responsibility that comes with fronting your brand, says Aussie Home Loans founder John Symond. 

Symond has been the face of the Aussie Home Loans brand since its launch in the 1990s, most famous for his catch-phrases “We’ll save you” and “That’s confidence. That’s Aussie”. 

Waterhouse, the face of the Tom Waterhouse betting business (with the phrase “I know what punters want”) has come under fire for previously appearing as a pseudo commentator on live sports events and promoting betting odds on free to air television. 

According to Symond, Waterhouse failed to understand that television is a “sensitive space”. 

“Tom invaded their free space where they were relaxing. They didn’t want that,” said Symond as part of a Mumbrella panel discussion. 

Symond said there was no need for a bookmaker on footy shows. 

The others on the panel - Boost Juice boss Janine Allis, Lorna Jane creator Lorna Jane Clarkson and online tech marketer Ruslan Kogan – agreed with Symond on the great responsibility that comes with fronting your own brand, particularly when it faces criticism. 

“If you’re fronting the brand and the consumers think Aussie is John Symond, then John Symond’s got to come out and make a statement”, said Symond. 

Symond has faced criticism over his decision to sell the business to the Commonwealth Bank having launched Aussie Home Loans as a challenger to the dominance of the major banks. 

However he has stated that Aussie Home Loans continues to operate as a separate entity.