I am sick and tired of hearing about Tiger Woods. I think I've refrained from talking about Tigers Troubles on this site, but today I want to share with you what is probably one of the most important lessons to learn from all of this for businesses.
From the THINKing Blog:
Posted: 15 Dec 2009 08:23 AM PST
I would never recommend that a client select a celebrity to be a spokesman for its products. Period. End of story. I know the potential benefits of using the right celebrity to draw attention to your company, product or service. I just don’t think it is worth the possible problems.
Celebrities often seem to have more than their share of moral failings. So, when they fall off the straight and narrow path, the accompanying crash is louder than it would be for you or I.
Whether it’s a pro golfer running around with porn stars and sluts, an angelic faced Ivory Snow pitchwoman who turns out to be a porn star or the world’s best swimmer taking hits off a bong, if you align your brand too closely with a celebrity, you are asking for trouble. You are ceding the brand to someone over whom you have no control.
I’d rather tie my brand to a brand promise - the statement I make to customers that spells out what they should expect in interactions with me, my people, as well as my products and services. Here, I have some control.
Then, there’s the whole question of whether the celebrity overshadows the brand. Can you name a celebrity and correctly identify the companies for which he or she speaks? It’s like beer commercials that rely on humor to get your attention but once they are over, you can’t name the brand because the commercial didn’t tether the humor to the brand promise.
What do you think about the value of celebrity spokesmen? Sphere: Related Content
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