ENDORSEMENTS

Endorsements Businesses are willing to pay an athlete much more than his/her salary to endorse a product. http://www.businessinsider.com/athlete-endorsements-2011-2011-7?op=1

Endorsement defined: A person’s public expression of approval or support for a product or service Any advertising message that consumers are likely to believe reflects the opinions, beliefs, findings or experience of a party other than the sponsoring advertiser.

Are Endorsements Effective? Endorsements are a promotional tool Give credibility to a product because it is supported by someone who is admired

Endorsement Example A well known race car driver speaks in a TV commercial, it is an endorsement because the public: Knows them as a real professional driver Assumes the comments are personal opinion Assumes they wouldn’t have said it unless they believed it

Is this an Endorsement? An ad for golf balls in which a famous golfer hits the balls but never speaks… … is still an endorsement

Some Guidelines For Endorsers and the Sponsoring Company (FTA) Endorsements must always reflect honest opinions of the endorser The endorser must have experience with the product Cannot be taken out of context or reworded The endorsements may not contain deceptive or misleading statements The endorser must use and continue to use and believe in the product If the product changes the endorser must be notified

How Endorsements Benefit Businesses Consumers buy products endorsed by celebrities more often than products that are not

How Endorsements Benefit Businesses Viewers, listeners and fans are less likely to skip an ad featuring a celebrity rather than a fictitious character

How Endorsements Benefit Businesses Consumers tend to believe celebrities —especially those chosen for their good image

Drawbacks to Endorsements Very expensive Endorser may not agree to endorse only one product which creates lack of exclusivity and the possibility of consumers’ doubting the sincerity of the endorser Risk of negative publicity when the endorser commits a crime or serious ethical blunder

What To Look for In A Celebrity Fit with the media Match with product Match with target market Their values Cost of acquiring them Controversy risk Profession Attractiveness Credibility Brand user Age Still performing Role Model High achiever Recognizable

What To Look For In a Celebrity Someone with a positive, charismatic, trustworthy image Someone respected by consumers

Why Celebrities Wouldn’t Want To Take Deals: Concerned about control over their exposure Don’t want one deal to cost them others Uncomfortable with a certain type of media Cannot sign because they are prohibited

Basic Rules When Marketing Your Celebrity: Not too much too soon Budding celebrities need time to develop Too much marketing can be distracting and seductive Leads to overexposure

Basic Rules When Marketing Your Celebrity: Product selection is paramount Cal Ripkin said no to underwear but yes to milk You still have to deliver! Marketability depends on performance

Basic Rules When Marketing Your Celebrity: Risk of overkill Research is indicating that sports gods are beginning to lose their shine How do you prolong the mystique?

Can You Overlook It? Many fans overlook an athlete’s tasteless or criminal behavior as long as they perform and entertain Mike Tyson earned $100 million dollars in 1995 AFTER he got out of prison http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqvqyOBCi0w

Can you Overlook It? Michael Vick- Animal Cruelty, sentenced to 2 years in prison. Signed Endorsement Deals with Nike & Unequal Technologies http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JDM4aTdPiY&feature=related 60 mins on what he did The Wall Street Journal http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303567704577517421490058222.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Vick#Endorsements http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JDM4aTdPiY&feature=related

Ross Rebagliati There's no arguing with success. The Canadian snowboarder endured scandal when his gold medal at the 1998 Olympics in Nagano, Japan, was yanked after he tested positive for marijuana. He got the medal back, arguing the drug traces in his blood came from second-hand smoke - and it would appear the court of public opinion forgave him. Canadians snapped up half a million red poor-boy hats like the one he was seen wearing at the Games. Roots Canada Ltd., which made the hats, made Mr. Rebagliati their spokesman and made him the star of the company's first television commercial, even after he had admitted inhaling the second-hand smoke, and smoking pot in the past. Roots may not have had a lot to lose from the scandal. "Attitudes to drugs these days are more accepting than they ever have been," Mr. Kerr said, noting that this helped in Michael Phelps's case, as well. (Kai Pfaffenbach /Reuters)