Celebrity Brand Spokespeople

Subway, Jell-O, Smithfield Brands, Nike, Hertz, Nike are just a few of the brands which have been burned in some form or fashion with Spokespeople.  Even when you get what seems to be the “All American Spokesperson” it seems the inconceivable becomes conceivable.  

Bill Cosby and Jell-O

Lance Armstrong/Oscar Pistorius and NIKE

Paula Dean and Smithfield Foods

The list goes on and on.  A brand ties itself to a celebrity aura and the brand takes a hit when that person falls from grace — scandal, legal, financial, moral issues all can take a toll. 

I’ve used spokespeople before and luckily never got burned.  But today

when everyone has a phone with a camera and video recorder the damage can be done within seconds when you can upload a video to YouTube or a photo to Twitter. 

So I’ve come up with a simple philosophy on the use of CELEBRITY spokespeople.

1. The brand must stand on it’s own — a celebrity shouldn’t be the brand.
2. Usage of celebrity will be minimal.
3. When using a celebrity it will be focused for a short time period.
4. The celebrity use will be focused on a particular campaign or initiative.
5. Vetting of the celebrity will go very very very deep… did I say it will go very deep?
6. Worst case scenario planning and disaster management will be thought out and ready to be executed at a moments notice.
7. Pre campaign testing on not just the target audience but also non target audiences, internationally, social channels, etc.… check to see if anyone finds some dirt.
8. Ensure contracts protect the brand, financial investments, etc.
9. Never get caught up in “celebrity” — this is a business.  
10. If sales don’t increase — dump the celebrity.
11. When you start hearing water-cooler talk by employees and management about “why are we spending money for a celebrity” or “marketing is pissing away money”… either start showing the increases in sales to support the use of a celebrity.
12. Use of non-celebrity spokesperson to carry the message on an ongoing basis (e.g. Flo for Progressive Insurance, the Duck for Aflac, etc.) is acceptable.  But, due diligence must be paid so a Jared Fogle and Subway doesn’t occur.  

What other criteria do you have?

Scott