Sometimes when you look at some huge companies, you'd think that when they can have some of the best talent in the world working for them, that they wouldn't make so many mistakes that are obvious to anybody that has some marketing insights.
For example, consider Yao Ming, Gatorade's representative. Now isn't that a marketing coup for Gatorade and their campaign? Think of having one of the most visible athletes and celebrities known showing your product around the most populous country in the world. Things couldn't be any better right? Wrong!
The problem is that Yao doesn't only represent Gatorade, but numerous companies and their products and services. He also represents Reebok, McDonald's, Tag Heuer, Apple and Upper Deck (sports cards) among a number of others in just the last year.
What makes this a bad choice is that Yao is so sellable in and of himself, that the products or services he represents are forgotten in his charisma and fame. He is a brand by himself and so the effect he has in representing a product is minimized by the branding of himself. The companies are unwittingly branding Yao to increased celebrity status and the products and services are props to show him off.
It is more than just his being everywhere that dilutes the effect he has for the brands, but their not tying him effectively into what the relationship he has with those brands are.
This one of the reasons why it is not as easy as it seems to get celebrities to be used as fully as some could be to promote corporate brands.
As it gets more and more difficult to figure out how to best use celebrities, so it is to even be able to get one that will represent your company alone. So in that context there has to be something in the campaign that specifically does something for your brand that they can do for no other. It is no longer plausible for someone to stand their and hold your product in their hand.
I've posted a couple of other times about the new celebrity index that could help companies deal with this problem. If the index is done with integrity, it could be a real positive addition to the marketing department of a company as they must include all of what a celebrity represents in their whole life, not just the fact that they are well known; they must fit in with the values a company represents also.
You are right. It's a "basic" mistake.
A celebrity should promote just one brand.
Promoting Reebok, McDonald's, Tag Heuer, Apple and Upper Deck is kind of "stupid" decision from the marketing departments.
I like the jeer: Reebok and McDonalds :)
Posted by: Tudor | March 19, 2006 4:59 AM | Permalink to Comment