The Brand Man Speaks

Lack of Civility cuts across occupation, race and political affiliation...is the end of the empire near?

I just felt compelled to write a short piece on what appears to me and many others to be an rapidly approaching end of any type of civility in this country....maybe the world....that reminds one of the decline of the Roman Empire....

Between Serena's  unsportsmanlike/unladylike behavior at the US Open that cost her the match, Kanye West's selfish and inflated ego stage stealing from Taylor Swift at the MTV Video Awards to Congressman Joe Wilson's outrageous outburst during a Presidential speech to congress, ("You lie")....what has become of us, our cultural...more importantly our future? We are in deep trouble and it doesn't look too promising for things to get better.

Watching out for you everyday.

Eli

Super Bowl Ads 2009; Not very super: Pretty weak and boring

Like many millions of folks, including fellow marketeers, I spent a good part of Super Bowl 2009 watching the ads looking for memorable creative that would be worthy of $3 Million per spot.

Unfortunately folks, most ads were dull, boring, meaningless, stupid and certainly not memorable. If you are going to spend all that money to place a commercial in the Super Bowl, at least ensure the ad is one that will entertain and hopefully influence. In  my opinion, a lot of companies wasted a lot of money last night.

I found myself wondering, "what message are they trying to get across here?" in most cases and saying out loud, "that wasn't the least bit funny". By the end of the game, I had a very hard time remembering what brands had been advertised.

I feel the Bridgestone Tire ads (yes I do remember the brand) were the most "huh?" ads for me...seemingly disjointed and unclear what their message was all about. I certainly have no idea why I would want to buy that brand of tire.

The Cola wars are back but I didn't develop any partiality to one brand over another because of their ads.

Doritos? Awful just like the product in my opinion.

Budweiser needs to find a new ad agency.

A few were somewhat memorable.

The E-Trade talking baby is back with a friend and always gets a chuckle out of me. I enjoy this creative and think it is memorable stuff.

Pedigree Pet Food did a splendid job promoting animal adoptions showing why it is better to adopt a dog than many other (wild) pets. (Full disclosure: I provided expert commentary about this ad prior to its airing for a major media source...no pay...but I was already positively predisposed to the creative.)

Jason Statham continued his James Bondesque activities showing Audi's new A6 is one helluva fast car. I love the Transporter movie franchise I must admit. I think I might actually buy an Audi next time I have enough money to buy a new car, (if the economy improves).

Monster.com's "moose-head" ad was cute and clearly calls out that it is time to find a new job...if there are any out there......

The surprise hit for me was Cash4Gold.com. The late night direct response advertiser was "allowed" to buy space usually reserved for the prestigious consumer products/services brands because the economy is so weak and NBC had lots of unsold inventory. The bottom feeder advertiser used Ed McMahon and MC Hammer especially well to promote their mail-in gold redemption for cash service. It was surprisingly good creative that wasn't so cheesy as I would have thought and did a great job of message delivery with humor.

Finally, but it was an in-house ad for NBC's Hulu online service, Alex Baldwin did a nice "30 Rock" styled ad for the website that was extremely well-done and memorable.

What did you think? Share your thoughts.

Watching out for you everyday.

Eli

Michael Phelps: Pot smoking photo to undermine his brand value

Olympic Gold Medalist Michael Phelps has proved that his publicity machine can't prevent bad judgments from undermining his marketing value.

A tabloid picture of the 8 gold medal winner smoking a pot water-pipe at a university party this past November has caused the Olympian to make a public apology for his drug using behavior.  Prior to winning his gold medals Phelps had been arrested for driving while being impaired.

This incident could greatly diminish the "Phelps brand" which yours truly said in various press interviews during the Olympics was never going to be worth the billions many experts predicted. Besides the fact that it was going to be hard for his handlers to keep his name "current" and meaningful with few swimming events to compete in until the next summer Olympics, it was obvious from watching him be interviewed that he lacked the maturity of say an athlete like Tiger Woods.

Now many of his endorsements may be in jeopardy as consumer product companies have the option to drop him (and stop paying him) for this infraction. This photo questions Phelps ability to continue as a meaningful role model for young people around the world which is the reason so many companies wanted to throw millions at him in endorsement fees.

It is a sad day for athletes when these kind of events occur. However, it reminds us that even super athletes are just regular human beings and we shouldn't put them on such high pedestals and pay them so much money for being super athletes.

Watching out for you everyday.

Eli

GM cuts ties with spokesperson Tiger Woods after nine years due to dire financials

GM has announced they are cutting ties with phenom golfer Tiger Woods after nine years of endorsements. Woods was earning nearly $7 million from the relationship. GM and Wood's handlers say the announcement was mutually beneficial to each party; GM needs to reserve cash and Woods wants more family time.

I never understood GM's Buick divisions deal with Tiger. It was not a believable brand effort. Buick is GM's aging brand still pulling in mostly 60 plus year olds. Tiger was supposed to dramatically make the brand more appealing to younger car buyers but it really didn't work. Buick has had one auto entry success with the Enclave SUV/Wagon but other than that, the brand is nearly dead. ( I did see a great looking Riviera concept car at the LA Auto show this week...but it may be too late to revive that marque).

Tiger seemed the wrong sports guy to be affiliated with Buick. It was so NOT him to be a Buick man---Buick is so not youthful, over the top fantastic or always poised, polished and polite---it's a cranky old brand for pete's sake.... and I always felt it was just a good money deal for Woods and one that gave senior GM execs who love golf face time with the world's greatest golfer....not a brand relationship that could help the Buick product line.

In a way this move by GM is good for both parties. GM saves cash and Tiger who doesn't need money stops hurting his image by this miss matched association. No one looks bad with this split because of the circumstances.

Tiger I am sure can find a much more suitable automotive deal now worth more money even in this weak economy he is that valuable a resource. Although, he has been out of the limelight recovering from knee surgery and thus not as valuable as he has been....but relative to other celeb endorsers he's still King.

Watching out for you everyday.

Eli

Olympian Michael Phelps signs with Subway even though he prefers McDonalds

In a brand alliance move that makes little sense, Olympian Michael Phelps has signed on to be the spokesperson for the Subway brand of fast food.

On the surface this seems like a good fit. An incredibly athletic man with great appeal among young people world-wide promoting a healthy brand of fast food. The problem? Phelps doesn't eat Subway.

Phelps touted his addiction to cheeseburgers from fat laden brand McDonald's throughout the Olympic games going as far as to say it was his primary fuel....a 10,000 a day calorie diet...mostly of McDonald's food. He was even quoted as saying he wanted to be a spokesperson for the brand. So what happened?

After Phelps took an offer to promote Kellogg's high sugar Frosted Flakes cereal many scolded him for aligning himself with a product that promotes obesity among children. That rap didn't go well with his handlers who are trying desperately to make his all-American Idol like persona blemish proof to keep his income generating ability flying high even though the Olympics are no longer in the minds of most consumers or his herculean feat.

They are spinning this deal to promote the fact that it is more appropriate for Phelps to promote healthy food for a fitness lifestyle. The problem remains his celebrity endorsement does not ring true and could be harmful to both his brand and the Subway brand. This is a case where money trumps good brand strategy and certainly undermines Phelps credibility. Are Phelps handlers too greed oriented...so desperate to make him big money given there is nothing going on between now and the next summer Olympics to keep the Phelps brand relevant to consumers? Likely.

Watching out for you everyday.

Eli

"Olympic Mother" Debbie Phelps signs endorsement deal with Chico's apparel brand

The rumors had been flying throughout the term of Olympics that an Olympian parent was on track to garner an endorsement deal because of the success of her son.

Debbie Phelps, middle-school principal by trade, mother of Uber Gold Medalist Michael Phelps, was shown on world-wide television nearly as much as her son during the Olympics. This exposure highlighted the fact that Mother Phelps was wearing clothing from mid-priced women's apparel retailer Chico's.

Chico's which has been suffering from a significant drop in sales immediately took advantage of the "free" publicity and started promoting the Debbie Phelps Collection online featuring the clothing items Mrs. Phelps was wearing as she watched her son gather gold medal after medal.

Now Chico's as gone one step further and signed Mrs. Phelps to a one-year six figure deal to represent the company and wear its clothes for public appearances including her up-coming visit to the Oprah Winfrey Show this week.

Chico's sees Mrs. Phelps as an "authentic" spokesperson for the brand. She is a good representative of the primary target for this line of apparel. For the moment as Michael Phelps and his achievement remain in American's consciousness this endorsement makes some sense. Mrs. Phelps is a loving mother, a professional women and a role model for "real" women across America. Like Dove, there has been traction in the marketing world behind promoting real women in advertisements versus the usual professional models finding that "authentic" is a hot button for American consumers these days.

As more and more consumers are jaded by hundreds of celebrities touting product after product fewer American's are influenced by such endorsements and likely will find Mrs. Phelps genuineness refreshing and very believable. Chico's could certainly use a major boost as their sales performance has been extremely weak for nearly a year from both the weak economy and a failed effort to shift the brand's focus from average middle-aged women to younger audiences.

Watching out for you everyday.

Eli

Michael Phelps: the worlds greatest athlete and billion dollar man? Not so fast

Over the past few days I have been interviewed by reporters all over the world about Michael Phelps and his brand value. When I first started being interviewed he was on his way to 8 golds but only reached that point this evening.

(Read my interview with Reuters on Michael Phelps the Billion dollar man )

I have enormous respect and am in awe of Mr. Phelps achievement as are millions of people around the world. However, do I think he is the world's greatest athlete and soon to be a billion dollar man? No.

Several factors have to be considered to evaluate the brand, Michael Phelps.

In his favor he represents all that is great about America. He is young, strong, pure, visionary and spirited. He has dominated his sport and remains humble to boot. He is the most honored Olympian in history. He stands to make a bundle, (I guesstimate $30 Million a year for a couple of years).

The problem is Olympic swimming is a once every four year event. Phelps may stay in the public eye (with the help of his agents and handlers) but he will unlikely "perform" at the Olympic level again until London 2012. Unlike Tiger Woods or Kobe Bryant who face their fans year in and year out, Phelps' achievement will be hot news for the next few months garner him many millions in endorsements for a couple of years but he won't likely surpass Tiger in endorsement earnings nor should he.

He is an outstanding athlete no question. However (yes however again) swimming afforded Phelps many opportunities to obtain "gold". Few other sports give their athletes such chances. Even gymnastics doesn't award a medal for each apparatus but only one for the entire team effort and one for all around. Imagine if medals were handed out for rings, parallel bars, floor exercises and high bar?....would we be calling one of the Americans or Chinese the "world's greatest athlete" if they won all those medals?

There is no doubt the Michael Phelps brand is now gone up in value significantly and that all types of marketers will be calling on his agents to sign him up to promote their products. But I remain convinced the excitement will be fast and furious but it will not be long lived as consumers memories of his 8 gold medal achievements in Beijing become more distant as the days go by and they once again (after recovery from knee surgery) hear about another amazing win by Tiger or how Kobe scored more points in one game than any other basketball player in history.

We should not take anything away from Michael Phelps. We should acknowledge him for the phenon he his and reward him accordingly but we should keep our hats on and not rush to quickly place him atop the throne as "world's greatest athlete or Olympian". To do so unfairly and unjustly diminishes the importance and achievement of others equally deserving.

Watching out for you everyday.

Eli

NBC dishonest in its marketing of the Olympic Games

Chalk it up to hypocrisy and greed as NBC (whose parent company is GE) is heavily touting showing the Olympic Games "live as it happens" from Beijing when this is nothing but a lie.

 

From the get go the first event, the opening ceremonies, will air with a time delay of 12 hours on the east coast and 15 on the west coast....wow, I never knew a 15 hour delay is considered "live as it happens". I guess my understanding of time is quite different from the folks at NBC.

It is bad enough that Americans have to wait half a day to see this stuff...so it can run in prime time and generate the most amount of advertising revenue....but it is worse that the network is lying about its coverage and no one is saying "boo" about the deceit.

I ask, "why can't the network air events as they say, 'live', and then re-run them in prime time for their money shots?". It isn't like we cannot find out the results via the internet in "real time" anyway, so nothing is really lost and a lot gained...with those of us who have access to television sets during the day able to enjoy the games truly "live as they happen", vs. "live, via 12-15 hour time-delay".

Watching out for you everyday.

Eli

Will InBev's purchase of Anheuser-Busch "Bud" brand impact brand loyalty?

Belgian beverage giant InBev is in process of buying American icon brand Anheuser-Busch for $52 Billion. Although mergers like this are not uncommon, few bring marketing challenges to the table as this one does.

Bud and Bud Light brands have become part of the fabric of American culture. A-B has spent millions of dollars in advertising promoting their all-American brands that speak of patriotism and good 'ole American way of life. They have spent a fortune behind sporting events and sports stars embedding their "brand" into the daily lives of millions of Americans.

Although the A-B business has been languishing lately because of American's increased interest in other adult beverages, their brands remain big sellers with strong brand loyalty among middle American beer drinkers.

No one knows yet how InBev will proceed, however, the company does not have a reputation of spending tons on advertising. Quite the contrary. They spend far less than most beer marketers. This puts into question lucrative sports sponsorship deals that have "supported" American professional sports for many years.

The biggest question is (and this may become a significant case study to follow) will a foreign owner of A-B brands erode brand loyalty simply because American beer drinkers will feel one of "their own" has been "stolen" away from them? Will consumers boycott the brand because of the impending sale? Will this give a huge marketshare boost to Miller brands?

Although InBev is buying A-B because they see a huge international expansion opportunity for the Bud brands, they also know they cannot afford to lose any marketshare in the US. The ultimate irony would be for the A-B brands to become very successful overseas simply because of the brand image developed in the US while the brands diminish into third tier performers in the US.

We will follow this ownership change and its impact on brand strategy closely over the coming months and update this blog accordingly.

What's your opinion on this purchase? Let us know.

Watching out for you everyday.

Eli

Tiger Woods slidelining injury will hurt brand and sponsors

Few brands, especially individual brands, have ever grown to match the power and dominance of brand Tiger Woods. He is a beloved American sports star whose style, grace, politeness and correctness make him a darling to any appropriate advertiser/sponsor with enough bucks.

Tiger has become the fuel for the PGA engine. Without his presence tournaments do poorly, TV ratings go down, ancillary products don't sell as well. Tiger is HUGE business.

After winning a spectacular victory at the US Open this week, Tiger announced he needs more knee surgery and will be out of the game for the rest of the season.

So, who also gets hurt?