Localizing endorsements
By Flickr user allygirl520
I was going to ignore the Two-Timing Tiger brouhaha, figuring that contretemps is between Mr. and Mrs. Woods and the companies banking on the couple’s heretofore wholesome image.
But hey, when even CNBC busts into programming with “Breaking News!” about Nike and Tiger Woods, who are we to turn up our noses?
Even sans scandal, your audience would probably enjoy a localized celebrity-endorsement feature. It would make a great multimedia package, too, with links to relevant TV and radio spots, or a slide-show montage of print ads. And as somewhat serious business story, you can tackle the pros and cons of using human persuasion as a marketing device in tough times.
Getting hard compensation numbers will be difficult, if not impossible, but you should be able to persuade a few local marketing experts (don’t forget academics as well as consultants and ad-agency executives) to at least rank-order your local glitterati and sports figures in terms of drawing power.
Regional sports heroes are the obvious target, but don’t overlook local actors and talk-show hosts, business people, mascots and even retired news people. We’ve got a couple of former TV anchors in this market who seem to be on the air more now than when they did the daily broadcasts, touting furniture to legal services.
People get a kick out of nostalgia, so do a YouTube search for old commercials featuring local characters. And have fun with it. I once, with a little prodding, did a “Dancing CEOs” piece highlighting two area business men who twinkled their toes in their own TV spots. We even had Arthur Murray dance instructors rate the fancy footwork, and published the score sheet as a sidebar.
Other possible sources include talent agencies, law firms that specialize in entertainment deals and nice firms like AthletePromotions.com. And if your region has spawned any bona-fide celebrities, they may even be on existing lists like the Forbes Celebrity 100.
For background, read this Business Week piece about spokesperson missteps and a similar USA Today story. Here’s another good Forbes story about U.S. celebrities doing overseas deals on the down-low.
Planning ahead
Here are a few reminders and resources for next week. The recent barrage of economic data has slowed but the biggie will be the Commerce Department’s retail sales report on Friday. Earnings season is fizzling out but The Kroger Co. reports on Monday, which might provide some handy data if you’re doing a food-price piece.
Dec. 7: Consumer credit (Federal Reserve G19 report)
Dec. 10: Initial jobless claims. If you haven’t fashioned an employment package yet this month, find hints at this previous post, “Brace for a jobs-centric week.”
Dec. 11: Department of Commerce retail sales. This post on covering retail tactics along Main Street includes tips for using Census Bureau data to find local trends.
