Radio Interview On The MO SHOW

Here's the latest interview with author Randy Rovegno.  Click on the link and simply play the clip.  Randy comes in at the 20 minute mark.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/moradioshow/2013/09/04/mo-radio-show-on-sports

More Athlete Controversy Makes Brands Question The Use Of STARFISH!

A client inquired about my chapter on STARFISH in lieu of the Riley Cooper situation.  If you haven't read "The Surfer's Guide To Marketing" (and I can't possibly fathom why you haven't) STARFISH is my term for celebrities involved in corporate relationships, endorsements, etc.  We are currently discussing using professional athletes for a product placement campaign and the client brought up recent issues with Aaron Hernandez, Riley Cooper, A-Rod, and even Johnny "Heisman" Manziel.   While I would never profess to be the celebrity expert to the extent of Super Agent Leigh Steinberg, whom we featured in "The Surfer's Guide To Marketing," I do have significant experience in sourcing the right STARFISH personality to drive a company's awareness and messaging.

Recently, I wrote an in-depth post about a similar issue with Sergio Garcia and Tiger Woods so please feel free to read the post here.  But with this recent wave of stories making the news, it's difficult to avoid this discussion and as always, I tell clients to look at the individual and explore that specific STARFISH rather than just generalize.  I tend to use retired players due to their experience and availability but every brand, every event, and every STARFISH requires individual attention to determine their viability as a representative for your brand.

Much like a GM of a pro football team, you need to do your homework.  With someone like Riley Cooper (who recently made a racial slur that was caught on video) you could have probably gotten a feel for what kind of guy he is based on past record, his teammates, etc. When the video emerged, you can determine perhaps if it was an isolated incident or if perhaps he's not the best STARFISH to appear on the packaging of your product.  Obviously, in the immediate future, he won't need to be answering many calls from potential sponsors, but in general, you can get a feel for how a STARFISH carries themselves and represents themselves as a brand before they represent your brand.

Serious controversies like Aaron Hernandez, OJ Simpson, or Rae Carruth are not the typical situation most STARFISH get involved with so if we eliminate extreme cases, we can better dissect the risks involved with celebrity endorsements.  This offseason, there were reports about how over 30 NFL players were arrested since the Super Bowl and the world gasped!  Such an astronomical rate, right?  I would simply argue that these stats are not much different than that of the average 20 to 25 year old male.  Young men make more mistakes than the population as a whole and ask any insurance agent which demographic takes the brunt of playing "the law of averages" when determining rates.  While DUI, simple assault (bar fight), and other minor infractions are not acceptable under any circumstance, are NFL players dramatically worse than the average population in terms of most simple misdemeanors?

While someone like Johnny Manziel is obviously not eligible for securing endorsements as an amateur, would you be surprised that a 20-year-old famous guy in the social media age would have a few blips on the character radar? And let's be honest, his only "issues" involve maybe a few too many beers, sleeping in late, tweeting from sporting events, and going to a fraternity party.   In my day, that would have made him pretty much every other student in college not named Tim Tebow!  But seeing his reaction (which may even be a little justified with all the media piling on) would make me hesitant to recommend him for corporate opportunity if that option was available today.  I'm not defending any of the actions of players who end up in the news for the wrong reasons, but I just want to keep it in perspective.

Even when you do your homework, have worked with trusted STARFISH with impeccable reputations, or even have personal relationships, you might find yourself caught up in a celebrity's saga.  It's great PR when your STARFISH does something wonderful on or off the field.  After all, isn't that the purpose of even having the relationship?  Win the Super Bowl, donate to a charity, take time to mentor children in their community... it is all golden.  But even with a record of such service, it can all come into question when a player does something heinous... like leaving a $3 tip!

Obviously I'm being sarcastic when I bring up the Drew Brees "Tipgate" controversy.  Drew is also featured in "The Surfer's Guide To Marketing" and I highlight his community service and overall positive stance as a role model.  But even a "sure fire" endorser of brands including Pepsi and Pampers can find himself mixed up in a debate and his recent $3 tip (on a takeout order that he picked up, BTW) is quintessential ESPN filler for the nine hours of debate shows they air ad nauseum.  There is no controversy here and I would argue that Brees is one of the most courteous and generous STARFISH out there.  Nonetheless, the Super Bowl MVP has been brought into a discussion that explores his character and doesn't revolve around touchdowns or completions!

So what's the solution?  If you want to utilize STARFISH to drive your brand, you simply need to approach it like any other resource and do your homework.  "The Surfer's Guide To Marketing" explores step-by-step actions and suggestions you can take to ensure you make the best decisions possible and aside from simply creating your own mascot character for a spokesman, there will always be a variable of human error when dealing with humans!

Oh wait, didn't the AFLAC duck get fired for insensitive jokes?

How Philanthropy Can Drive Your Brand

In The Surfer's Guide To Marketing, we discuss how to utilize philanthropy in an effort to drive your branding.  As surfers, we can look at ENVIRONMENTALISTS (as our example of people who engage in charitable efforts or causes) because they obviously have a higher interest in preserving their oceans than the average citizen.  So with that as our model, we can associate those who practice activism for whatever relevant cause, to our coastal ENVIRONMENTALISTS.

Utilizing cause marketing or charity to build awareness for a corporate organization can be tricky.  But there are some guidelines to observe to ensure that your efforts, while set against a corporate agenda, still provide an acceptable amount of good will.  After all, it's ok for a company to "get credit" for their charitable efforts just so long as it is an authentic, endemic campaign.  It must produce genuine results and not try to boast more than they merit.  Consumers are savvy and can see through thinly-veiled efforts to appear sincere.  

The two rules of thumb I invoke when creating a philanthropic effort are:

1) The charity is true, real, and genuinely benefits from the effort.  There are examples of big corporations “creating” philanthropy or instituting a good will effort only to have the transparent excuse for marketing backfire.  If you want to devote resources, time, effort, dollars, etc. to a cause, then you must truly believe in the cause.  And make a solid effort.

2) Developing a cause campaign or aligning with

an existing charity must be a natural partnership that is organic in nature and forms a positive, logical combination for the brand.  

If your brand is in no way involved in cancer research for example, or there isn't a personal element or story to it, then perhaps your company shouldn't select that organization to support.  It's not that supporting generic causes are a bad thing, but it makes for a more seamless story for the consumer if there is a logical connection.  Now, if the CEO's mother fought the disease or they have a similar story that puts the brand in the middle of the cause, then it's instantly credible.  Simply put, select a cause that motivates your consumers because the involvement is organic and relevant to your product or service.

A current example of an organization doing a good will effort that will surely pay exponential dividends is one that is near and dear to me personally.  The Arizona Diamondbacks recently drafted Arizona State's Cory Hahn with the 34th pick in last week's draft.  While not unusual if you didn't know the story, the effort made becomes extraordinary when you learn about the draft pick himself.  Three games into his college baseball career at Arizona State University, Cory (who wore number 34) was involved in a freak play that left him with a broken neck, paralyzed from the waste down.  Despite the tragic injury, Cory continues to excel as a student, friend, and "teammate" with his former roster mates.

Former ASU Player Cory Hahn

The Diamondbacks honored his courage and attitude by using a pick on him to show their appreciation and fulfill the former athlete's dream.  While in actuality, the gesture only "cost" the brand (in this case the D-backs) a 34th round pick, the value one can assign to the effort will come back incrementally higher.  It's a great way to do a good deed in the community and have that limited activation pay larger dividends.  

So while I in no means imply that they did it just for the publicity, I'm sure the front office is not against all of the attention, positive social media, overwhelming community support, and becoming the focus of certain marketing blog's subject.   (FYI, having suffered a neck injury myself and as a Sun Devil alum, I can relate to this story on many levels!)

In The Surfer's Guide To Marketing, there is an entire chapter dedicated to ENVIRONMENTALISTS, or the proper ways to integrate cause marketing into your mix.  It can be done cost-effectively, organically, and help drive your brand while giving back to the community.  We discuss everything from corporate partners who help out during disasters to celebrities like Drew Brees who create foundations to give back.  Check out the book for a complete discussion of how you can gain valuable exposure while helping make other people's lives better.  And in the meantime, forward along this article to show your support for the home run the Diamondbacks hit with their selection of Cory!