All Articles Tagged "endorsements"
We’re Gonna Pass On These: The Wackest Celebrity Endorsements Ever
Yes, look at them now. They are getting paper! First, celebrities rise to stardom via their talents as a singer, dancer, rapper, actor or actress, then they start snagging endorsement deals and the real cash pours in. The rich and famous usually jump at the opportunity of an endorsement because it means mo’ money, mo’ money, mo’ money — and additional publicity. Remember Beyoncé just signed a whopping $50 million endorsement deal with Pepsi? I mean who wouldn’t hesitate to chug down a can of that carbonated drink on camera for that kinda green? But not everyone gets such credible and prestigious opportunities. Sometimes celeb endorsement deals are straight up outlandish and wack, to say the least. Just because you put your smiling face next to a product, doesn’t necessarily mean we’ll buy as the consumer. We may just end up laughing, much like we did with these products.
You Mad Huh? Rick Ross Reportedly Feels Betrayed By Reebok After Firing; And Rapper Eve Has Words For His Lyrics: “It’s Not OK”
Sources close to the rapper tell TMZ … Ross will lose between $3.5 million and $5 million … he was getting a check each time he wore the shoes.
And for that reason, Ross reportedly feels betrayed by the company. That’s right, folks. Despite coming off as understanding about having to part ways with the sneaker brand after an outcry over his lyrics on the song “U.O.E.N.O.” by Rocko (which he’s been replaced on), and even Tweeting, “I want to thank Reebok Classics for their hard work and dedication over this past year.Good partners,good shoe.continued success,” the rapper is actually said to be pretty enraged with the company. According to TMZ, he feels as though they should have given him a second chance as a form of “corporate forgiveness” since he helped make them more relevant in the hip-hop community. He was on the cover of XXL recently along with Allen Iverson and Tyga promoting the shoes and the company’s legacy, and feels that he did a lot to assure folks that Reeboks are on the same level with other brands. But with women’s rights groups calling for his firing, and word of the lyrics spreading like wildfire, reigniting the conversation about rape culture, they decided not to stand by someone who thought this type of wordplay and message being sent out to the masses was okay. Just face it Ross, you messed up, and it cost you…
And throwing her two cents in recently, rapper/actress Eve agreed that Reebok did what they needed to do. As a lyricist, she understands that some rappers think wordplay is wordplay and it doesn’t mean you’ll actually do something bad, but in an interview with Rap-Up TV, she said it’s not okay to put that message out there.
“People still have to remember it is [Reebok] a business and there are shareholders that are bigger than just Reebok that are probably looking at this situation and being like, ‘You know what, this is not something that we want to represent.’”
As for what she thought of the song: “As a woman, I’m like, ‘Whoa.’ It just makes you think in a different way. I feel like it’s wordplay, but at the same time, it does make you think twice, like what do you mean? Are you that dude? It’s not OK.”
Let There Be Parental Peace: Gabby Douglas’ Millions Are Going Into a Trust
Gabby Douglas at the Empire State Building on Tuesday. Photo: AP
Wow, we are in Gabby Douglas’ business! Just yesterday, there were sources saying that the Olympic gold medalist was in the middle of a family brouhaha over the millions ($10 million now and $100 million over the course of many years, according to estimates from the National Enquirer (?)) that she’ll be making in endorsement deals.
Today, RadarOnline.com is reporting that actually there is no warring over money because it’s going into a trust.
“Any money she earns from future endorsements will go towards paying for her college education, as well as be put aside for when she’s finished her studies,” a “family insider” (publicist?) is now telling Radar, which, by the way, also picked up on the family feud story yesterday. That’ll teach you to report on things you see in The National Enquirer.
Let’s hope the latter is true.
You might be asking, “What exactly is a trust?” Good question. “Essentially, it is an arrangement whereby you give assets to a legal entity (the trust) created in a separate agreement to be administered by an individual or institutional trustee for a beneficiary, who may be yourself or some other person,” Kiplinger informs us. You can click on that link to learn more about the benefits of a trust and how to create one.
Separately but related, Douglas is getting a new ‘do from celebrity stylist Ted Gibson.
“Gibson’s pricey signature service offers clients like Jolie and Union a relaxing scalp and hand massage as well as upbeat conversation and the perk celebrities often value most: privacy,” The Daily Beast reports. According to his New York salon’s website, a haircut from Gibson’s hand costs $950. Douglas was on the couch on The Tonight Show last night and will be on Oprah’s Next Chapter on August 26.
Business Gets Personal With Celebrity Weight Loss Endorsements
It seems like you can’t watch television for more than five minutes without Jennifer Hudson singing the praises of Weight Watchers or Janet Jackson cooing over Nutrisystem. Give it another five minutes, and Mariah Carey will be partying for Jenny Craig and Charles Barkley will tell you the finer points of how to lose weight like a man. Celebrity weight loss endorsements used to be reserved for the drastic weight changes of obese celebrities looking to make a comeback. But, now it seems everyone is jumping on the weight loss bandwagon, whether they are losing baby weight or slimming down to a healthier size.
It could just be the time of year. Weight loss programs like to take advantage of New Year’s resolutions and the public’s renewed dedication to getting in shape. Beyond that, American obesity has become a hot button issue in the past year. Even the First Lady is championing the values of a healthy lifestyle through her “Let’s Move!” campaign. Programs like Weight Watchers would be wise to increase advertising dollars to take advantage of the dialogue happening around maintaining a healthy weight.
Of course, celebrities are always looking for a way to diversify their revenue. But, their willingness to endorse weight loss programs reflects a newfound understanding of branding. The concept of branding has expanded beyond a product’s packaging. Branding is now where the personal and professional meet, allowing a person to use their personality and life experiences to differentiate them professionally.
Charles Barkley caused a fuss earlier this month when a hot microphone picked up his comments that that his Weight Watchers deal was a scam. After all, he is getting paid to live healthier, something he should be doing anyway. Charles’ logic doesn’t take into account this expanded view of branding and business. Not only should personal experiences be used to promote yourself professionally, it would be silly not to.
Everyone has a brand to attend to. Just as these celebrities are using personal experiences like losing baby weight or slimming down for a healthier lifestyle to cash in, you too can monetize the milestones in your life. Celebrities may rely on endorsements, but there are plenty of ways the average businesswoman can use personal experiences to expand her brand and business.
Make life events a part of your brand and analyze how your personal interests can enrich your business. Does your business benefit new mothers in a way that you didn’t realize until you were expecting? Explore the possibilities of marketing to this new audience. If you pick up a new hobby, notice the needs of the individuals who share that interest and think of ways your business can address them. It can be as big as creating a new product offering or as simple as shifting your marketing strategy.
The beauty of expanding your brand in this way is that it is inherently genuine. Your audience will feel a personal and professional connection with you, making them all the more willing to support you professionally.
Cortney Cleveland is a public relations practitioner and freelance writer working in New York City. You can follow her on Twitter @CleveInTheCity.
More Than 277,000 Sign Boycott Kim Kardashian Petition
It’s not just Tyler Perry fans who are mad at Kim Kardashian, it’s America. More than 277,5000 people have signed an online petition at BoycottKim.com, saying the reality TV star has “made a mockery of American culture.”
The purpose of the petition is to attract as many signatures as possible in order to influence sponsors to stop hiring Kim to endorse their products. In addition to signing the petition, the site asks visitors to stop supporting a host of brands Kim K. is the spokesperson for or who carry her products, including Sears, TrimSpa, Sketchers, Target, Walmart, David’s Bridal, Sephora, and the whole E! network.
Wording on the site, says:
As our friends and neighbors struggle with real problems including inflated prices for fuel and groceries, a frightening job market, and a broken and divided government, we cannot continue to be distracted by moochers like Kim Kardashian. American families work hard to educate and raise their children with faith and morals, working ever longer hours to make ends meet. We do not need the added burden of explaining to our daughters why they should work hard and get an education versus the pursuit of a materialistic lifestyle by any means necessary including selling out their principles and exploiting sex for profit.
One of the founders of the website told NY Daily News, the boycott is being closely monitored by Sears, which carries the Kardashian Kollection. Another co-founder explained that the short-term goal of the boycott is to gain 350,000 signatures but 500,000 would likely be the kind of “serious number” that would prompt a company like Sears to re-evaluate its relationship with Kim.
At just seven weeks into the campaign, the group is close to hitting its 350,000 mark.
What do you think about this effort? Are the Kim K. haters going too far or are they right about her influence on American culture?
Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.
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American Culture, boycott, brands, Dash, endorsements, kim kardashian, Petition, sears, Sketchers, TrimSpa, tyler perryLebron James Shares His Sheets
(Black Enterprise) — He quenched our thirst with Sprite, kept us moving down the court with the latestNikes, and just like a good neighbor he’s given us humorous State Farm insurance commercials (the brainchild of Black Music Month Power Player Steve Stoute). Now LeBron James is providing another surge of marketing energy all his own. The Miami Heat star, along with business partner Maverick Carter and brand executives Warren Struhl and Jessie Itzler, recently announced the launch of Sheets, dissolvable energy-boosting strips through Purebrands, LLC. With the creation of Sheets, James and company, are set to be leaders in the untapped arena of energy delivery.
All Souled Out: An Analysis Of Hip Hop Endorsements
(HipHopDX) — With Sunday’s upcoming Super Bowl, you’re guaranteed to see at least one Hip Hop artist in a commercial. Lipton confirmed Eminem will appear in a “Brisk” ad for their signature iced tea. In the last two months, emcees Lupe Fiasco, Talib Kweli and Jay Electronica have all come under fire for lending their rhyme skills to beverage companies. But what’s all the fuss about? The mere act of selling an album puts any musician—Hip Hop or otherwise—in a different category. “The truth is that music and videos are commercials,” says Nelson George, who has served as co-executive producer of VH1’s “Hip Hop Honors.” George has also written the movies CB4, Life Support and the book Hip Hop America. “[Songs and videos] are commercials for artists that say, ‘Buy me. Buy what I’m doing. Buy my lifestyle.’
Celebrity Ads Almost Always a Big Waste of Money
(AdAge) — As the most significant event in advertising grows nearer, it will be interesting to see how many brands enlist the endorsement services of celebrities during the Super Bowl. After all, popular wisdom asserts that getting a celebrity endorsement is a tried-and-true, simple-to-implement way to maximize advertising effectiveness. Sure, it’s expensive, but celebrities always yield stronger ties with viewers and, ultimately, greater sales, right? Wrong. Over the course of last year, time and time again we observed incredibly low effectiveness scores of TV ads starring celebrities. From Tiger Woods to Donald Trump, we found that with rare exception, celebrity endorsements were largely ineffective and failed to yield the benefits popular wisdom promises.
Tiger Woods to Reinvent Image
(Salon) — A year has passed since the infamous crash that started it all, and Woods appears ready to re-enter the marketing game. A survey within the last month to test Woods’ appeal produced “very powerful, positive, positive results,” his longtime agent, Mark Steinberg, said, adding that he’s already engaged in “several constructive conversations.” “We are a society of second chances. That’s been proven over the years,” Steinberg said. “He’s not going to be in any deal until he looks the company in the eye and has a serious conversation with them. ‘How are you going to live your life? We want to be part of the redemption, rehabilitation. Are you serious about that?’ And he knows that. He’s comfortable with it. And he’s going to do that.”
Wal-Mart’s Wooing of the Reverend Sharpton
(Huffington Post) — Wal-Mart continues its urban warfare campaign, looking to colonize communities of color by co-opting black opinion-makers. They have done this in Chicago, where the retailer enlisted black Aldermen to embrace their cause, and in New Orleans, where developers actually paid black religious leaders to testify at public hearings about the virtues of chain stores. Now they are mining the black community in New York City. The most notable recruitment of black talent happened almost five years ago. In February of 2006, Wal-Mart proudly announced that “civil rights pioneer” Andrew Young had signed on as “national Steering Committee Chairman” of a new corporate creation called the Working Families for Wal-Mart, which the retailer described as “a group comprised of individuals and families who understand and appreciate Wal-Mart’s positive impact on the working families of America.”
