by Danielle Douglas
A decade ago, it would have been hard to imagine blue-chip companies clamoring to have rap and R&B stars market their products. But that was before Steve Stoute made it fashionable—and more importantly profitable.
“Steve revolutionized the way brands partner with celebrities to connect with consumers,” said James Edmund Datri, president and CEO of the American Advertising Federation, which last year inducted Stoute into the Advertising Hall of Achievement, the highest honor in the industry for execs under 40.
As the founder and CEO of marketing firm Translation LLC, Stoute, now 40, has helped clients like Wrigley’s, Reebok and Hewlett-Packard tap into the lucrative youth market by marrying trendsetting entertainers with the often button-up brands.
Take Hewlett-Packard, for instance. The tech giant, despite its strong market share, lacked a meaningful brand identity—at least one that spoke to people under the age of 45. That is until Stoute used his music industry creds to bring Gwen Stefani on board to customize and advertise the HP Photosmart R607 camera in 2005. Of the 3,000 cameras specially made for the campaign, 879 flew off the shelves in the first five days of release, according to the company.
Jay-Z—thanks to Stoute—brought Reebok similar success with his S. Carter Collection. The company told CNN Money that the limited edition line became the fastest selling shoe in its history when it debuted in 2003. “At the time, everybody was wearing Nike. So for Jay-Z to partner with Reebok to do his own footwear was incredible,” said Stoute.
Since launching Translation in 2003, Stoute has served as a cultural guide for Fortune 500 companies looking to navigate the terrain of the youth market—a place inhabited by discerning natives not easily fooled by gimmicks.
“There was a void in the marketplace, where brands were not speaking to young adults in a tone and manner that was representative of them,” Stoute recalled. “There were a lot of brands coming up with messaging that they would just try to force on the consumer, without truly reflecting the wants and needs of young adults.”
Consumers between the ages of 25 to 34 shelled out roughly $851 billion on their wants and needs in 2006, according to the Conference Board. And teenagers—pop culture connoisseurs and the likely target of Wrigley’s Chris Brown jingle—spent an estimated $194 billion during the same year.
A part of Stoute’s appeal in the advertising industry is his deep roots in the entertainment world. During the 1990s, he rose through the ranks of several major music labels, including stints as president of the Urban Music division for both Interscope and Sony Music.
