How to make the right choices and prepare for disaster with celebrity endorsements
I have to admit that this article from the NY Times gave me so much to talk about that at first I didn’t really know where to start. So, I am going to write two posts that cover two distinct topics. This first post will cover the often-talked-about pros and cons of a celebrity endorsement and doing your best to protect your brand.
This is a follow-up to my recent post on the same topic, but I am tackling it from the agency perspective this time. If you’ve read my post on the client perspective some of the same themes are valid here as well. (see below)
It is inevitable that at some point in your career you will encounter a client, whether internal or external, that just never seems happy with the end product. You have presented them with what you consider good work, the best you and your team can deliver and then they make a funny face, sigh or simply say, “This isn’t what I was hoping to see” or “why did you do it this way?” You want to argue with them, explain why it is what they asked for. But, instead you most likely apologize and then figure out how to make it better – you don’t want them disappointed or angry, and you want to get paid for the work you have done. You also want to maintain the relationship you have been developing for months.
Recently, I have been listening to a lot of my corporate colleagues lament about the frustrations they are having with their various agencies. These brand managers and directors as well as the marketing services teams complain how an agency didn’t deliver on the creative or the execution was poor. They express the need for their agencies to listen better and have a better ongoing dialogue with them as the client. It leads me to think about all the different agencies I have managed over time and the strategies I engaged to avoid these frustrations.
When I get the chance I like to highlight great examples in the area of integrated marketing. One I recently have come across is a new brand relaunch campaign for Keds footwear. In an attempt to revitalize their brand and make them hip to the 18-24 year old demographic they have pulled all the pieces together, integrated multiple relevant touch points and did it methodically over multiple years to grow interest.
