Photo: The Holmes Group (www.makeitright.ca)
What is it about endorsements – celebrity, athlete, organization - that make them such a tempting magical elixir for marketers and agencies?
Well, for starters, they often work, because shoppers are influenced and persuaded by aspirational and positive association. Marketing endorsements run the gamut from the clothes and footwear of our favorite performers and athletes; to the golf clubs we see being used on tv each week; and even to what we eat and drink. Crest toothpaste’s 1960s endorsement from the American Dental Association is one of the most famous examples.
However, there are perils, especially now in our totally connected, instant-on world. Tiger Woods, Lance Armstrong and Oscar Pistorius, just to name a recent few, were perhaps “no brainer” endorsement decisions at one time. Not now. (To be fair, Mr. Pistorius deserves his day in court. Still, Nike pulled his “bullet in the chamber” ad and this isn’t the kind of attention they wanted.)
Given the challenges and difficulties these days with endorser marketing, I was pleased to come across an excellent pairing: 3M filter and safety brands with contractor Mike Holmes, who because of his HGTV shows, has become a superman brand champion for home building/home improvement problem-solving.
Photo: 3M Filtrete website.
