If you were to ask a group of U.S. teenagers who their favorite celebrities are, you’d be surprised, especially if you work for a brand who’s looking to stay relevant in the eyes of these teens. You wouldn’t hear the names of big box office celebs such as Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie. Instead, you’d  hear names such as Michelle Phan, Bethany Mota, and PewDiePie. (Ault, 2014). This is important for all brands trying to speak the same language that teenagers do because social influencers, and particularly word-of-mouth (WOM) marketing generates more than twice the sales of paid advertising, and have a 37% higher retention rate on their consumers (Wong, 2014). Brands who want to stay in the conversation online between consumers and social media influencers need to find ways to partner with influencers in an organic an exciting way.

For example, influencers who reach out to their followers and engage with them, ask for feedback, recommendations on what to eat, what they’d like to see them talk about in their next video, those influencers will be able to influence their audience in ways brands can’t do on their own. Shawn McBride, a SnapChat influencers with 350k followers, produces engaging content on the platform and creates opportunities for authentic brand integrations into his snaps by “just being himself,” which is what brands should want when they partner with an influencer (Bergen, 2014).

But just because an influencer has x amount of followers doesn’t automatically mean that they will help you and your brand with its objective. A way to understand if an influencer can help your brand is though the following lens: Influence = Audience Reach (# of followers) x Brand Affinity (expertise and credibility) x Strength of Relationship with Followers (Wong, 2014). Ultimately, the influencer partnering with the brand has to have credibility with and a strong connection with its fan base in order for the partnership to work and feel authentic.

Social media influencers aren’t just big online. Media dollars from companies such as YouTube are investing in their talent by using traditional media to help creating awareness of their stars offline

So the next time you think about how to create a partnerships that will have reach and hit the teen demographic, influencers should be the first option you go with.

References:

Early in his Presidential campaign Donald Trump made some unsavory statements  regarding border control targeting the Latino community with sharps generalizations as drug dealers an rapists.

I have included footage here:

http://www.cnn.com/videos/tv/2015/06/25/exp-presidential-candidate-donald-trump-immigration-intv-erin.cnn

In the weeks following  there has been a highly warranted outcry of those who are appalled by these blatantly disrespectful comments. Various celebrities, public figures and major corporations have come out in support of the public shaming Trump’s comments and going so far as to severe business affiliations regardless of any financial penalties.

Recently, in the wake of all the reactions and news coverage there of a very dangerous gangster named El Chapo escaped from prison, with speculation he is “coming for” Trump in response to his statements. While some people have been incited by this as Trump possibly getting “what he deserves” from any harm by El Chapo, others maintain this behavior only perpetuates the generalizations Trump made in the first place.

Here are some contrasting examples:

Donald Trump Calls in FBI Over Death Threats Involving El Chapo

Donald Trump

Calls in FBI

Over Death Threat Involving El Chapo

7/13/2015 9:39 AM PDT BY TMZ STAFF

EXCLUSIVE

Donald Trump tells TMZ he is contacting the FBI to investigate threats just made by a man claiming to be the son of escaped Mexican drug lord El Chapo.

Trump is reacting to a tweet reportedly made by El Chapo’s son, in which he blasts Trump for saying El Chapo is “everything that’s wrong with Mexico.”

The tweet was written in Spanish, with the rough English translation, “Keep f***ing around and I’m gonna make you swallow your bitch words you f***ing whitey milks***tter (that’s a homophobic slur).”

Trump tells TMZ he’s not backing down, saying, “I’m fighting for much more than myself. I’m fighting for the future of our country which is being overrun by criminals.” He adds, “You can’t be intimidated. It’s too important.”

Read more: http://www.tmz.com/2015/07/13/donald-trump-el-chapo-fbi-son-tweet-death-threat/#ixzz3fwS9VXET

The TMZ article above, along the following images in circulation review a host of contrasting positions created to shape the narrative for those who happen to encounter them.

Ultimately, it is important to remember this isn’t just a highly publicized beef between two personalities. It’s not like two housewives going at it or a narrative war amongst the Basketball Wives of wherever, these are the statements and positions of someone who’s entered the most important popularity contest in the WORLD, President of the United States. With the evolution of social media over the years, popularity-politics has added a new level of infiltration into the general public.

1. Do you think Trump intentionally started this “fire” with the purpose of gaining publicity, potentially under the “all press is good press” mantra?

2. With how active Trump is personally on social media, do you think his campaign will primarily take place online? If so, do you think that would be wise from a media management perspective?

3. In the wake of these outrageous yet highly entertaining exchanges, do you think voters will take him seriously as a candidate for office? And is he possibly getting more exposure than the other candidates in his party?

Thanks!

Looking for some star power that will reach your millennial audience, but can’t afford the likes of Taylor Swift or Selena Gomez? Fret not. Jerome Jarre and Shaun McBride are here to save the day. What? You’ve never heard of them? Chances are your kids have. Jerome and Shaun, better known as @JeromeJarre and @Shonduras are Shapchat’s biggest stars, with brands such as Disney and Major League Soccer knocking at their door to work with them.

I know what you’re thinking, “Wait, Snapchat? That social platform where the content disappears? How can any brands use that to their advantage?” It seems silly. But, it’s not. With more than 100 million daily users, 71% of which are under 25, Snapchat is the hot new social media platform for the millennial demographic (Smith, 2015). More than 400 million snaps are sent A DAY (Smith, 2015). It’s clear that Snapchat isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. As users move over to Snapchat, brands are increasingly becoming aware of the platform’s potential and looking for ways in which it can leverage the platform to their own advantage. Some brands, such as Taco Bell, are starting their own accounts to push out content.

Others are taking a different route and leveraging users who have already built a strong following on the platform. With the rise in popularity of Snapchat comes a crop of all new internet influencers, who have harnessed the power of the platform and built impressive followings. These new Snapchat celebrities are a force to be recon with and can bring substantial value to a brand. Jerome Jarre, one of the biggest Snapchat celebrities at the moment, recently partnered with Relativity Media to create a Snapchat story to promote their film, “The Best of Me”. In one day, the story received 26 million views (Mediakix). Other brands are starting to catch on to the power of the Snapchat celebrity. These influencers are receiving upward of $30,000 for advertising deals with a variety of brands…all for content that disappears. As the platform grows and evolves, brands will continue to rely more on these influencers and continue to look for unique ways to market their products. All for a day that is…and then the content is gone.

References

Smith, C. (2015). By the numbers: 50 amazing Snapchat statistics. Digital Marketing Stats. Retrieved from http://expandedramblings.com/index.php/snapchat-statistics/

Mediakix. (2015). Snapchat celebrities: The new social influencers. Retrieved from http://mediakix.com/2015/04/snapchat-celebrities-the-new-social-influencers/

It took me a while to write this blog post because the topic is a touchy one. The wait was not because I was unsure about the message, but because the discussion of rape or rape accusations is touchy to so many I did not want to offend anyone. It is also difficult to write about when the rape allegations are directed at a beloved celebrity. Although the latest rape allegations have been directed at Bill Cosby, there are a number of other celebrities who have been accused of sexual assault (Faerman, 2014). It seems that the allegations of Sean Penn, Britney Spears, and CeeLo Green have faded away. Maybe it is the sheer number of women who have come forward that sets Bill Cosby’s celebrity brand damage apart from others. Bill Cosby has been labeled an icon by a generation who watched him perform (Bill Cosby, 2013). Today, his statue has been removed from Disneyland and endorsements have been pulled.

I am passionate about the subject of personal branding. When the subject also includes the effect of one immoral act (and in this case many) has on brand equity, I am interested in who, why, and outcome of personal choice. Human behavior is fascinating! So, when discussing a human interaction that harms one of the people involved, how can the aggressor not be affected by their poor choice? Whether an immoral act is proven or not, it can have a strong affect on brand image. Vaynerchuk (2013) suggests that to connect with others we must talk about pop culture.

With this in mind, I hope to spark a conversation about celebrity brands to determine, or not, if a brand can rebound after an ethical and moral wrong has been committed.

Khedher (2014) suggests that a personal brand includes; 1) brand identity, 2) brand position, and 3) brand image (p. 37). Cosby’s celebrity brand status was built on his lovable personality and strengthened with his desire to promote education across the globe. His voice of reason to absent-fathers created a generation of youth who looked up to Bill Cosby as a father they wanted to have for their own. His mission of education and responsibility of fatherhood catapulted his celebrity brand status due to his vision and mission that he shared widely.

His celebrity brand symbolizes fatherhood, education, fun, and family. He was the face of Jell-O pudding and the lovable, yet strict father in the sitcom, The Cosby Show

I remember watching The Cosby Show with such admiration for Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable. His kind yet stern parenting skills drew me to him. His kind and humorous interactions with the children on the show drew in fans from all over the world. In the past decade, Cosby’s fame had not faltered even though he has not been as visible. Until now.

Bill Cosby’s personal and professional brand image has stood the test of time, until recently. As most are familiar with the rape accusations of many, many women – It begs the question, “How harmful are these accusations to Bill Cosby’s brand image and will it last?”

In the voice of public opinion, Cosby has already been found guilty of rape. Weather he is guilty or not, it doesn’t seem to matter. His poor choices, and possibly his lies about his true brand may hurt his brand image forever. What is it that causes a celebrity brand to crumble and why do some rebound?

Let’s also add that there are many celebrities that have been accused of misconduct by people trying to get money or recognition. I find this behavior extremely harmful to the celebrity brand.

And if we can learn from this brand image debacle, what can we teach other high power celebrities so they will not suffer at the hands of poor choices.

So what is on your mind? Can a celebrity brand rebound after numerous rape allegations? Are there some celebrity brands that seem to rebound no matter what has injured the brand image initially?

References

Bill cosby (2013).

Khedher, M. (2014). Personal branding phenomenon. International Journal of Information, Business and Management, 6(2), 29.

Faerman, Z. (2014, Feb 19). 6 celebrities you didn’t know were accused of sexual assault. Sheknows.com. Retrieved on July 12, 2015 from http://www.sheknows.com/entertainment/articles/1030559/6-celebrities-you-didnt-know-were-accused-of-sexual-assault

Vaynerchuk, G. (2013). Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook: How to tell your story in a noisy, social world.

When you think of search typically one company’s name comes to mind: Google. It is hard to remember that there are even other search companies that exist despite the fact that Google’s market share has been declining in recent months (Molina, 2015). While Google still holds 63% of the search market the newly broken search alliance between Yahoo and Bing allows for two new competitors to begin reinventing the search game (Sterling, 2015). Already Yahoo has given Google healthy competition by inking a deal with Mozilla to be the exclusive search engine of Firefox (Lardinois, 2014). Bing also has the advantage of being the default search engine for Microsoft manufactured products such as the Xbox. However, it will take more than small wins to change the search landscape.

For marketers there are few tactics as effective as search marketing. Search marketing offers a captive audience that is directly seeking out your product. This is why within digital media search ads are typically the most effective(Ference, 2013). Additionally, with a bidded market place gives advertisers control over much they would be willing spend on certain search terms depending on their ROI. Businesses and marketers therefore have a firm stake in the future of search marketing.

Search represents human curiosity and there will always be new ways to explore and innovate curiosity. If the search companies can focus on longer term innovation over shorter term market gains there will be a chance for a new type of search company to take over. The way we find information in the future may be different and for businesses finding ways to add value to the experience over disruption will win out.

References
Ference, M. (2013). Search marketing. Hydraulics & Pneumatics

Lardinois, F. (2014). Yahoo will soon be the deafault search engine in Firefox. Tech Crunch. Retrieved from www.techcrunch.com.

Molina, B. Google search slipping in US market share. USA Today. Retrieved from www.usatoday.com

Sterling, G. Yahoo or Bing could now divorce before 10-year search deal expires. Search Engine Land. Retrieved from www.searchengineland.com

Have you seen the new Always “Like a Girl” campaign? Well, you should. It’s a great example of how smart integration is achieved and as a result, unleashes buzz and engagement. It sort of reminds me of Dove’s Real Beauty campaign but this time, it’s focused on girls who are encouraged to break through those perceived limitations and what girls are told they should be like. It’s a very positive message for girls and it works to enhance the Always brand. It’s a great lesson in marketing – you don’t always have to focus on your product to secure a win for your brand. Sometimes, you have to think bigger and Always is a great example of a brand who is able to rise about product pushing to executing a big idea campaign.

The campaign has won several awards already and have people talking and engaging on social media as well as traditional media. There’s even a Confidence Summit in partnership with Ted and educational kits for teachers. I love how well-thought out this campaign is and how much engagement it’s getting on social media. The message is one that resonates with women and men as evidenced by the comments from the many men who wish better for their little girls when they grow up. Bravo, Always!

Marketing and communicating products and services to consumers is nothing new and continues to change in light of new ideas, technology, etc. Organizations do not only focus on increasing profits, but also retaining the best employees in the world, and this is something that has grown considerably in recent years. I want to take this topic and run with it to a pivotal area of major interest to me, and that is college football. Narrowing this blog down, I want to focus on college football recruiting, which in its purest form is marketing a specific program at an explicit target audience with the desire for that group to choose your program or product, as you will. College football recruiting has grown into a rapidly competitive “arms race”, with no end in sight to the decadence and ambiance in spending in order to market one’s program to high school recruits. A relevant to question to ask then, is where will the excessive spending stop?

There has been an increasingly uneven playing field in college sports, most notably college football, where a select number of programs continue to surpass the others in regards to expenditures on facilities, player amenities, etc. As mentioned, this causes not only a divide in college football, but also a rift between how funds and donor contributions are utilized for unnecessary athletics spending, while other facets of the university receive minimal upgrades or attention. Brian Bennett from ESPN includes that over the last 15 years, college football programs have spend well over $15 billion on facility upgrades in order to market to these young football players (2014). This whole point runs full circle in what I am attempting to say, in that divulging strategic messaging about what one’s program has to offer in order to allure the top athletes, means putting a winning product on the field, thereby generating increased revenue and profits for the university (Steinbach, 2013).

Unlike many professional sports leagues, the NCAA does not regulate spending when it comes to upgrading and marketing one’s program. I want to generate discussion on this topic of marketing in regards to college football to see how others feel on the issue, and what if any limitations can be implemented to better enhance an equal playing field when it comes to marketing communications spending in this sport. Here are some articles that I found extremely interesting in regards to college athletics marketing and spending: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/09/15/athletics-cost-colleges-students-millions/2814455/

http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-football/story/2014-09-08/college-football-attendance-capacity-stadium-upgrades-spending-facilities

Keep in mind, all the upgrades and amenities are marketed at young high school athletes, here is a video of some of the example I am talking about.

Bennett, B. (2012, June 14). Arms race proves recession-proof. Retrieved from http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/8047787/college-football-facilities-arms-race-proves-recession-proof

Steinbach, P. (2013, June). Schools Strategize to Increase Student Football Attendance – Athletic Business. Retrieved from http://www.athleticbusiness.com/college/schools-strategize-to-increase-student-football-attendance.html