Celebrities Cant Have It Both Ways

Corporations are willing to pay substantial amounts of money to prominent personalities so that consumers will relate the brand with their favorite star, and thus will be more likely to buy the product. The buying public imparts credibility to the celebrity because of his or her charisma as well as the credibility that comes with prominence in the media. The power of someone's personality also entails risks for the brand with which they are associated, because any controversial behavior may reflect badly on the product. This has become an especially frequent problem in recent times.

Whoopi Goldberg, for example, lost her Slim Fast contract due to her abrasive remarks regarding the President. The people at Slim Fast did not want their brand associated with a personality embroiled in controversy, who was likely to upset people by insulting a respected figure. In 1989, Pepsi dropped Madonna for her "sacrilegious" "Like a Prayer" video. McDonald's allowed Kobe Bryant's contract with them to lapse after a woman accused him of rape. After allegedly entering a special treatment program for anorexia, Mary-Kate Olsen vanished from the "Got Milk?" campaign. Hip-hop star Ludacris became another Pepsi casualty when executives heard Bill O'Reilly remark upon the obscenity of the rapper's lyrics, and decided he wasn't beneficial for their soda's reputation.

Sometimes celebrities act indignant when they lose an endorsement due to remarks they made or other forms of expression in which they indulged, as if their freedom of speech has been violated. Whoopi Goldberg felt she was being "punished" for speaking freely. The First Amendment says nothing about having an inherent right to multi-million dollar deals, just that the State cannot prosecute you for the content of your expression. On the other hand, if the State were to dictate Slim Fast's ad campaign by forcing them to retain Goldberg, that would be a violation of Slim Fast's rights.

For many years, celebrities like Whoopi have made enviable amounts of money from endorsements, but now that they are getting axed so frequently, they may need to take caution if they want to keep this source of revenue. Celebrities are not so irreplaceable and unique. Companies fed up with prominent scandals can easily resort to lesser-known actors who have not accumulated a reputation, bad or otherwise. Advertisers can even employ animated or animal mascots, who have absolutely no independent life of their own, and thus will not ever bring shame upon the company name. Thus, household names who lose their reputation may also lose their big advertising money to, let's say, Tony the Tiger. This phenomenon brings to mind what Cassius said in Shakespeare's Othello, "O, I have lost my reputation!... and what remains is bestial."

Superstars have to make a choice when it comes to endorsements. They have to realize that companies have reasons for keeping them, and for getting rid of them. If celebrities want to do as they please, they cannot expect companies to put up with everything they do and keep on paying them. Eminem lives by his own rules, and companies never hire him for endorsements; but he doesn't seem to care. Those who care about the exposure and money associated with endorsement deals must cultivate a good reputation, maintaining healthy, controversy-free public personas. Otherwise, we will keep seeing more and more stars disappearing from the ad campaigns in which we have become accustomed to seeing them.

Michael Levine is the founder of the prominent public relations firm Levine Communications Office, based in Los Angeles. He is the author of Guerrilla PR, 7 Life Lessons from Noah's Ark: How to Survive a Flood in Your Own Life.

GuerrillaPR.net is a resource for people that want to get famous in the media, without going broke. http://GuerrillaPR.net

---

Your Online Newsroom: How to Give Reporters a Tip

It's hard to imagine a reporter working today who doesn't... Read More

The Power of Radio - Tips for Great Radio Interviews

Many people are intimidated by radio interviews, whether live or... Read More

Why PR is an Engine for Economic Growth

Business, non-profit and association managers committing their public relations resources... Read More

Dont Get Eaten Alive!

If you don't have a grip on public relations, how... Read More

Writing a Press Release: How to Write Quotes

Ideally, you will have two types of quotes in your... Read More

The Working Case Study

Next to white papers, case studies are the most popular... Read More

Making Press Releases Work - Creating News Where None Existed

Aren't you tired of hearing how extremely easy it is... Read More

Ten Media Crisis Tips

No comment. These are probably the two most damaging words... Read More

Does Your Small Business Have a Grooming Policy?

They say that image is everything and some of us... Read More

Getting Traffic Through Publicity

If your reading this, you must be online and most... Read More

PR Failure Defined

I define public relations failure this way:key audience perceptions are... Read More

Dont Be Incredible

Public relations is all about credibility and trustworthiness. If you... Read More

Press Releases: Not Dead, Just Evolved

Mark Twain once said the rumors of his death had... Read More

Managers: PR More Than Tix and Plugs?

You bet! And in three ways vital to you as... Read More

A Managers PR Paradigm

If you manage a department, division or subsidiary for a... Read More

CD ROM Business Cards

Created properly, an extremely effective marketing tool.It's a great concept,... Read More

Time Your News Release For Maximum Publicity

"Cindy, where's that story? I need it yesterday!""Coming right up,... Read More

Where is the Best PR Value?

Wherever the fundamental premise of public relations is practiced.Look at... Read More

Networking: 17 Essential Strategies In The 21st Century

It is virtually impossible to succeed professionally and personally without... Read More

How to Tie-In With News Events to Score Publicity

It's safe to say that we live in interesting times.... Read More

Getting Articles Published - Eight Steps for Trade Publications

Trade publications present an excellent opportunity for organisations to gain... Read More

Anatomy Of A PR Campaign

The message is determined by analyzing the brand being marketed,... Read More

Managers: Are You PR-Fit?

Can you honestly say that your business, non-profit or association's... Read More

PR: Ouch! Tells the Tale

Ever get the feeling that your public relations program isn't... Read More

Is This Any Way to Run Your PR?

You bet!Especially for business, non-profit and association managers who REALLY... Read More

Seven Tips To Get Your Press Release Noticed

If you're seeking to promote yourself or your new business... Read More

A Blueprint for Managing your PR

OK, as a manager, your goal is to show a... Read More

Cutting Down Your Trade Show Budget

Whenever a recession or volatility threatens the economy, companies immediately... Read More

Public Relations Going O.K?

Yes?Good!Still, as a business, non-profit or association manager, if you're... Read More

Media Relations: Minority Media Matters

Your boss just stopped by your office. He tells you... Read More

For Financial Planners, Marketing and Publicity Is About You

For financial planners, getting publicity, in the end, isn't about... Read More

Publicity: Nailing a Media Interview, Part III (Staying on Topic)

In a media interview, always stick to your main points... Read More

Five Great News Stories You?re Sitting On Right Now

Smaller companies don't always have the budget - or inclination... Read More