The Rebound and the Pitch

In a world where NBA finals are won by the unexpected and lost over the contribution of a superstar’s total 18 points (across all of the six games’ 4th quarters), there is an afterlife for athletes when the buzzer sounds-- in product sponsorship.

Every year, millions of dollars are set aside in a marketing budget to have the “source” – the person involved in communicating a message to an audience – deliver a compelling reason why Sprite or McDonald’s  or Reebok is the preferred choice.

Ironically, given this year’s basketball champion Dallas Mavericks, the latest, and potentially greatest next endorser may be the one who never dribbled on the court. Imagine your next manly product being touted by Mav’s owner, Mark Cuban.

It’s not unusual for the president or CEO to be the leading “face” for a corporation – gentlemen acting as spokespeople including Lee Iacocca, Richard Branson and Dave Thomas became the recognizable people behind the multi-million dollar businesses. These men (and sometimes women) are used because they are often credible, expert, trustworthy resources that audiences believe in.

In fact, Lee’s impact on Chrysler in 1979, when the automaker was nearing bankruptcy, was so profound and all encompassing – he not only convinced the US government to bail out the firm and provide $1.5 billion in loans – but he built all new mid-sized vehicles, the very first minivans and told television audiences that if they could find a better car than Chrysler they should buy it.

For Mr. Cuban, the difference is his very impetuous public persona as owner of the team – and its distinguished contrast given his sportsmanlike conduct throughout the finals.  Writers and experts suspect that he can successfully use this moment – either for good (and “societal positives” )or for personal and team gain.  He’s done the reality show, the cameo appearance, the company “relationship.” But now, can he/would he hawk products to heighten further awareness for his winning team?   

In the case of LeBron James, the jury is still out.  Some reports suggest that his poor performance will cost him $10 million in new endorsements.   Others think that as one of the best athletes on the planet, sponsorships with  Bubblicious,  Cannondale Bicycle Company, Coca-Cola (Coke, Sprite & Vitaminwater),  Cub Cadet,  MSN,  Nike,  State Farm Insurance and Upper Deck Trading Cards are barely the beginning.  

But LeBron has bigger issues to deal with – can consumers continue to relate to him with a sense of similarity, familiarity and most of all, likeability?  Will he get to ride out this difficult end to the Heat’s season so that we will accept him and his attitudes and preferences tomorrow?

Selecting the right spokesperson is tough enough. You can end up with a person who overshadows the product in commercials, or a person who’s endorsing too many product categories (resulting in what we call “overexposure). Worst of all you can risk everything on the athlete’s actions on and off the court.  But make no mistake – advertisers will do what is necessary to get the right voice – whether it is paying top dollar or releasing a person from a contract prematurely.

Just ask Accenture. Just ask Tiger Woods.