Fictional characters can boost a brand’s appeal for decades (see Tony the Tiger) with no risk of scandal (see Tiger Woods)
One of the most enduring lessons for marketers from the Tiger Woods scandal is that, no matter how attractive celebrity spokespeople may seem, they’re only human. When accusations about Woods cheating on his wife came to light, things got tricky for companies like PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble and Accenture that had spent millions of dollars on ads featuring the golfer.
Sometimes it’s better to go with an animated character. Someone who won’t grow old, won’t demand a pay raise and won’t cheat on his wife.
“Using a spokesperson is using borrowed interest,” says Greg DiNoto, chief creative officer at Deutsch New York. “Spokescreatures use the DNA of the brand.”
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