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Ben Roethlisberger's marketing value could be sacked
Sunday, July 26, 2009
By Kaitlynn Riely, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
[url="http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09207/986515-66.stm"]http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09207/986515-66.stm[/url]
An allegation directed at a top athlete like Ben Roethlisberger can mean more than just legal troubles -- it could also mean the loss of significant income through endorsement deals.
Money from endorsements accounted for $2.5 million of the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback's income of nearly $15.3 million for the upcoming 2009 season, according to Sports Illustrated's annual list of the highest-earning American athletes. Of the top 50 athletes, Mr. Roethlisberger was ranked 47th.
Yet current sponsors -- and those even considering working with the star football player -- are likely following closely the developments in the civil lawsuit filed against Mr. Roethlisberger, according to industry observers.
Despite two Super Bowl wins and a likability rating not far below those of the popular Manning brothers, how well Mr. Roethlisberger's endorsement earnings potential holds up may depend on how he carries himself under this kind of pressure and how the situation is eventually resolved.
The suit, filed July 24 in Nevada, alleges that Mr. Roethlisberger sexually assaulted a woman at a Lake Tahoe resort where he stayed for a celebrity golf tournament last July. Mr. Roethlisberger on Thursday discussed the charges at a news conference and called the accusations "false and vicious."
Ryan Tollner, Mr. Roethlisberger's agent who was present at the news conference, did not return calls seeking comment on the issue of endorsements.
The public denial should probably have been made sooner, said Eric Ash, director of public relations at ad agency Mullen's Pittsburgh office, but Mr. Roethlisberger's composure at the news conference placed him in a more positive light.
"There's no doubt it's a black eye on his reputation, but coming forward with his public statement in the long run will help his marketability, in addressing it up front and not letting it linger," Mr. Ash said.
Companies that have endorsement agreements with Mr. Roethlisberger most likely are waiting for more information about the case, said Darcy Bouzeos, president of Chicago-based DLB Ltd., a sports and entertainment marketing company that assists corporations and public relations firms in securing talent.
For now, though, few seem to be pulling back.
A new Dick's Sporting Goods television ad featuring Mr. Roethlisberger and the Nike Marauder shoe debuted on Thursday and is scheduled to run frequently on ESPN-related channels and The Golf Channel over the next few days. In addition, the football player's picture will be on the cover of some promotional magazines sent to the Findlay retailer's loyalty card holders.
"We're not making any changes to our plan," said Jeff Hennion, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Dick's. He said the company wouldn't consider making any changes until the legal process plays out.
Dick's regularly uses professional athletes in its marketing and has had past moments where issues flared up. That's going to happen when athletes are under the spotlight so much, Mr. Hennion said.
So far, the sporting goods chain's decision seems to have some support. Mr. Hennion said a message to about 1,000 followers on the microblog site Twitter Friday morning brought far more positive responses than negative.
Meanwhile, Nike declined to provide details about its contract with Mr. Roethlisberger but issued a statement in response to e-mailed questions.
"Ben Roethlisberger has been a longtime Nike athlete and continues to be part of our roster," the statement said. "As has been our policy, we decline to comment on pending legal matters."
Pittsburgh-based PLB Sports Inc. has been selling "Big Ben's Beef Jerky" for four years, mostly in Giant Eagle stores but also in local convenience stores and online.
"Big Ben's Beef Jerky" is one of the company's top five sellers, said Ty Ballou, president of PLB Sports. Mr. Ballou said the company is aware of the complaint against Mr. Roethlisberger.
"We'll just wait and see how this all plays out, and I hope for all parties, it works out for the best," he said.
Sales continue to be robust, Mr. Ballou said.
"We have seen absolutely zero fall-off on the sales of the product since these allegations came out," he said. Mr. Roethlisberger receives royalties, but Mr. Ballou declined to give details.
The Ben Roethlisberger name ranks as a marketable one. Each year, athletes are assigned "Q scores," a measure of their familiarity and appeal to the public, by The Q Scores Company, based in Manhasset, N.Y. Companies and advertisers check the score to decide whether to seek the endorsement of a celebrity.
The most recent Q score rating was taken in April, Executive Vice President Henry Schafer said. Mr. Roethlisberger received a score of 23, nine points above the average score of 14 and just below highly visible athletes like fellow quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning, and Tom Brady.
Mr. Roethlisberger also has a 70 percent name recognition rate among sports fans, Mr. Schafer said.
That number is something Mr. Roethlisberger wants to protect, Mr. Schafer said. How he Roethlisberger handles the allegations leveled against him is critical.
"He doesn't want to damage what he's built," Mr. Schafer said.
The best way to handle such situations is to come out quickly and address them head on, he said.
Swimmer Michael Phelps didn't wait long to make a public apology earlier this year after a British tabloid published a picture of the 14-time Olympic gold medal winner inhaling from a marijuana bong at a party at the University of South Carolina last November.
Kellogg, one of Mr. Phelps' sponsors, did not renew his contract following the incident, but overall the situation appeared to have had minimal endorsement consequences. The swimmer's Q score also didn't suffer much, Mr. Schafer said.
Los Angeles Lakers basketball player Kobe Bryant's score suffered after a felony sexual assault charge in 2003 involving a 19-year-old hotel employee in Eagle County, Colo. The charge was dropped before trial and Mr. Bryant then settled a civil lawsuit brought by the woman.
Mr. Schafer said Mr. Bryant let too much time go by without talking publicly about the incident.
"It's taking him a long time to recoup that positive stature with the American public," he said.
Mr. Bryant lost endorsement deals with such companies as McDonald's and Nutella. He did not get a new endorsement deal following the 2003 allegations until mid-2006, according to the Los Angeles Times.
When advertisers are looking for a celebrity to back their product, the key thing they want is someone with a "squeaky-clean image," said Michael J. Brunner, chairman and CEO of Brunner Inc., an ad agency headquartered in Pittsburgh.
"What an advertiser is going to be looking for is someone that depicts an image that will be well-suited to cross a broad spectrum," Mr. Brunner said. "When we are talking about athletes, in a sense, America demands perfection in sports but also perfection in character."
An allegation of improper conduct, such as the one against Mr. Roethlisberger, "paints a cloud over the athlete," he said.
"In this case, you have to be careful not to prejudge," Mr. Brunner said.
Companies who do not have deals with Mr. Roethlisberger, but are considering signing the two-time Super Bowl champion, are probably not going to be knocking on his door while the allegations are pending, said Ms. Bouzeos, of DLB Ltd.
"I think companies would probably give pause right now, and make the decision to wait a bit to see how this does play out," she said.
Even though many professional athletes receive salaries in the millions -- Mr. Roethlisberger signed an eight-year, $102 million contract with the Steelers last year -- endorsements remain important, because their careers tend to be relatively short, Ms. Bouzeos said.
Sports figures want to form relationships with companies so they have the opportunity to continue those relationships when they retire.
Up to this point, Mr. Roethlisberger has built a strong reputation for himself, she said. "Over the years, he certainly has been considered a credible, popular sports star with a good reputation, and that's what companies look for."
Thought it's not an official endorsement, Mr. Roethlisberger's name sells a lot of "Roethlisburgers" for the Peppi's restaurant chain in Pittsburgh. Those continue to be a popular menu item following news of the allegations, restaurant owner and founder Jeff Trebac said.
"People still love him," he said. "I think this is going to be another one of those cases where this will most likely disappear and life will go on, and hopefully he'll have continued success in Pittsburgh."
Kaitlynn Riely can be reached at [email="kriely@post-gazette.com"]kriely@post-gazette.com[/email] or 412-263-1468.
First published on July 26, 2009 at 12:00 am
Read more: [url="http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09207/986515-66.stm#ixzz0MLBaYWHM"]http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09207/98 ... z0MLBaYWHM[/url]
Sunday, July 26, 2009
By Kaitlynn Riely, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
[url="http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09207/986515-66.stm"]http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09207/986515-66.stm[/url]
An allegation directed at a top athlete like Ben Roethlisberger can mean more than just legal troubles -- it could also mean the loss of significant income through endorsement deals.
Money from endorsements accounted for $2.5 million of the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback's income of nearly $15.3 million for the upcoming 2009 season, according to Sports Illustrated's annual list of the highest-earning American athletes. Of the top 50 athletes, Mr. Roethlisberger was ranked 47th.
Yet current sponsors -- and those even considering working with the star football player -- are likely following closely the developments in the civil lawsuit filed against Mr. Roethlisberger, according to industry observers.
Despite two Super Bowl wins and a likability rating not far below those of the popular Manning brothers, how well Mr. Roethlisberger's endorsement earnings potential holds up may depend on how he carries himself under this kind of pressure and how the situation is eventually resolved.
The suit, filed July 24 in Nevada, alleges that Mr. Roethlisberger sexually assaulted a woman at a Lake Tahoe resort where he stayed for a celebrity golf tournament last July. Mr. Roethlisberger on Thursday discussed the charges at a news conference and called the accusations "false and vicious."
Ryan Tollner, Mr. Roethlisberger's agent who was present at the news conference, did not return calls seeking comment on the issue of endorsements.
The public denial should probably have been made sooner, said Eric Ash, director of public relations at ad agency Mullen's Pittsburgh office, but Mr. Roethlisberger's composure at the news conference placed him in a more positive light.
"There's no doubt it's a black eye on his reputation, but coming forward with his public statement in the long run will help his marketability, in addressing it up front and not letting it linger," Mr. Ash said.
Companies that have endorsement agreements with Mr. Roethlisberger most likely are waiting for more information about the case, said Darcy Bouzeos, president of Chicago-based DLB Ltd., a sports and entertainment marketing company that assists corporations and public relations firms in securing talent.
For now, though, few seem to be pulling back.
A new Dick's Sporting Goods television ad featuring Mr. Roethlisberger and the Nike Marauder shoe debuted on Thursday and is scheduled to run frequently on ESPN-related channels and The Golf Channel over the next few days. In addition, the football player's picture will be on the cover of some promotional magazines sent to the Findlay retailer's loyalty card holders.
"We're not making any changes to our plan," said Jeff Hennion, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Dick's. He said the company wouldn't consider making any changes until the legal process plays out.
Dick's regularly uses professional athletes in its marketing and has had past moments where issues flared up. That's going to happen when athletes are under the spotlight so much, Mr. Hennion said.
So far, the sporting goods chain's decision seems to have some support. Mr. Hennion said a message to about 1,000 followers on the microblog site Twitter Friday morning brought far more positive responses than negative.
Meanwhile, Nike declined to provide details about its contract with Mr. Roethlisberger but issued a statement in response to e-mailed questions.
"Ben Roethlisberger has been a longtime Nike athlete and continues to be part of our roster," the statement said. "As has been our policy, we decline to comment on pending legal matters."
Pittsburgh-based PLB Sports Inc. has been selling "Big Ben's Beef Jerky" for four years, mostly in Giant Eagle stores but also in local convenience stores and online.
"Big Ben's Beef Jerky" is one of the company's top five sellers, said Ty Ballou, president of PLB Sports. Mr. Ballou said the company is aware of the complaint against Mr. Roethlisberger.
"We'll just wait and see how this all plays out, and I hope for all parties, it works out for the best," he said.
Sales continue to be robust, Mr. Ballou said.
"We have seen absolutely zero fall-off on the sales of the product since these allegations came out," he said. Mr. Roethlisberger receives royalties, but Mr. Ballou declined to give details.
The Ben Roethlisberger name ranks as a marketable one. Each year, athletes are assigned "Q scores," a measure of their familiarity and appeal to the public, by The Q Scores Company, based in Manhasset, N.Y. Companies and advertisers check the score to decide whether to seek the endorsement of a celebrity.
The most recent Q score rating was taken in April, Executive Vice President Henry Schafer said. Mr. Roethlisberger received a score of 23, nine points above the average score of 14 and just below highly visible athletes like fellow quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning, and Tom Brady.
Mr. Roethlisberger also has a 70 percent name recognition rate among sports fans, Mr. Schafer said.
That number is something Mr. Roethlisberger wants to protect, Mr. Schafer said. How he Roethlisberger handles the allegations leveled against him is critical.
"He doesn't want to damage what he's built," Mr. Schafer said.
The best way to handle such situations is to come out quickly and address them head on, he said.
Swimmer Michael Phelps didn't wait long to make a public apology earlier this year after a British tabloid published a picture of the 14-time Olympic gold medal winner inhaling from a marijuana bong at a party at the University of South Carolina last November.
Kellogg, one of Mr. Phelps' sponsors, did not renew his contract following the incident, but overall the situation appeared to have had minimal endorsement consequences. The swimmer's Q score also didn't suffer much, Mr. Schafer said.
Los Angeles Lakers basketball player Kobe Bryant's score suffered after a felony sexual assault charge in 2003 involving a 19-year-old hotel employee in Eagle County, Colo. The charge was dropped before trial and Mr. Bryant then settled a civil lawsuit brought by the woman.
Mr. Schafer said Mr. Bryant let too much time go by without talking publicly about the incident.
"It's taking him a long time to recoup that positive stature with the American public," he said.
Mr. Bryant lost endorsement deals with such companies as McDonald's and Nutella. He did not get a new endorsement deal following the 2003 allegations until mid-2006, according to the Los Angeles Times.
When advertisers are looking for a celebrity to back their product, the key thing they want is someone with a "squeaky-clean image," said Michael J. Brunner, chairman and CEO of Brunner Inc., an ad agency headquartered in Pittsburgh.
"What an advertiser is going to be looking for is someone that depicts an image that will be well-suited to cross a broad spectrum," Mr. Brunner said. "When we are talking about athletes, in a sense, America demands perfection in sports but also perfection in character."
An allegation of improper conduct, such as the one against Mr. Roethlisberger, "paints a cloud over the athlete," he said.
"In this case, you have to be careful not to prejudge," Mr. Brunner said.
Companies who do not have deals with Mr. Roethlisberger, but are considering signing the two-time Super Bowl champion, are probably not going to be knocking on his door while the allegations are pending, said Ms. Bouzeos, of DLB Ltd.
"I think companies would probably give pause right now, and make the decision to wait a bit to see how this does play out," she said.
Even though many professional athletes receive salaries in the millions -- Mr. Roethlisberger signed an eight-year, $102 million contract with the Steelers last year -- endorsements remain important, because their careers tend to be relatively short, Ms. Bouzeos said.
Sports figures want to form relationships with companies so they have the opportunity to continue those relationships when they retire.
Up to this point, Mr. Roethlisberger has built a strong reputation for himself, she said. "Over the years, he certainly has been considered a credible, popular sports star with a good reputation, and that's what companies look for."
Thought it's not an official endorsement, Mr. Roethlisberger's name sells a lot of "Roethlisburgers" for the Peppi's restaurant chain in Pittsburgh. Those continue to be a popular menu item following news of the allegations, restaurant owner and founder Jeff Trebac said.
"People still love him," he said. "I think this is going to be another one of those cases where this will most likely disappear and life will go on, and hopefully he'll have continued success in Pittsburgh."
Kaitlynn Riely can be reached at [email="kriely@post-gazette.com"]kriely@post-gazette.com[/email] or 412-263-1468.
First published on July 26, 2009 at 12:00 am
Read more: [url="http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09207/986515-66.stm#ixzz0MLBaYWHM"]http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09207/98 ... z0MLBaYWHM[/url]
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