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| Retirement may not hurt Favre's advertising appeal |
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by Larry Avila
Source: Gannett Wisconsin Media
Mar. 21, 2008
Professional football is no longer a part of Brett Favre's life, but that doesn't mean his marketability will disappear anytime soon.
A recent national poll found Favre, who spent 16 seasons as the starting quarterback for the Green Bay Packers, to be the most recognizable sports figure of the moment.
The Winter 2008 Performer Q Study, conducted by New York-based The Q Scores Co., a marketing and consumer research firm, polled 1,800 people at random and found that 69 percent of those surveyed selected Favre as the sports figure they most recognized. He surpasses former professional basketball star Michael Jordan and top-ranked professional golfer Tiger Woods.
"He's (Favre) always been in our top 10 among sports personalities (in recent years)," said Henry Schafer, executive vice president with Q Scores, which was founded in 1963. "But he's never been at the level he is at now."
Schafer credits the Packers' recent winning season and all the publicity surrounding Favre's retirement announcement for his top poll rating.
How long Favre can maintain the rating depends on what he does in his post-football life.
"If he wants to keep the position and take advantage of it, he's in a good spot," Schafer said. "During his career, he revealed an interesting side of himself, all the work he did outside of football; so he has a good perception in the minds of a lot of people right now."
Greg Linnemanstons, president of the Appleton-based marketing firm Weidert Group, agrees that endorsement deals should be plentiful for Favre. ESPN.com reported that Favre earned $7 million in endorsement deals last year on top of his $11 million salary.
"He certainly has great opportunities," Linnemanstons said. "His reputation, his sincerity, his durability, those things cannot be faked."
Those traits make Favre genuine, he said. "People had a real connection to him."
From a marketing standpoint, Linnemanstons thinks Favre could capitalize on products that reflect his durability.
"Masterlock would be a good fit," he said. "He has to do what fits and is natural for him."
Linnemanstons said former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw, who led that team to four Super Bowl victories, has maintained his fame, though his playing days ended more than two decades ago.
"He's in the memory of people in their 30s and older, and now he's sharing his knowledge of the game (as a television analyst)," he said.
Lining up
North Carolina-based VF Corp. intends to stick with Favre. The owner of the Wrangler jeans brand said Favre will endorse its product this year, though the company still is working out its media campaign and how he will play into it.
Favre signed on last February to be a pitchman for Wrangler. The company's television spots that aired last fall, featuring Favre in a pick-up football game, were filmed at Favre's home in Hattiesburg, Miss., said Jenni Broyles, senior brand manager for Wrangler.
"We still see value in working with Brett and would have continued to do so this year whether or not he was still playing for the Packers," said Broyles. "He was a popular quarterback. He was Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year. Just his popularity makes him viable, whether he's an active player or not."
Favre's ironman approach to the game and ruggedness made him a good fit for Wrangler, Broyles said.
"Overall for us, Brett's down-to-earth, he's a guy's guy. That's the most important thing to us, all things that are the DNA for Wrangler," she said.
Broyles would not disclose how long Favre's deal is with Wrangler or how it affected Wrangler sales, particularly in Wisconsin.
"He certainly had strong popularity in Wisconsin and the Midwest," she said.
Through the years, Favre also has done endorsements for Neenah-based Bergstrom Automotive Group, Master-Card and Procter and Gamble's Prilosec OTC, an over-the-counter heartburn medication.
John Bergstrom, chairman and chief executive officer for Bergstrom Automotive Group, did not return calls seeking comment on Favre's status as the company's pitchman.
James "Bus" Cook, Favre's agent, said Favre will honor his commitments, but would not elaborate.
"I have no idea right now, but he's (Favre) just kicking back," Cook said Tuesday when asked about future endorsement deals for Favre. "He'll do what he's committed to do. Other than that I don't know, but he's ready to move on."
Barbara Miller, a spokeswoman for Cincinnati-based Procter & Gamble, would not say if Favre will continue to endorse Prilosec. The company is evaluating its marketing plan for the drug.
Beyond Brett
Favre's fame has rubbed off on his wife, Deanna. Though she is widely known for her charitable work and surviving breast cancer, Deanna also has a business side.
Jeff Gahnz, vice president of marketing for Green Bay-based Nicolet Bank, said Deanna Favre has been a member of the bank's board of directors since it opened in 2000.
She's lent her vocal talents to radio spots for Nicolet Bank, which aired during Packers games radio broadcasts this past season.
"We planned to put those spots away and re-evaluate the campaign," Gahnz said.
Whether Deanna will continue to be a pitchwoman for the bank now that Brett has retired is uncertain.
"We have not timeline when we will approach her about it," Gahnz said.
— Larry Avila writes for the Post-Crescent of Appleton. |
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