In a previous marketing life I was, in essence, the brand steward of Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble. Well, the assistant brand steward, actually. Cocoa and Fruity Pebbles. Yum!
And in strategic terms, I was always told by those who knew that there was great value in creating or licensing spokescharacters to promote a brand. I was particularly impressed with the ability of spokescharacters to yield substantial equity over years and years, as I watched celebrities come and go. "An animated character never takes the perp walk," or so the joke went. Fred and Barney certainly were model citizens on my watch.
I’m not tempted yet to commission Susie SharedBook. But after witnessing the Michael Vick affair … it’s a lesson, isn’t it? I wonder how that "swoosh" is going to look on an orange jumpsuit …
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