Celebrity Acquisition

The stars have aligned, Tom Bergeron and Brooke Burke have spoken, and the eleventh season of Dancing with the Stars is underway. The announcement made during The Bachelor Pad gave light to twelve celebrity names that shortly are sure to be gracing blog spaces, magazine covers, and twitter pages. We’ve put together your comprehensive list of the tweeters and the dancers and with this deadly combination, twit-ancers have the opportunity to reinvent new and exciting brand-friendly images.

1. Audrina Patridge 1,040,000+ followers on twitter. She’s the current face of Bongo and has the broad appeal to be the face of beauty brands and fashion brands alike. Her Carl’s Jr. commercial has over a million views on YouTube. Will she be a Kardashian or a Gosselin? We’ll find out soon.
2. Brandy 713,000+ followers on twitter. She’s been relatively out of the public eye since her “The Boy is Mine” days, but this singer has the opportunity to get back to her talented roots. She was involved in a car crash (where someone was killed and she settled out of court) and it will be interesting to see if she can overcome that (for marketing opportunities in the future).
3. Mike The Situation Sorrentino 185,000+ followers on twitter. Currently, Sorrentino is rep-ing Devotion Vodka on his Twitter page, and we see a number of Twitter deals in “The Situation’s” future. This party boy has a few more years left before he officially becomes a party man and we see this reality novelty living up the limelight and becoming an interesting young adult face (for a certain demographic!).
4. Margaret Cho 81,000+ followers on twitter. Funny woman Cho will be a face to be reckoned with the demographic of 25-40 year old women. She is already a part of Lifetime television and could bring a good vibe and comedic approach to women-centric brands.
5. David Hasselhoff 48,000+ followers on twitter. Already a viral video veteran, Hasselhoff can use his humorous outlook at his own persona to enjoy Internet fame. He can host everything from parties to award ceremonies. Interesting comeback. We can only imagine the ratings in Germany if the show is shown over there.

Honorable Twitter mentions:

1. Rick Fox 38,000+ followers on twitter (marketable, model, fresh face)
2. Kurt Warner 32,000+ followers on twitter (can clean up in faith-based marketing, Hall of Fame candidate in five years)
3. Michael Bolton 2,000+ followers on twitter (not sure what to say on this one)
4. Kyle Orlando Massey 600+ followers on twitter (they are struggling finding young kids)

Exciting to watch:

1. Florence Henderson- No twitter presence YET. She promoted Wesson Oil for 20+ years and continues to be relevant (remember: the Brady Bunch went off the air in 1974). Her recognizable face will sound across generations and her warm persona will be a welcomed familiarity with the abundance of rising and falling reality stars. Her range stretches across brands, as she is a mom, a legend, and a star.

Wildcards

1. Jennifer Grey (so intrigued. She has overcome cancer and multiple injuries in the past decade)
2. Bristol Palin (will be polarizing like Kate Gosselin (but because of her mom not her)

The 62^ndannual Primetime Emmy’s premiere Sunday, August 29^thon NBC and for the first time in over six decades the show’s host is bound to interrupt the programming to answer his phone. The Emmy’s producers have introduced a Twitter component to the regular programming where host, Jimmy Fallon, will share his favorite ­­­­­­­.  While Emmy veteran Glenn Close may not have “Tweeple” per se, many of the newest invites to the Emmy’s are masters of their own Twitterverse. New shows, Modern Family and Glee, have a combined 33 nominations to their names and their players contribute on the regular to keep a close and personal fan base with their viewers. Social Media has enabled celebrities to create a unique, almost personal relationship with their followers.  Ultimately, Twitter (and other SM) is a great tool for brands to directly send their message to thousands (or millions) of their celebrity endorsers’ followers-people who are already actively seeking out information from these celebs. This direct contact and instant delivery add value to a brand’s marketing program.

Be sure to check out our list of Emmy nominees on twitter and follow us as we tweet along at #OctFC during the show.

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With today’s NFL owners meeting in Atlanta, there is a lot of buzz surrounding the potential decision to expand the regular season to 18 games (would take effect in 2012 at the earliest).   We took a look at the ancillary business winners and losers of the potential change, outside of the obvious impact to the networks/cable TV world, team ownership, stadium revenues, the NFL and players.

Winners

• Vegas will clearly benefit from two additional weeks of gaming, hotels, sports books, restaurants and amenities..
• Bars/restaurants, pizza delivery and other popular tailgating brands/items will continue with loyal fans flocking to local bars/tailgating in support of their favorite teams.
• Brands with football-specific marketing campaigns will benefit from an additional time to leverage their marketing campaigns, especially those that utilize a football personality (current/former players, commentators, etc.).
• Fantasy Football participants and companies will have an extended relevance online and in the media.
• Twitter enthusiasts (including brands/marketers on twitter) will continue to actively engage with other fans, building their followers.
• Advertisers for football-focused media outlets will continue to see solid audience numbers on networks that cover games (and game/season highlights).

Losers

• Other sports programming on Sunday will suffer, as the NFL clearly dominates Sunday programming (sports and otherwise).
• Gamblers will have two additional weeks to give money to the house.
• Sunday family time may be put on the backburner for another two weeks.

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Disney star Demi Lovato poses for a Shop Til You Rock photo.

• Jennie Garth and the American Association of Orthodontists: The actress and mom of three partnered with the American Association of Orthodontists to highlight the latest in back-to-school fashion and orthodontic treatment. Garth hosted the AAO Style ‘N Smile Fashion show earlier this month, promoting a healthy smile and confidence as the must-have accessories of the season. She also recorded a video PSA and will appear in a print ad with her daughter.
• Kylie Jenner and Sears: Continuing the precedent set by her sisters (Kim, Khloe and Kourtney Kardashian), Kylie recently inked a modeling and endorsement deal with Sears. The young star appears in a new online back-to-school contest as well as an upcoming national TV spot for the national retail store.
• Jason Derulo, Kellie Pickler and Drake Bell and Staples: Staples “Give-Back Pack” campaign features country music star Kellie Pickler, TV star/singer Drake Bell and pop music star Jason Derulo as “pack leaders.” The three musicians each recorded exclusive content for the program’s website and are featured in a new PSA. Staples kicked off the back-to-school effort with a PSA in May starring Twilight actress Nikki Reed.
• Charice, Victoria Justice and Big Time Rush and Macy’s & Nickelodeon: The young stars celebrated the back-to-school season with the Back-to-School Blowout Concert and Fashion Show at Macy’s Herald Square in NYC on August 15. Sheryl Crow, Faith Hill, Shakira and other A-list celebs supported Macy’s and Nickelodeon through their “Beyond the Backpack” pro-social campaign championing kindergarten readiness for pre-schoolers.

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With the start of a new NFL season rapidly approaching, we thought that it would be timely to get your thoughts on Fantasy Football. We’d appreciate your thoughts and taking a couple of minutes to complete our survey. We’ll post our results here in a couple weeks.

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With social media in the palms and pockets of so many, brands no longer rely solely on TV and print spots to promote products. Immediate contact to a specific demographic is just a tweet or a status update away and the reach is instantaneous and vast. Today, almost every endorsement deal includes integration within the celebrity’s Twitter and Facebook accounts (and often a YouTube video) to perpetuate the brand’s concept. No production costs, no creative needed- just a popular tweeter and a product to endorse and millions of followers are immediately notified of their favorite celebrity’s favorite new product. Social media deals have become the newest, quickest and possibly easiest form of celebrity endorsement and give a personal touch to each brand.

And everyone is doing it. Last night on Entourage, “Vince Chase” is even seen and heard mentioning tweeting for his new tequila endorsement deal.  The range of tweet promoters includes celebrities from Dr. Drew to Snoop Dogg. The fictional Kenny Powers from HBO’s Eastbound and Down, who is the newest face for K-Swiss has over 100,000 followers on Twitter and makes regular tweets promoting the shoes. Kim Kardashian, a tweet-endorsing regular, promotes a number of brands on her Twitter page ranging from Reebok Easy Tone to Carl’s Jr.  And with over 4 million followers, the audience that receives her daily tweets is wide spread and precisely the consumers that the brands wish to communicate to. Jamie-Lynn Sigler recently inked a deal with Sony Ericsson. As part of her endorsement deal, she was seen at the Sony launch tweeting on her new phone about her new phone.  

Social media platforms have made it easier than ever for consumers to get closer to their favorite celebrities. This familiarity and daily contact in a very personalized platform drives home the endorsement in a way that older forms of advertising sometimes struggle to achieve.

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Enjoy this week’s roundup of “Most Valuable Entertainment Tweeters” in no particular order…

Christina Applegate (@1capplegate): After announcing her pregnancy earlier this summer, Applegate has frequently posted witty, sarcastic updates about life as a mom-to-be. Sure to make her nearly 650,000 followers laugh, she’s setting herself up as a prime target for pregnancy or new mom-related deals.

Selena Gomez (@selenagomez): This young star had good reason to tweet in anticipation of the Teen Choice Awards, as she won all four awards for which she was nominated. She has also been promoting her new Dream out Loud clothing line for K-Mart via Twitter to her 2.5 million+ enthusiastic followers.

Shawn Johnson (@shawneyj): Shawn has current deals with GotMilk and Nintendo Wii, both of which she has recently tweeted about. She references her appearance at the launch of GotMilk’s “Refuel America” campaign alongside Apolo Ohno and Chris Bosh as well as her Ambassador role for Wii’s Summer Games 2010.

Curtis Stone (@curtis_stone): This celeb chef is part of GMC’s Trade Secrets campaign, providing recipes and cooking demonstrations on the company’s website. He recently demonstrated how to poach eggs perfectly - and posted the link to the video on Twitter. As a new panelist on the upcoming season of NBC’s America’s Next Great Restaurant, the chef will continue to increase his fan base.

Katy Perry (@katyperry): Colorful musician Perry has been on-the-go this week, hosting the Teen Choice Awards and releasing the video to her new single Teenage Dream. She kept over 3 million followers up-to-date through energetic tweets about the events. Perry’s marketability has skyrocketed this summer - from performing at Volkswagen’s 2011 Jetta launch in June to preparing to release her newest album at the end of August, she has never left the spotlight.

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We recently had the chance to sit down with the original Incredible Hulk, Lou Ferrigno, to discuss his recent partnership with the MDA and other projects that he has coming  up.

Q: Tell us about your family’s involvement with the MDA’s “Make A Muscle” campaign.
A: While filming the pilot for our upcoming reality TV show, THE INCREDIBLE FERRIGNOS, the folks at our local Vons store asked if we could help out with their event they were having.  When I found out it was for MDA, and their “Make a Muscle Make a Difference” program, not only did I want to help, but I wanted my family involved as well.  We are a family that is all about building your muscles and promoting a healthy lifestyle, and as you have seen over the years, I enjoy making a muscle!  In addition to the event, we are supporting their efforts by doing a print ad for them as well as a PSA, and anything else they ask us to do.  We plan on supporting MDA in every way that we can.

Q: Why did you decide to support the cause?
A: As I shared above, me entire life has been rooted in the bodies muscle’s and building and maintaining them.  It is something that has given me everything in life that I have, and helped me deal with my own handicap of the hearing loss I sustained as a child.  Building up my muscles helped me cope with life, and gave me something to be passionate about.  Those people affected with 1 of the 43 diseases that the MDA helps, need our help to be able to simply do the things we all take for granted.  The MDA will be the organization that The Incredible Ferrignos will help in any way that we can.  

Q:  What else are you up to? 
A: My family and I just finished shooting the pilot for our upcoming reality TV show called THE INCREDIBLE FERRIGNOS with Bunim/Murray, the production company behind Project Runway, Keeping up with the Kardashians and The Real World.  We are also working on a variety of different fitness and nutrition programs, including a book, some exercise equipment, and also our new website that will be coming soon.  In addition to that, I will be guest starring on the hit NBC show CHUCK.

By: Andi Bernal

K-Swiss Inc. recently signed a unique pitchman for their new line of Tubes K-Swiss shoes. His name is Kenny Powers and he’s about the most despicable, misogynistic, has-been baseball player audiences have ever seen, and still the people love him. Powers, played by the actor Danny McBride (Up in the Air, Land of the Lost, Despicable Me), is the fictional character from HBO’s Eastbound and Down.

Eastbound and Down’s first short season of only six episodes has only grown in popularity through viral videos and buzz in the blog space. Fans and followers have uncovered a cable gem and K-Swiss is here to tap into the creative, funny, and young market of Eastbound and Down-ers.

K-Swiss’s marketing strategy is rather selective. And that’s how K-Swiss rolls. K-Swiss is well known for their tongue-in-cheek ads, using celebrities and pretty faces such as Ed Westwick, Anna Kournikova and Alona Bondarenko. They’ve appealed to the off the turf athletes, using Free Runner Sebastien Foucan and Footbagging Champion Vaclav Kloud. If these names aren’t as familiar to you as Nike’s Kevin Durant, Adidas’s Kevin Garnett or Reebok’s Peyton Manning, that’s exactly what K-Swiss loves. They aren’t into mass-producing, mass-marketing. Rather K-Swill has found its niche in specific shoe sales. With the Kenny Powers Tube Billboard hung high in New York City with the phrase “I will train the F-Out,” K-Swiss is not looking to sell moms on back to school shoes. Rather in classic K-Swiss style, the brand sticks their neck out again in exchange for another whiplash-inducing campaign.

With the excitement of BlogHer ‘10 this past weekend, we decided to take a few minutes to chat with Felicia Stoler– nutritionist, mom and Ragu spokesperson.

Q: Tell us what you were up to with Ragu this past weekend? 
A: Unilever hosted events in New York City last weekend, offering an interactive, educational opportunity for bloggers to learn more about select Unilever Brands.  I attended this event on behalf of Ragú®.  As a mom and nutritionist, I addressed concerns that many parents have about how to get their kids to eat well, increase vegetable consumption, deal with finicky eaters AND how to make quick, delicious and nutritious meals when parents are strapped for time.  What’s great about Ragú® - and one of the reasons that I enjoy working with the brand - is that Ragú® Old World Style sauces offer nutritious meal solutions and contain more than a full serving of veggies in every half cup.  I highlighted some great quick, easy and wholesome recipes available on Ragu.com that help moms feed her kids well.  I love to provide good for you tips to parents because the idea of feeding one’s child “well” can be overwhelming as there is so much information (& misinformation) out there.

Q: What’s important to you when working with a corporate partner? 
A: First and foremost, I have to like the brand and the product and use it myself or with my family… otherwise, I cannot be associated with that partner.  I have worked too hard to build up my credibility to have it stripped away because of personal greed.  I have turned down opportunities to promote products and brands because they compromised my professional ethics and beliefs.  However, I can say that I have enjoyed wonderful and amazing relationships over the last three years with many brands - even after my spokesperson work has ceased - because it is about a relationship - not just the task or assignment at hand.

Q: What has been most interesting to you about sharing personal and professional messages in the social media world? 
A: I am happy that I was able to embrace social media a few years ago… some of my colleagues and peers have JUST started to do so, which has worked to my advantage (especially since I’ve maxed out my personal Facebook page and am trying to shift everyone to my “Like” Public Profile page).  It has given me a broader reach to share important messages and information with people without the traditional media outlets of TV, radio, newspapers or magazines.  It allows me to maintain my role as a thought influencer… and most people who know me - know that I am objective.  I know people read my tweets and updates - not only do they post it, they email me or come up to me when they see to tell me how much they love my messages.