Over the Wire

Boss Power = The New Star Power?

Post by Whitney Heckathorne, Public Relations Research

Britney Spears,  Bill Cosby,  Michael Jordan,  Steve Jobs, and  Bob Dole….What do all of these celebrities have in common?

…If you guessed famous product endorsement campaigns, you are correct!

And in case you are drawing a blank:

• Britney Spears for Pepsi
• Bill Cosby for Jello Pudding
• Michael Jordon for Gatorade
• Steve Jobs for the iPhone
• Bob Dole for Viagra

(and yes, some of these celebs have had multiple endorsement campaigns…many of which have been memorable; these were just the campaigns that came to mind).

What made these campaigns so famous? The spokesperson? The brand? The ad itself? The controversy? (Think: When Britney was caught drinking a Coca-Cola beverage or when Bob Dole “sold out” and endorsed a pharma company product). And interestingly, all of these endorsers represent a different “genre” of celebrity…singer, actor, athlete, business leader and political figure.

Well as usual, I come to you with new Harris research and also, as usual, I write this post with many, many more questions than I have answers.

Teaming up with Adweek Media, The Harris Poll asked YOU… when endorsing an ad, which type of celebrity do you find most persuasive? And you answered as follows:

• Business leaders –37%
• Athletes –21%
• Television or movie stars –18%
• Singers or musicians –14%
• Former political figures –10%

To be honest, you could have knocked me over with a feather when I found out athletes and musicians weren’t tied for #1. Business leaders are most persuasive, eh? Hmmm…so are we thinking of celebxecutives such as Donald Trump and Martha Stewart? Or smallish business owners like Bob from Bob’s Furniture or Mattress Mac? I also question how versatile business leaders are in endorsing products other than their own, compared to actors, musicians and athletes (but hey, perhaps the magic of Macy’s, featuring both Trump and Stewart, along with a multitude of other celebs, will prove me wrong).

Okay so back to my point…which was that I have many more questions regarding this topic (and am hoping you can help me answer some!):

1. What other attributes must celebrities have to successfully endorse a product? Do they have to be super famous or just super relatable? Given the ease of tracking celebs via the Internet these days, it would probably behoove those who are famous to be on their best behavior…in other words, they should NOT be stamping their feet in a diva-fit if they want to be viewed positively by the public.
2. In what product category(ies) are each genre of celebrity most persuasive? Surely effectiveness isn’t completely tied to the relationship between the endorser and the type of product. In other words, Britney is not a soft drink expert and Bill Cosby is not a culinary dessert master...so why would we care about their opinion of these products if they WEREN'T famous? But what celeb/product pairings would be a match made in advertising heaven?
3. And as we continue along in our celeb-infused culture, will the new wave of advertising require partnering with multiple celebrities? If so, is it better if they are from the same or different celeb genres?

I told you…I only had questions for you today. What are your thoughts on what makes a successful celebrity product endorser?

P.S.--Must thank my Twitterverse for their help in thinking of other endorsers--mentions included Kate Walsh for Cadillac, William Shatner for Priceline, Jamie Lee Curtis for Activia, Justin Long as the “Mac guy,” and Wilford Brimley for Quaker Oats and diabetes.

Data Snapshot

Republicans are more likely than Democrats to be very satisfied with their lives (63% vs. 49%). ---The Harris Poll, conducted by telephone between October 13th - 18th, 2009 among 1,019 U.S. adults 18+

H1N1: Have 2 Need 2

Post by Michele Salomon, Public Affairs Research

In August, I posted about the need to move flu shots higher up on women’s pregnancy “to do” list, taking their rightful role next to:  limiting alcohol intake, not smoking and taking pre-natal vitamins. 

Prior to my post, H1N1 had come on the scene, and our daily news has been relentless (some would say viral) in its response… so I am compelled to post again.  The good news according to new research commissioned by HealthyWomen.org (among 668 pregnant women and new moms) is that FINALLY pregnant women are starting to listen (the power of my earlier blog entry perhaps?). 

Compared to last year, pregnant women are now more likely to agree that getting a seasonal flu shot is important (69% vs. 56% in 2008) and can affect pregnant women in more serious ways than non-pregnant women, including:

• Pregnant women being more likely to be hospitalized for flu-related illnesses (69% in 2009 vs. 44% in 2008);
• Pregnant women taking longer to recover from the flu (67% in 2009 vs. 54% in 2008); and
• Pregnant women being at higher risk for infections or other complications (66% in 2009 vs. 49% in 2008).

And more good news is that behavior does not belie action.  Pregnant women are substantially more likely to get a flu shot this year than last year (59% have/plan to vs. 20% in 2008). 

But the debate on H1N1 isn’t quite as conclusive, at least according to pregnant women who:

• Are less concerned about getting H1N1 (42% concerned about H1N1 vs. 56% for seasonal flu),
• Have greater doubt about the safety of the shot (68% women say H1N1 shot is safe vs. 86% for seasonal flu shot)
• Are much less likely to have discussed H1N1 with their health care providers (79% have not discussed H1N1 vs. 44% for seasonal flu)
• Are not planning or haven’t decided whether to get the H1N1 shot (71% vs. 41% for seasonal flu shot)

The primary reason cited for not getting the H1N1 shot is the inadequacy of testing (43%).  However, health experts such as the Centers for Disease Control and American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists strongly recommend that pregnant women get both the seasonal flu and H1N1 flu shots.  And even though most pregnant women (71%) are aware of this recommendation by both well-respected health organizations and of course me, about 3 in 10 (29%) have already decided not to get the shot and many more, as noted above, are not planning to.

If you are still in doubt, why?  What is holding you back?  Time (or) interest (or) information (or) concern?

Click here for additional information about flu season and pregnant women.

Data Snapshot

Nearly 9 in 10 Americans (88%) say they are satisfied with their lives, and 54% say they are very satisfied. ---The Harris Poll, conducted by telephone between October 13th - 18th, 2009 among 1,019 U.S. adults 18+

What Do Employees Want?

Post by Allison Dickin, Public Affairs Research

Do you ever feel as though the people in charge at your place of work (bosses, owners, or top executives) just don’t understand what really matters to employees?  Well, according to research conducted on behalf of Spherion Corporation this past February and March, you might be right. 

This research surveyed both employers and employees and found that these groups have very different views of what matters most to employees.  While employers are more likely to believe that supervisor relationships and a company’s management climate are important to employees (84% consider each to be important), these items don’t reach the top of the list among employees. 

In fact, the 3 factors employees most commonly consider important are all related to compensation (benefits-76%; financial compensations-75%; growth & earnings potential-66%).  While most employers recognize benefits as being important to employees (79%), financial compensation is far lower on employers’ lists, ranking 6th out of 8 items, in terms of the percentage of employers who see this as important to their workforce.

What does this mean?  It’s tough to say in this economy.  While we’ve started to see signs of improvement, job losses continue to be in the hundreds of thousands each month.  What employees want may not be a priority for employers struggling to keep their businesses afloat, or for employees who are happy they still have jobs.  But as things continue to improve and the competition to attract the most talented workers heats up among employers, these issues may rise to the forefront again.

What is most important to you in a job?  Does your relationship with your supervisor matter most, or are salary and benefits more important?  Do you feel that your employer is doing enough in these areas? 

Data Snapshot

About one-third of Americans want to commit more troops to the war in Afghanistan, while a similar number want to commit fewer troops. About one-quarter of Americans are undecided about what to do. ---BBC World News America/Harris Poll, conducted online between October 23rd - 27th, 2009 among 2,227 U.S. adults 18+

There’s No "I" in the “Greatest Ever”

Hooray!  The Harris Poll just released its list of “greatest sports stars of all time,” allowing me to indulge all of you with another post on my #1 obsession. 

Note to all athletes, the general trends from the list (among Americans who follow sports) are as follows:

• It appears that you need to retire so we can look at the full arc of your career, before Americans will anoint you the “greatest of all time.”  Only 4 out of 11 (there was a tie in the 10 spot) are still playing in their respective sport.
• And, greatest ≠ favorite.  Earlier this year, we asked American sports fans to name their favorite athletes, and only 4 athletes made both lists:  Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, Peyton Manning and Lebron James.  Favorites are good but mostly current; and our “greatest” are good, but mostly retired.
• And, just because sports fans in general give you mad respect doesn’t mean that fans of your specific sport will feel the same way.  Peyton Manning and Lebron James both fall out of the top 5 list for their respective sports when talking to fans who know their sports well.
• And, America’s favorite pastime – either baseball according to popular nomenclature or pro football according to The Harris Poll – are equally represented on the greatest ever list with 3 athletes included.  In fact, no one sport seems to outshine any other, since we have at least one athlete represented from hockey, golf, football, basketball, baseball, and boxing; though in my mind, soccer and tennis are noticeably absent.
• And, there is not one woman – not even one – to be found on the “greatest ever” list.  Since my daughter is now a self-proclaimed tomboy, this strikes me as “super-freaky” (her words, not mine).

So, par usual, America – you got it wrong!  Here’s my list of the top 5 greatest athletes of all time.  Clearly:

1. Babe Didrikson Zaharius – for being the most versatile athlete perhaps ever, heavily decorated in golf, track and field, basketball, but also expert in baseball, swimming, tennis, diving, boxing, volleyball, bowling, billiards, skating and cycling.  
2. Jackie Robinson – for breaking the color barrier and paving the way for millions of sports stars; all class on and off the field.
3. Dikembe Mutombo – for giving as much heart to a hospital in the Congo as to his teammates on the basketball court.
4. Mia Hamm – for inspiring legions of girls (including my daughter) to play soccer as tough as nails and still have fun.
5. Doug Flutie – for being the most enthusiastic sportsman under 6 feet tall that I have ever had the pleasure of seeing first-hand and for casting an anti-magic spell over Buffalo since being pulled before a playoff berth he earned, from which the city and football team will never recover.

BTW, I almost slid Tiger Woods into my top 5 until I realized that if you wear slacks, you can’t really be an athlete, much less the greatest ever.

And your top 5?  Does it matter to you how they behave when they are off-duty – or is their on-field/court/track success all that should be measured?  In case it’s not self-evident from my list, my answer is the former….

Data Snapshot

Michael Jordan is considered the greatest athlete of all time, according to American sports fans. ---The Harris Poll, conducted online between October 5th and 12th, 2009 among 2,293 U.S. adults 18+, of whom 1,494 follow at least one sport

The Eco-Water Bottle Is Half Full

Al Gore’s pedagogy didn’t do it.  And, my husband’s and friends’ and green Harris team members’ imploring didn’t do it.  And my concern for my kids’ future planet didn’t do it.

But the spinning-out-of-control economy did it.

Today, I am more thoughtful about turning off the lights in my house; driving my car; buying a newspaper; and drinking bottled water than I was one year ago. 

Now, my Econ 101 class more than 20 years ago hasn’t prepared me to be an economist – not even an armchair one.  So, I will leave the commentary to others on what the following figures mean for consumerism and hopes for a rebound.  And instead, I will focus on the thin silver lining on our economic thundercloud… because it strikes me that what is bad for our economy is actually good for our planet.

According to a recent Harris Poll, in the past six months, millions of Americans have done the following to save money:

• 36% switched to refillable water bottles instead of purchasing bottled water
• 34% cancelled one or more magazine subscriptions
• 22% cut down on dry cleaning
• 21% cancelled a newspaper subscription
• 14% began carpooling or using mass transit

We (as companies and consumers) do what makes sense for our bottom line.  So, what happens to our children’s future planet when a recovery allows for lavish spending again?

Data Snapshot

64% of Americans say they have purchased more generic brands over the past six months to save money. ---The Harris Poll, conducted online between October 5th and 12th, 2009 among 2,293 U.S. adults 18+