Ultimate Spokesperson in Marketing
Introduction
What makes a great spokesperson? Could it be relevancy, resonance, bravery or poise? Who is the ultimate spokesperson? The three questions take my thoughts back to Michael Jordan when he was working with Chicago bulls. Each company wanted Michael Jordan commonly nicknamed as MJ, to endorse its products. He set the bar on each sport star, which followed and still follows on million dollar endorsement. When working to give a boost to your brand’s sales and to add credibility to the marketplace, one of the aspects in the magic kit of each marketing manager has been a spokesperson. This involves a simple formula which entails finding someone super cool or famous and linking them to your brand. For instance, Nike and Michael Jordan had an ideal marriage for years that has resulted to record sales which line the books of history.
Ultimate Spokesperson
According to Stephenson (n.d.), a spokesperson is viewed as a celebrity, a respected and well known person who serves as a usual advocate of a product or cause and whose name becomes related with the advocated item with time. To acquire the spokesperson title, one needs to have a number of qualities which are not possessed by all speakers. Confidence and bravery is one aspect that makes an ultimate spokesperson. When a person is brave, one can easily adopt any role and character and performs it perfectly as a real person. This attracts a big crowed of admirers, funs, and spectators and thus, drive the message home. In addition, this attracts more individuals into the product in question. Courage brings about steady, calm mannerisms as well as clear and audible voice which exudes integrity and trust. This is what makes one to desire to purchase the product in question. Another aspect that can add into an ultimate spokesperson is the ability to wear a public face in very private issues that many individuals have and doing it in humor. The secret here is that if a superstar can talk about it, then it could be normal individuals will start talking about it too. When a celebrity shows their trust to a certain product and confesses about it freely to the public, it becomes obvious that most of their funs will also trust and believe in that product.
Various spokespersons have been considered to be ultimate for their approach. When a person portrays a great sense of intelligence, with strategic and time cautious approach, a spokesperson is more likely to move a brand and its place and make it fit perfectly, giving the brand competitors a shiver. The success secretes in any of these advertisements lies on how they make people feel. It is evident that most companies do not consider that individual who speaks on behalf of an organization is simply the individual containing the job title, and who might be the best communicator. Particularly, TV and radio audiences are improbable to remember the particular words one use, but they will always remember if the orator warmed them or was a complete disaster. Therefore, an ideal spokesperson is someone who is instinctively believed, trusted and liked. These qualities according to Maddocks (2013), are developed by being honest and open in one communication, coming across as an individual who is dealing genuinely with the problem rather than appearing as a person who is spinning.
Any spokesperson who intends to attract crowed attention needs to be well prepared, and be very clear about what they want to get across. The suitable media couching can make a huge difference. According to Maddocks the coaching should not only focus on the media training while ignoring the key message. However, it should focus on creating situation in which the non-committed, average person thinks that the presentation is reasonable. In addition, being confident is essential in such presentation; however, according to Maddocks (2013), being over confidence can ruin the entire thing. Getting the balance becomes a lot easier when a spokesperson chooses to be clear. At this moment, effective communication tops up ones skills’ list and it is always viewed as a key priority by the organization.
Michael Jordan Achievement
According to DiClementi (2013), enlisting spokesperson services is one of the greatest ways to develop a special hook for ones advertising campaigns. According to DiClementi (2013), the spokesperson does not essentially have to be a household name or famous, but a recognizable stature in the geographic area where one do business and where one will be running the advertisement campaign. For example, a handyman with locally manufactured and newspaper column or aired television show would make a good advertising spokesperson for renovation constructor, customer home builder, or a hardware store. Similarly, a local athlete, professional or amateur would make a good spokesperson for sporting goods store, athletic shoe store, or fitness center. This is how Michael Jordan has been able to service as Nike Spokesperson for years.
Jordan has been Nike products spokesman since late 1980s. This was after he emerged a basketball star in 1985 when the Nike Company was trying to thrive in the market. At this moment, the national games were being aired into television and thus, Nike took the advantage of using the basketball school teen’s players to publicity their products. Nike provided the ideal platform to market and develops their new-star as well as the products that he endorsed. In their first few years, the company introduced Jordan to the public and he familiarized himself with the American public. Nike produced a series of ads containing Jordan and Spike Lee the film actor. These ads were aired in key time television hours and were exclusively targeted for pre-teen school students. The ads displayed a spoken message to “stay in school”. They also presented children with national figure which was selling both Nike and school products, how could parent deny their kids the shoes of this virtuous spokesman? Michael was a figure kids looked up to adored, and tried their level best to copy. The company utilized this to sell their products and to exhibit a great positive image for its company. Since then, Nike continued to endorse Michael Jordan via their ads and Jordan went on promoting their products. The Air Jordan line assisted to develop novel basketball shoes lines that incorporated the Air Flight and Air Force lines of apparel and basketball shoes.
Jordan has retained ultimate spokesman quality by nurturing his talent and remaining the best in basketball since his recruitment as Nike spokesperson to his retirement. Therefore Jordan can be termed as a lifetime star. This made him famous and in a way his success has always been associated with the Nike basketball shoes he wears during any basketball event. His presentation, sense of confidence, clarity and great sense of energy has always made people admire him and thus, going for what he trusts in. According to DiClementi (2013), the basketball shoes have always registered the highest sales of the all Nike company products. This is a clear indication that Nike’s success does not lie on the company but on its spokesperson. People always go for what Jordan endorses. Their trust toward him gives them a guarantee that he would always go for the best and will never fail them. To them Jordan will always be a star. Jordan can therefore be described as an ultimate spokesperson who managed to capture people’s trust and attention for over two centuries. With him, the Nike Company has managed to grow gloriously in selling its sports related products especially those that are associated with basketball.
In marketing, the spokesperson’s image is very essential in ensuring that the product remains marketable. The way a spokesperson presents him- or her-self in the society matters a lot in the trust given to the brand they advertise. Good morals and good public relation is essential for an ultimate spokesperson. A spokesperson may destroy the name of a product and hence its marketability in a similar manner or magnitude as he or she manages to build it. When ones moves are highly at the spot especially being associated with immoral issues, then the person cannot be admired, desired, or emulated by anyone. This would simply mean that all their preferred products cannot attract anyone who is against their behavior. Jordan has concurred this by ensuring a total maintenance of a good image and being disciplined. His undying determination to remain adorable has highly assisted the company he represents in the market.
Besides this, Jordan has been a representation of the true product quality. This makes the Nike customers to trust his endorsement completely as a true reflection of good quality. This can be illustrated by his last warning to the Nike Company regarding the product quality. Jordan informed that company that he has received a number of complaints regarding the quality of some of the company’s products that he endorses. He clearly warned that if this is not going to be improved he will withdraw from the company. Although Jordan is a Nike company’s ambassador, he still protects his public image and opts to stand with those that have always promoted his development. This simply means that Jordan can be accepted again in the sport community if he would opt to move out of the Nike Company and decide to speak on behalf of another company. This is due to the fact that, he does not betray the trust given to him by all those who adores him and those who buy Jordan endorsed Nike products just because they really trust his judgment (Armstrong & Kotler, 2000).
Normally, spokesperson is literally regarded as a person who speaks on behalf of. However, in marketing a spokesperson does not necessarily involve his or her words of mouth. It involves the image ones brings, the feeling the presence of a person creates to his or her viewers. When a product is associated by a celebrity who people loves and adores, then it has a likelihood of being loved and adored by all the funs and admirers. In addition, when a company peaks a locally know individual to speak on their behalf, they promotes the sales of that product in the locality since it is highly associated with them. Therefore, quality of an ultimate spokesperson ranges greatly based on the exact product that is being promoted and the targeted customers. In addition, it is highly enhanced by the way ads are structured and designed. A celebrity integrated with meaningful and sensible messages as well as quality graphics can be appreciated than when ads are misplaced and with senseless message. Therefore, beside the personality of the spokesperson, the real appearance of an advert is quite important for a marketing spokesperson to achieve an ultimate level.
Conclusion
A spokesperson is viewed as a celebrity, a respected and well known person who serves as a usual advocate of a product or cause and whose name becomes related with the advocated item with time. Jordan has been Nike products spokesman since late 1980s. This was after he emerged a basket ball star in 1985 when the Nike Company was trying to thrive in the market. Enlisting spokesperson services is one of the greatest ways to develop a special hook for ones advertising campaigns. Therefore, a company should consider selecting individuals with good spokesperson qualities that ranges from confidence, relevancy, resonance, bravery, poise, self social image, to public relation. Jordan has highly achieved his success as Nike spokesperson since he contained a wide range of the above mentioned qualities.
Reference
Armstrong, G., & Kotler, P. (2000). Principles of marketing (9th ed). UpperSaddle, NJ: Prentice Hall.
DiClementi, R. (2013). Final marketing plan. Retrieved from < http://eportfolios.sthm.temple.edu/robertdiclementi/wp-content/uploads/sites/214/2013/11/Final-Jordan-Brand-Marketing-Plan-.pdf >
Maddocks, T. (2013). What qualities make a great company spokesperson? Media Training Associations. Retrieved from < http://www.mediatrainingassociates.co.uk/2013/12/what-qualities-do-you-need-to-be-a-great-company-spokesperson/ >
Stephenson, J. (n.d.). Ultimate small business marketing guide. Entrepreneur Press
