August 10, 2012
Mike Rowe – Spokesperson Extraordinaire
Mike Rowe, host of Discovery Channel’s popular television show Dirty Jobs, is becoming better known as a pitchman in many circles than for his acumen as a cleaner upper. Best known on Madison Avenue for hawking Ford automobiles, Lee jeans and Viva paper towels, he also has a footwear line.
In an article last year signaling his sponsorship of Viva paper towels, Advertising Age referred to Mr. Rowe this way: "Perhaps not since Michael Jordan or Billy Mays in their heydays has one man pitched so many products so prominently and simultaneously."
"We saw him as a person who really connects with the everyday person," Geoffrey Golub, Viva brand manager, told Ad Age. The brand also obviously saw the cleaning connection to his show.
Cat Footwear first teamed with Mr. Rowe on the Fall 2011 launch of the Mike Rowe Works by Cat Footwear work boots collection and is now launching a ‘Made in the USA’ line for holiday 2012.
"He is very passionate about the skilled trades and honoring the American worker," Kelly Ballou, marketing manager for Cat Footwear, said in a statement. "We felt strongly that a Made in the USA work boot with his name on it was a necessary part of this collection."
Is Mr. Rowe overexposed?
"I don’t think he’s really overexposed in terms of being authentic," Paul Kuzma, chief creative officer of Tris3ct, the agency which came up with the Viva campaign, told Ad Age, last year. "What we liked most was Mike’s honest opinion of things. … We need to tell people that Viva is a really tough towel. It kind of has an image problem, and so we thought if we took the dirtiest guy in America and put him together with his mom we’d have a winning combination."
BrainTrust
Recent Discussions
Discussion Questions
Discussion Questions: Is the search for the “everyman” endorser an ideal quest for brand marketers? What are the pros and cons for retailers considering using spokespersons who represent multiple brands?
Poll
Every customer is not an everyman or everywoman, so the proletarian appeal of a guy in a baseball cap and tee shirt isn’t for every brand.
The drawback of the multiple endorser is that a scandal on one brand tends to leak over to everything else he or she endorses.
No — many products should not respond to an everyman endorser. Why Mike works for Ford Trucks is probably why he’d fail for Mercedes-Benz.
His credibility across multiple products will depend on their ability to tie him and the product together — Viva works because he’s always making a mess — we all get that. How much stuff he endorses is irrelevant (assuming he doesn’t get close to over-exposure) — it’s whether it all fits him.
First and foremost the person has to be considered as real and believable. Mike Rowe certainly fits that description. If the person promoting the product seems to be down to earth — someone who truly could be a neighbor — chances are I am going to listen to him and seriously consider buying the product. On the other hand, watching people swinging on ropes and landing in a school yard does nothing to draw me to the store.
When you spend time with Mike and understand his philosophy on branding in general, he gets it all the way to bright. And he won’t let any agency script him, he shoots from the hip and the gut. He’s great at doing it and is authentic as all get out. In real life, you’d never know it but he’s shy.
If the activity or expertise on which his credibility is based stays intact and is relevant for the brands he endorses, then it will work well. Once the credibility or expertise link breaks, his endorser status suffers. If his credibility or expertise is not relevant for a specific product, then the endorsement will not work.
The endorser has to match the product, in terms of who they are. The everyday man can not endorse a Rolex like Phil Michelson can, for example. I like what Ford has done using Mike for their products. He is an effective pitchman, and has an appeal to the right products that he is pushing.
Some people recognize that Mike Rowe is the same character from Dirty Jobs, that they see in various commercials. Most, however, are likely not making the connection.
The important thing for the brands, as well as for Mike Rowe, the actor, is that he is seen as a distinct spokesperson for each brand. The consumer “gets it” — they recognize spokespeople/actors, and appreciate being a part of the message (messages have to be sent, and RECEIVED in order to be influential in the purchase decision).
For better than 20+ years, we all knew that “Mr. Whipple” wasn’t a real grocer. At the same time, no brand should have 100% of their Brand equity in a single spokesperson. Geico doesn’t place the gecko in every spot. An integrated marketing plan is important, even in the talent who are hired.
There are many celebrity figures that at the present would bring positive attention to a corporation’s advertisement message. The problem is when there is a sudden and unexpected radical departure from normal behavior by the person representing the company’s message to the consumer. Nondescript professional announcers that are regularly changed for freshness is always the safest avenue. And in today’s depression, safer is better.
It certainly is something to consider to recruit that one person that grabs and holds your attention. I pay attention when he is on too. Additionally, I like the way the ad is built in that you can just listen to his voice and not have to view the ad to know what it is all about. That is success.
More Discussions
How Timely Is the Planned Lowe’s Website Renovation Focusing on Personalization?
Is Lowe’s being timely with its website reno, and is it right to be placed as…Should Costco Be Opening Members-Only Gas Stations?
Is this the right move for the warehouse club?As Boomers ‘Age Out of Peak Purchasing,’ How Can National Brands Retain Interest With Gen Z?
According to a recent First Insight study titled “Is Gen Z Still Choosing Your Brand,” while…
Every customer is not an everyman or everywoman, so the proletarian appeal of a guy in a baseball cap and tee shirt isn’t for every brand.
The drawback of the multiple endorser is that a scandal on one brand tends to leak over to everything else he or she endorses.
No — many products should not respond to an everyman endorser. Why Mike works for Ford Trucks is probably why he’d fail for Mercedes-Benz.
His credibility across multiple products will depend on their ability to tie him and the product together — Viva works because he’s always making a mess — we all get that. How much stuff he endorses is irrelevant (assuming he doesn’t get close to over-exposure) — it’s whether it all fits him.
First and foremost the person has to be considered as real and believable. Mike Rowe certainly fits that description. If the person promoting the product seems to be down to earth — someone who truly could be a neighbor — chances are I am going to listen to him and seriously consider buying the product. On the other hand, watching people swinging on ropes and landing in a school yard does nothing to draw me to the store.
When you spend time with Mike and understand his philosophy on branding in general, he gets it all the way to bright. And he won’t let any agency script him, he shoots from the hip and the gut. He’s great at doing it and is authentic as all get out. In real life, you’d never know it but he’s shy.
If the activity or expertise on which his credibility is based stays intact and is relevant for the brands he endorses, then it will work well. Once the credibility or expertise link breaks, his endorser status suffers. If his credibility or expertise is not relevant for a specific product, then the endorsement will not work.
The endorser has to match the product, in terms of who they are. The everyday man can not endorse a Rolex like Phil Michelson can, for example. I like what Ford has done using Mike for their products. He is an effective pitchman, and has an appeal to the right products that he is pushing.
Some people recognize that Mike Rowe is the same character from Dirty Jobs, that they see in various commercials. Most, however, are likely not making the connection.
The important thing for the brands, as well as for Mike Rowe, the actor, is that he is seen as a distinct spokesperson for each brand. The consumer “gets it” — they recognize spokespeople/actors, and appreciate being a part of the message (messages have to be sent, and RECEIVED in order to be influential in the purchase decision).
For better than 20+ years, we all knew that “Mr. Whipple” wasn’t a real grocer. At the same time, no brand should have 100% of their Brand equity in a single spokesperson. Geico doesn’t place the gecko in every spot. An integrated marketing plan is important, even in the talent who are hired.
There are many celebrity figures that at the present would bring positive attention to a corporation’s advertisement message. The problem is when there is a sudden and unexpected radical departure from normal behavior by the person representing the company’s message to the consumer. Nondescript professional announcers that are regularly changed for freshness is always the safest avenue. And in today’s depression, safer is better.
It certainly is something to consider to recruit that one person that grabs and holds your attention. I pay attention when he is on too. Additionally, I like the way the ad is built in that you can just listen to his voice and not have to view the ad to know what it is all about. That is success.