I have a lot of respect for Brett Favre. Indisputable football talent. Well-spoken off the field. A great brand to endorse a product…right?
I’ve been fairly confident in the staying power of Favre’s brand appeal despite his on-again off-again retirement, until my favorite sports fan focus group chimed in last night.
Welcome to Minnesota, Brett.
My two sons, ages 11 and 9, occasionally provide me with a micro-litmus test of fan appeal. And so, at last night’s dinner table, when my eldest said, “After this Minnesota thing, I’ll never believe Favre again. I can’t trust him when he says he’ll retire.”, it surprised me.
Has Favre lost the young male demographic, ages 5-12?
Without making too much out of an 11 year old’s comments, let’s just pause for a moment to reflect.
Brands are about behavior. Consumers evaluate brands by actions, not words.
Endorsing companies seek authentic spokespersons to speak truth about their brands. It’s about creating a credible connection between an endorsing athlete and a product.
And, brand ambassadors must be believable to consumers….like my son.
Authenticity, truth, and sincerity are behaviors. While I’m sure Favre is a sincere, honest guy in his private life, he’s created some brand dissonance in public over how he’s handled the twilight of his career.
Will it hurt him long-term? Maybe my sports fan focus group has it right.
Posted by Ken Ungar
