6/16/11
IGo has just announced that they are employing their first celebrity spokesperson. They believe that even though Shaquille O’Neal has announced his retirement, he is still “one of the most talked-about personalities right now” (Baar, 2011)
They also point out that as a frequent traveler he has been a product user for years. Well that’s a good start. But is it enough? The company says that he is known for “championing products that deliver value, durability and functionality.” Did you know that? I thought he played basketball.
So what do you think? Will he be able to sell lots of batteries and headphones?
Baar, A. (2011, June 15) Battery, Headphone Maker IGo (es) With Shaq. mediapost.com. Retrieved June 16, 2011, from
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=152415&nid=127838
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4 comments:
I think having a celebrity endorser will help IGo. Because Shaq is such a huge presence, I believe people will pay attention to the ads. Even though he just plays (played) basketball, when athletes are at that level I think people view them more as superheroes than sports players. Therefore, I think technology and sustainability are a good fit for him.
Maria Alvarez said...
While I agree that having a well known athlete as spokesperson does help promote a brand, it not necessarily means that IGo will sell lots of batteries nor headphones by having Shaquille O’Neal. I never heard of iGo, by going to their website, not much information about the company itself is available, such as how long they have been around, who knows. Their website mentions their ordering, payment, shipping and return, but why would I buy a device for an Apple iphone through iGo when I can go directly to the Apple store.
Marina Tokar said...
I've also never heard of IGo. But I have heard of Shaq. Although I don't see his endorsment as a reason to persuade me to buy, I think by aligning with a famous spokesperson, a relatively unknown company can draw attention to itself. So it might be a smart move. A partnership with Shaq by an industry leader in this category might not be as effective a strategy.
Might be a smart move for IGo to gain some awarness through Shaq. But I think they should have picked someone esle. I didn't find any correlation between Shaq and IGo's products... Or maybe one, but not at their advantage:
Shaq retired early, maybe their batteries doesn't last long either!
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