Endorsement: How to...

Surprise, surprise.... I've just discovered who was the first Nike endorser. A clipping from the brand's timeline:

1972

• The first line of Nike footwear is introduced, including the so-called "Moon Shoe" that features a waffle sole, which is distributed to athletes competing in the US Olympic Track & Field Trials in Eugene, Ore.
• Romanian tennis star Ilie Nastase becomes the first athlete to sign an endorsement contract with Blue Ribbon Sports to wear its Nike tennis shoes.

If you ask me, endorsement has three basic dimensions:

1. Short term value (Buzz/hip/instant sale value) ;
2. Brand communication potential (Brand Affinity + Communicational ability & effectiveness);
3. Long term value (Long term media exposure + Consistency/Values & personality profile commitment + Long term brand commitment).

When it comes to short term value and brand communication potential, Nastase scored very well. He was a rising star, rebellious and commited to winning. However, when it comes to long term value, the Nike - Nastase relationship's weakest point is the fact that there is no long term brand commitment. Historically speaking, Nastase is always pictured using Adidas equipment, as seen below:

I wonder how well he would score nowadays, if he were still featured in The Davie Brown Index...
...

So what is this Davie-Brown Index anyway?

I would say it's a tool that I would very much like to have on the Romanian market as well, thank you. Buying the franchise for Romania would be a great idea for a data&marketing research agency... Anyone?

This index measures 8 basic indicators (awareness, appeal, aspiration, endorsement, influence, notice, trendsetter, trust) in order to evaluate how much a public figure is worth as a marketing tool.

To quote John Osborn, President and CEO of BBDO New York : "The Davie-Brown Index is like ‘celebrity Visine,' of sorts. It clears away the fog, demystifies and takes the guess-work out of the "celebrity" matchmaking process for brands."