Most large corporations take the easy way out when it comes to positioning. Those that can afford it position their product or service with a celebrity- somebody that everyone knows.

In some cases, that works. A great example is Jennifer Aniston’s promotion of Smartwater. The brand grew handsomely during her 12 years as the brand’s celebrity spokesperson. I think she was such a successful spokesperson because: 1- She genuinely likes and uses the product. This sincerity comes through when she promotes Smartwater; and 2- I think people know, she is not promoting the brand because she needs the money. Jennifer Aniston is one of the biggest female stars in Hollywood. She made $90 million alone for her years on Friends, making $1 million an episode her last year of the show. (Aniston recently passed that position to Gail Gadot. Successful but not as much.)

Perhaps the most successful celebrity endorsement deal of all time has been Nike’s securing Tiger Woods endorsement of their golf products.

When Tiger signed with Nike in 1996, Nike’s golf division generated about $30 million in annual sales. By 1998, just two years later, that figure had skyrocketed to $300 million—a tenfold increase attributed largely to Woods’ influence.

BALL ALONE

Between 2000 and 2010, Tiger’s endorsement led to the sale of an additional 9.9 million dozen Nike golf balls, adding $103 million in revenue.

Over their 27-year partnership, Nike paid Woods between $500 million and $660 million in endorsement deals.?

(Note: these statistics come from a ChatGPT search).

If you are ever in a position where you are in charge of a marketing budget that could afford the likes of a Jennifer Aniston or Tiger Woods you want to make sure you select someone who is not going to fall off of the moral highway.

Some years ago, we did a survey for a company whose prospects wanted speed. The company provided a digital service, and the buyers wanted the service data rapidly.

Okay, we had a button, SPEED.

We then went back and conducted a positioning survey and came up with (if I do say so myself) an excellent positioning. For some reason the company chose not to use the positioning we recommended and selected to use an image of O.J. Simpson running through an airport.

Now, let me confess that back in the day, I, along with millions of others that followed college and later professional football, marveled at the running skill of O.J. Simpson. On a Saturday in 1968, I drove up to Palo Alto from San Jose and attended a game between USC and Stanford. O.J. repeatedly ran through the Stanford line like a gazelle evading prides of lions. It was remarkable. It was a demonstration of athletic performance that was almost otherworldly. He won the Heisman Trophy that year.

He later went on to set records in the NFL that still stand today. The guy could run.

So, when my clients (pre the ‘94 trial) chose to use O.J. I was a little disappointed, as my positioning was better. But…it was O.J.

Then, the trial followed and while you couldn’t bury his running records, and he was found not guilty, the majority of public opinion in the country thought that he was guilty. He was generally looked upon with distain. Having positioned a service with O.J. Left our client was now associated with someone the majority of people thought was a murder. Yike!

All of that said, most of you reading this are not likely to have the marketing budget to hire an A, B or even C list celebrities. As it is a pricey strategy and, at times, risky. Joe Namath selling hearing aids doesn’t make much sense to people who don’t know that Namath actually has a hearing problem.

But truly great positioning, can be done without Kevin Costner or Taylor Swift. Great positioning can be created from positioning surveys that we do and at a super-small fraction of the celebrity route.

Here’s an example. One of my favorites.

We were approached by a man who had worked in telecommunications industry, and he wanted to enter the “prison phone” business – inmates call home or to their lawyer or their….

It is a multi-billion-dollar business and highly competitive.

First, we surveyed sheriffs and wardens across the country and got their likes, dislikes, opinions and attitudes about prison phone systems. We got a great deal of data, but a key “button” was the fact that they wanted a phone system that waw indestructible.

In many cases the prisoners were lined up or waiting for use of the phone at appointed “phone day” or the like. If the phone system broke, or became disabled in some way, there were arguments – fights broke out – PR flaps followed and…you get the idea. Indestructible.

Now we go back to the same public (not necessarily the same exact people but the same public) and we ask, “What represents indestructible to you?”

The answer? A tank!

We get this to our client’s marketing and PR people and they roll out a whole program about their “TANK PHONE”. All the graphics to match.

This little start up company goes from $0 to $30 million a year in the first three years and becomes the largest independent provider of inmate phone systems in the country.

Were they happy with the positioning?

“When we implemented On Target Research survey findings, our profits increased, and marketing cost decreased. From a financial analysis of our company, we discovered that over a two year period On Target Research saved our firm over $300,000 a month or a ballpark total of $7.2 million so far.”

R.C., President

Can we do some positioning for you?

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