Spicing Up Your Brand
Spicing Up Your Brand
Spicing Up Your Brand
My Grandpa was an Old Spice man long before Isaiah Mustafa made it cool to be one.
First launched by The Shulton Company in 1937, the original product was called Early American Old Spice (for women, oddly enough). They eventually expanded into the men's products market, using the now-distinctive nautical imagery. It's only been over the last decade that Procter and Gamble (who purchased the brand in 1990) began expanding the brand with deodorant sticks, body washes, and body sprays.
I have to admit, I would never have thought to pick up a bottle of Old Spice for my husband.
In fact, my earliest memories of Old Spice are all colored with the (circa 1970s) robin's egg blue bathroom tiles of my grandparents' bathroom, where the buoy-shaped white bottle was always displayed prominently on the shelf.
In my mind, Old Spice was always an "old man" scent. I mean, it's called "Old Spice," for cryin' out loud.
Fast forward thirty-plus years.
Enter Isaiah Mustafa with his sweater tied jauntily around his shoulders, riding a white horse - evoking imagery that was typically reserved for those romance novels that line the shelves of the grocery checkout line.
The next thing you know, I'm yelling for my husband to stop fast-forwarding through the commercials so I can catch another glimpse of bare-chested Isaiah assuring me that Old Spice can do more for me than improve the scent of my guy.
I admit, I loved the commercials, but I didn't run out and buy my husband some Old Spice.
Can the Spice Boy Buoy the Sales?
That is the question of the hour. Clearly, P&G was attempting to change perceptions with this ad campaign. When the campaign first launched in February, it quickly racked up over 12 million views. Despite this, in the fiscal year that ended in June, sales of Old Spice were actually down 7 percent.
So here's the dilemma - P&G has created a media hit with Isaiah... but has the phenomenon overshadowed the brand?
Recently the towel-swathed Isaiah began delivering personalized video messages to fans and followers from where else - the bathroom. He's burning up Twitter, Facebook and the Old Spice blog with celebrity replies to Ellen Degeneres and Alyssa Milano, among others.
Using celebrities to promote products isn't a new concept; particularly when the product itself lacks any real distinction -- or in the case of Old Spice -- has a consumer perception that the brand is outdated. The downside is this -- with the "always on" nature of social media, the lifespan of overnight celebrities such as Isaiah (forgive me football fans!) has been shortened dramatically.
P&G runs the risk of quickly overexposing Isaiah (again, forgive me), at which point consumers will lose interest in both the endorser and the brand.
What to do?
Procter and Gamble could extend the shelf-life of this campaign with a few minor changes. Suppose they began doing a nationwide search for real "Old Spice Men?" Brand users could submit short video testimonials of their own, and the best of the bunch could be turned into a commercial for the brand.
What does this accomplish?
First, it will provide social proof. If consumers begin to see lots of hard-bodied young studs are using Old Spice, the brand will again gain buzz and potential popularity. Old Spice would gain brand equity and good will. Lastly, a campaign such as this would also have viral popularity as those who submit entries forward their videos to family and friends. Viral popularity = free advertising...two words that every major brand loves to hear.
It's too soon to tell how this one will turn out - or whether or not Old Spice will come out smelling like a rose.
We just lost my Grandpa a couple of months' ago - I only wish he'd lived long enough to see how hip he'd become as an Old Spice guy.
Traci Hayner Vanover, aka The Promo Diva(R), is a brand burgeoner and business consultant that specializes in working with entrepreneurs and authors.
Drawing on over twenty years experience in the fields of market research, sales
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