The use of CEOs as the image of the company is a move that doesn’t always work. There is a higher probability of success when advertising a light-hearted product, such as a cheeseburger or chicken. A car, for instance, is a different beast. It’s difficult to sympathize with someone trying to sell you a compact sedan when he/she is driving a luxury car and flying around in a private jet.
Furthermore, in a slumping economy where average Joes are losing not only hope but also their cars, homes, and jobs, bitter resentment is channeled to ambitious, greedy CEOs. It has become the norm to see headline news of big name companies such as Microsoft, John Deer or GE laying-off thousands of workers. As this happens, the public’s trust and attachment to the companies and their CEOs is evaporating.
So what about Sprint’s CEO, Dan Hesse, appearing in their latest black and white TV spots? As personal as they are trying to come across, perhaps it’s not such a good idea. Mainly because the cell phone industry has a very negative reputation among dissatisfied consumers who are always battling cell phone carriers about hidden fees and long-term contracts.
When choosing to use the CEO of a company as its image it’s important to seriously consider the industry, the CEO’s personality, and the long-term goal of the brand. Not everyone has a face that sells chicken and not everyone wants their face to become the bull’s eye facing disgruntled consumers. |
