I'm old enough to remember when O.J. Simpson was the face of Hertz Rental car and (ironically) Isotoner gloves. Then there was Jared Fogle, Subway's spokesperson who lost over 200 pounds eating Subway sandwiches. And remember Ben Curtis? You probably do. He was the "stoner" young man in Dell's "Dude, I'm getting a Dell" campaign.
These pitchmen possessed at least one of the three key traits for being the "face" of a brand: Notoriety, Credibility and Likability. Unfortunately for all three, they ran afoul of the law in various ways, definitely gaining more notoriety (but not in a good way) but destroying any of the other two qualities they'd built.
Whether you're promoting your small business on television, radio or digitally, you're going to need someone to be the "face" or "voice" of your brand. You need to give that choice some serious thought and make sure they can deliver in one of these ways.
Notoriety
This is probably the least likely route for small businesses to take. Unless you have an "in" with someone famous in your community, hiring a celebrity to pitch you brand is probably beyond your budget.
A better solution is try to build a "face" that gains notoriety from speaking for your brand. Remember Clara Peller? She was a manicurist and part-time actor when Wendy's hired her for their "Where's the Beef" campaign. Then there was Jim Varney. He created his "Earnest" character as a pitchman for a variety of convenience stores and dairy producers. He and his "KnowwhatImean" catch phrase caught on beyond the brand. Varney turned Earnest into a profitable film series before his death in 2000.
I'm sure you all know local pitchmen who fit this bill, too. Whether it's selling used cars, appliances or whatever, local TV markets have a long history of producing local celebrity pitch men.
Credibility
This piece is almost non-negotiable for any brand. Your customers must see your voice as someone they can trust. What made Jared such an effective spokesperson for Subway wasn't his good looks or quirky personality. He is a fairly plain looking guy. He lost over 200 pounds eating Subway sandwiches, though. That's instant credibility. Unfortunately for him and Subway, he also had a bad secret habit that would destroy that credibility.
With small businesses, it's likely you, the entrepreneur who has the most credibility. But if you're not comfortable in that spotlight or don't have the creative ability to carry an ad campaign, consider your customers. That's where Jared came from. Is there anyone more credible to pitch your brand than a satisfied customer who can serve as your ambassador?
Likability
This trait is almost as important as credibility. Your audience has to connect in a positive way with whomever is pitching your brand. The gold standard for that, in my opinion, was Wendy's president Dave Thomas (pictured). When he talked about Wendy's hamburgers, I didn't just want to eat one, I wanted to sit down with him and share a meal and a conversation.
Outside of television, Motel 6 found a voice that communicated the same kind of likability in Tom Bodett. He's been the voice of Motel 6, "leaving the light on" for weary travelers for over 30 years. Bodett's voice was so likable, the chain started recording his voice leaving wake up calls for guests.
Whatever your budget or the media you choose to pitch your brand through, you're going to need someone to become a connection point with your audience. You can do this through ads on traditional media, like television or radio, or through social media.
Decided which of these traits you want to emphasize and then craft your campaigns around establishing that voice.
If you need help getting your marketing efforts started, contact us at Knuckleball Digital. We specialize in helping small businesses and nonprofits find their marketing voice within their budget.