Star Blight: The Perils of Celebrity Endorsements

Floyd Landis’s potential as a product endorser dropped faster than a cyclist speeding down a mountain road when he tested positive for synthetic testosterone after winning this summer’s Tour de France. Sports columnists denounced him even as the companies that had invested tens of millions in him and his team dropped their sponsorships. Landis of course isn’t the only celebrity or athlete who managed to misbehave this summer. Consider sprinter Justin Gatlin French soccer player Zinedine Zidane actor Mel Gibson and Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Brett Myers. Yet as marketing experts and others note celebrity wrongdoing is more than just fuel for gossip columns. Athletes and celebrities push all manner of products and services and their downfalls can tarnish the brands and companies they endorse. ”The perils of these endorsements are consistently underestimated ” says one expert.

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