So, ever wonder if a little bit of star equity will push your third-place brand into contention? If you're launching a new car model, who do you think should drive it: Gwyneth or Sienna? And you know all those millions you dumped on Affleck or Depp for commercials..which will never be aired in the states? You think it was all worth it?
Well, now you can find out!!! This story points out that Davie-Brown Entertainment has launched on Monday a celebrity-evaluation index for brand marketers and their ad agencies. The company says the index will determine a celebrity's relevance to a brand's image and their influence on consumer-buying behavior.
The so-called Davie-Brown Index, or DBI, will be compiled and managed by i.think inc. based on surveys of its 1.5 million-member research panel, which is demographically balanced across the country, said Jeff Chown, president of Davie-Brown Talent. More than 1,500 celebrities will be included in the index, which evaluates celebrities based on eight key attributes: appeal, notice, trendsetting, influence, trust, endorsement, aspiration and awareness."The main reason we created the DBI was because there was a void in the industry," Chown said. "There was no tool created for brands by brands to evaluate celebrities and their influence. The idea is to provide marketers with a systematic approach for quantifying and qualifying the use of celebrities."
Holy shit! What the hell is going on here? Brands need a celebrity index to stay relevant? Brand managers are desperate enough to look to the vapid and ridiculous world of Hollywood to ensure their brand's fortunes? Really? Are we that screwed?
And who's image are we really measuring, the brand or the celebrity? Isn't image just...well, image. Aren't some big-time celebrities considered to be brands in their own right, like Oprah or Martha or Donald? So is this an incestuous situation of measuring brands for other brands?
I'm getting so confused. My head hurts. The paradox is too profound. Does anyone else think this is way too weird? I know this is all about ROI -- I mean, how the hell can someone like Howie Mandel get millions? -- but has it really come to this?
I do not think this weird at all. You sound very surprised by this development.
We live during a time where everyone is trying to make as much money as possible and as soon as possible off of anything and everything. This DBI tool is another money leeching tool, that’s all it is. I am not sure how relevant it will be in the future, as brands and celebrities change over time, born or die. It would take a great deal of effort of keeping this index current. From my first impressions it doesn’t make any money sense. From developers and users perspective.
Posted by: Andrei | February 17, 2006 at 04:12 PM