It has been a busy couple of weeks for celebrity-driven hip-hop brands.
Rapper The Game partnered with 310 Motoring and Skechers to create a shoe line. Nelly introduced his premium light energy drink PJ Tight. And Jacob "Jacob the Jeweler" Arabo partnered with couture sneaker company SneakerLuxe to form Jacob & Co. Footwear.
Meanwhile, 50 Cent announced he would promote Reebok's GXT II cross-trainer (the latest in his own sneaker brand) and launch the G-Unit watch line -- available in many styles, including an MP3-playing model -- priced at up to $3,500.
Which begs the question -- are celebrity endorsements becoming too much of a good thing?
"There are a lot of people who believe that celebrity is enough of an added value to any product to make it successful," says Robert Passikoff, founder and president of Brand Keys, a brand and customer loyalty consulting company in New York. "But it's usually not."
Especially now. According to Ed Foy, CEO of eFashion Solutions -- which manages the online operations for fashion-branded manufacturers -- today's market is cleaning itself out. He likens it to the dotcom bubble burst. "Some people have stumbled, while others have stumbled and persevered," he says.
NO GUARANTEES
Foy counts Jay-Z and Damon Dash's Rocawear, Sean "P. Diddy" Combs' Sean Jean, Russell and Kimora Lee Simmons' Phat Fashions (Phat Farm and Baby Phat) and Nelly's Apple Bottoms among the success stories. He says Jennifer Lopez's JLO fashions had problems at the beginning, but are now "heading for greener pastures."
Conversely, Foy says Eminem's Shady brand "is struggling big time." The company may simply need to have a meeting of the minds to figure out the exact lifestyle of the brand. "The successful brands leverage celebrity and product category," Foy adds.
In the case of 50 Cent, he needs to think of himself as a brand -- not a person.
"He can go broad, but his foundation needs to be strong and sturdy," explains Jonah Disend, president of brand strategy consulting firm Redscout in New York. In the process, "he must not lose sense of his artistry."
As for the success potential of 50 Cent's G-Unit watch line -- MP3 model or not -- Disend cannot help but wonder who will pay up to $3,500 for one of the rapper's watches.
"At that point, buy an entry-level (luxury) product like Rolex. The status is in Rolex, not 50 Cent."
Reuters/Billboard - July 5, 2005
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