On the topic of celebrity-brand tie-ins, I'd be really interested to see what people think about this new initiative. Personally I would never put Rachael Ray and Dunkin' Donuts together, although I suppose that if Dunkin' is going to try to expand and go the healthier route, she might be a good choice -- an energetic, nationally recognized personality known for quick, somewhat healthy food -- but there will be so many detractors, so many people who think she's just annoying and are put off , and of course this will be a sharp contrast to the more subtle They Might Be Giants ads.
As part of the team who is presenting on Sponsorships the Monday after break, I've been reading a lot on strengthening the link between the sponsoring company and the sponsored event or celebrity, and how it works best if all aspects of the brand are tied to the sponsorship -- not just logo but product, advertising, sales. I keep picturing Rachael Ray staring up at me from my next cup of Dunkin' Donuts coffee!
Rachael Ray to tout Dunkin's coffee, donuts
Boston Business Journal - 6:19 AM EST Friday, March 9, 2007
Dunkin' Brands Inc. has inked a deal for cooking guru and TV star Rachael Ray to appear in a new advertising campaign for the coffee and donut marketer Dunkin' Donuts, the company said on Thursday.
Boston-based Hill, Holliday, Connors, Cosmopulos - Dunkin Donut's long-time ad agency - will create the campaign which will include TV, print, radio, online, in-store marketing and personal appearances on behalf of the brand.
Besides starring in TV spots, Ray will also lend her culinary perspective to the Dunkin' Donuts culinary team in the development of new, healthier options for food and beverages.
Most recently Canton, Mass.-based Dunkin' Donuts ran a series of TV spots that featured quirky jingles about Dunkin' coffee, specialty drinks and snacks, by the alternative music group They Might be Giants.
3 comments:
I definitely agree. There's something very off about this pairing. First, even if Rachel Ray is the quick-meal girl of the Food Network, it still seems a little strange to have a chef be the poster child of a quick-service breakfast chain. Also, I think this move could potentially abandon the "cup of joe and donut" masculine crowd that made Dunkin' Donuts so popular in the first place.
I understand the underlying "quick, quality meal with no pretense" connection, but don't see how that would be different from any of the other quick-service restaurants that are trying to introduce healthier options (which include all of the larger ones at this point.) There's not a compelling connection to Dunkin' in particular.
This is a really strange partnership. Given the recent media focus on Rachel Ray's struggle with weight gain, this arrangement may end up hurting both parties.
Aside from that, I don't see how this could benefit Rachel's brand equity nor that of Dunkies. As Danielle said, this could potentially alienate Dunkie's core clientele.
I defintiely agree with the comments above. And as Laura noted, there are a ton of "anti-Rachael Rays", which has been covered a lot in the press, such as in this article that appeared in the Globe back in November: http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2006/11/26/hatred_of_rachael_ray_can_be_a_powerful_uniting_force/
It details the "anti-Rachael" movement, particularly the Racheal Ray Sucks Community (rrsux.com). DD is taking a chance by aligning with such a controversial and unliked-by-many star.
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