OJ Simpson – definition of brand destruction
Orenthal James OJ Simpson is a dead brand and that’s amazing but true (sorry Juice). I was thinking about how his life was really on a roll from a potential branding perspective. For example:
- Scholarship to USC, Earned the Heisman Trophy in 1968
- NFL Player of the Year in 1973, and played in six Pro Bowls.
- Simpson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985
- Film career in television series Roots, The Cassandra Crossing, Capricorn One, The Klansman, The Towering Inferno, Back to the Beach and The Naked Gun trilogy.
- Hertz Rental Car, Pioneer Chicken, Calistoga Water, Honeybaked Hams and Napa Natural drinks spokesman
- TV appearances, Sports Announcer
What went wrong?
- Domestic Violence Issues
- A long Criminal trial for murder murder of Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman in 1995 with questionable outcomes.
- Civil Trial for wrongful death
- All brands dropped OJ quickly
- Canceled TV and Book Deals
- IRS Tax Lien in 1999 for $1,435,484.17 in past due taxes (ouch)
- Las Vegas Robbery at Palace Station Hotel Room over sports memorabilia
OJ, clearly took a wrong turn on his personal brand. At this point I wonder what brands would want OJ to be a representative. A definition of brand destruction!
About the Author: Michael Vorel is CEO and founder of Vastplanet Corporation, specializing in e-Commerce Web Development, Internet Marketing and Management Consulting for top brands since 1998. He has expertise in affiliate marketing and affiliate management, Yahoo Store e-commerce web design, social media, video, ppc, seo, sem, email marketing and competitive analysis. Based in Tampa, Florida, he is a member of the Affiliate Summit Advisory Board, Authorized Yahoo Store Developer and recently helped with the formation of the Performance Marketing Association. He enjoys a coffee, wine, gadgets and enjoying life. You can find him on Twitter at @michaelvorel, @vastplanet and @projectgadget
