Influenced. Why Mark Will Not Buy Based Off Of An Endorsement

It must work for some people.

Having a celebrity spokesperson must work for companies because they keep getting hired, but I can't think of many famous folks who have affected my purchase decisions.

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This came to me this morning when we were playing a Strait Talk/Verizon ad featuring Jim Gaffigan. I'm just not a fan of his. I can't really give you a reason why, just don't care for him.

Can't influence everyone.

I love Shaquille O'Neil, but I still don't eat at Burger King or use Icy Hot. I do like the Nestle Crunch Bar that he endorses, but I've liked those since long before I heard him talk about them on TV.

One celebrity endorsement success story.

The only spokesperson that had an influence on me would have been Michael Jordan. I'm a huge "shoe guy" to start with, and when the Air Jordans first came out, I knew that I had to have a pair or two. They were actually awesome. They hit the market on April 1st, 1985 and were priced at $64.99. Nike thought that they would sell 100,000 pairs that year. Instead, they shipped a million and a half pairs in the first six weeks, and would ultimately sell 26 million dollars worth that first vear

At the time I was in my twenties and playing a lot of basketball, and the Jordans fit my feet perfectly (different shoes fit my feet differently) I quit playing basketball a while back so I don't have Jordans anymore. Also, they've gotten quite expensive.

I know a couple of guys who collect the Air Jordans. Not to wear. Just to collect. These days you've got literally thousands of choices of Air Jordans. But, even when I got my pair, it didn't help me "Be Like Mike."