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delalluvia:
--- Quote from: Kerry on August 11, 2009, 09:06:37 am ---Yes, that is correct. And speaking as an Australian, I am ashamed that Matthew has had a great deal of trouble attracting sponsors (endorsements). Australia is a sports-mad country. We are particularly proud of our Olympians, whom we usually venerate higher than all our other sportspeople (with the exception of the Australian Cricket Team perhaps). And yet, initially, Matthew was unable to attract any major endorsements, as witnessed by this Advocate banner headline. Can't imagine why. The Australian telecommunication facility, Telstra, has since stepped-up to the mark and is now sponsoring Matthew. Better late than never, I guess.
--- End quote ---
This is actually not an unusual situation, Kerry, endorsements are all about image. That's why high class WASP-looking silver medal winners can get more endorsements than less high-class looking and/or ethnic-looking gold medal winners do. Ice skater Kristi Yamaguchi - Olympic gold medal winner, two time World Champion and USA champion - also had difficulty getting endorsements in America and she was an American. And why? She didn't look like an "American". >:(
I don't know what Australia is like as far as homophobia or marketing but it seems you guys are in the same boat as we are.
EDITED TO ADD: {from wikipedia}
Though Yamaguchi won the gold medal, she would be overshadowed in publicity and endorsements by Nancy Kerrigan...Yamaguchi never expressed any dissatisfaction with her lack of endorsements as she had one of the most successful professional skating careers since Sonja Henie, performing with such shows as Champions on Ice and Stars on Ice for over ten years. Yamaguchi received endorsements deals from Wendy's and DuraSoft Colors contact lenses, but not high-profile, multimillion-dollar deals with corporate giants like Campbells, Disney or Pepsi. Some suspected that her Asian heritage may have put her at a disadvantage. Bill Imada, whose firm advises companies on marketing to Asian Americans observes that for marketers "People like Kristi Yamaguchi don't represent, at least with marketers, the wholesome all-American image".
CellarDweller:
--- Quote from: milomorris on August 11, 2009, 12:55:37 pm ---While other athlete's wives get coverage, typically girlfriends do not. So perhaps their unmarried status played a part in the decision not to cover Lachlan. We also have to consider what Mitcham might or might not have disclosed to the producers. Did he make it clear to them that he and Lachlan are in a committed, long-term relation ship? Or did he only mention Lachlan casually to them, which might leave them thinking that Lachlan is no more than "flavor of the month" type thing?
--- End quote ---
The difference being that Mitcham and Lachlan can't get married. He did refer to Lachlan as his partner, and not boyfriend.
milomorris:
--- Quote from: delalluvia on August 11, 2009, 01:46:30 pm ---This is actually not an unusual situation, Kerry, endorsements are all about image. That's why high class WASP-looking silver medal winners can get more endorsements than less high-class looking and/or ethnic-looking gold medal winners do. Ice skater Kristi Yamaguchi - Olympic gold medal winner, two time World Champion and USA champion - also had difficulty getting endorsements in America as well and she was an American. And why? She didn't look like an "American". >:(
I don't know what Australia is like as far as homophobia or marketing but it seems you guys are in the same boat as we are.
--- End quote ---
You hit the nail on the head. One of the things I learned about marketing when I was working as a model is that not every look is desirable for pitching every product to every demographic. And in the case of celebrity endorsements, the celebrity's reputation is a huge part of the product pitch. Its one thing to have an Olympic gold medal athlete pitching your product, but its a whole different ball game to have a sexual minority pitching your product. Ellen Degeneres is a good example. Yes, she is openly lesbian, and people who view her AMEX commercials know that. But at the same time, she also carries the benefit of being a well-respected talk show host with a proven track record of attracting a cross-over viewer base. Mitcham has no such appeal. Moreover, it makes good business sense for a credit card company to market directly to sexual minorities because statistically we have more expendable income than hetero families because we are less likely to have kids.
milomorris:
--- Quote from: CellarDweller on August 11, 2009, 02:03:16 pm ---The difference being that Mitcham and Lachlan can't get married. He did refer to Lachlan as his partner, and not boyfriend.
--- End quote ---
Right. But what does "partner" mean to the producers?
If it were me, I would have made it clear that David and I have been together for 21 years, and that he is the most important person in my life. If given the opportunity I would tell them some things about our past, like how we're worked together at 3 different companies, or how much my grandmother likes him after finally meeting him at a family reunion. That's the kind of thing that get the attention of the producers.
delalluvia:
--- Quote from: garycottle on August 11, 2009, 05:10:11 pm ---Ah, the marketing creeps, the ones who are only in it for the money.
--- End quote ---
What else would they be in it for? ;D
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