Iverson: The Brand

A.I.'s persona always a draw at retail stores
Marketers say trade doesn't hurt or help image

By SCOTT LAUBER
THE NEWS JOURNAL

Just in time for last-minute holiday shopping, sporting goods stores are likely to have a sale on Allen Iverson jerseys.

At least, the ones with a 76ers logo on the front.

"You'll be able to go to the markdown racks and find all the No. 3 Sixers jerseys you want," said John Horan, publisher of Sporting Goods Intelligence, an industry newsletter based in Glen Mills, Pa. "Nobody's going to buy those jerseys now."

Not after Iverson, the 76ers cornerstone and a Philadelphia sports icon for the past decade, was traded Tuesday to the Denver Nuggets.

But, while the trade spells the end of an era for the 76ers, marketing experts said Wednesday it shouldn't alter Iverson's appeal -- or, in some cases, lack thereof -- as a product endorser.

Iverson's image -- positive as the bold but vastly undersized player in a sport filled with giants, and negative as a rebel who lives on the edge -- won't change with his uniform colors.

Thus, even as he heads to Denver, Iverson's short-term marketability remains on steady ground. In the long term, it may even be strengthened if he can help the Nuggets to an NBA championship.

"He's a very big star; I don't think that's going to change," Horan said. "He's always been a real draw, especially with kids. He's 5-10, on his tiptoes [he's listed at 6-foot]. You'd never guess he'd do what he does. People relate to that.

"Even in this area, there will be people who buy his Nuggets jersey. There are people here who were more fans of Iverson's than the Sixers."

Jason Willis, an assistant manager at Champs Sports in Christiana Mall, said customers have told him they'll continue rooting for Iverson rather than detesting him, which was the reaction of many Eagles fans to former wide receiver Terrell Owens.

But Iverson's popularity stretches far and wide. He has a $100 million, lifetime contract with Reebok, the world's second-largest athletic shoe company. It has produced 10 models of Iverson sneakers (the latest is the Answer X) since 1997.

Reebok even structured its "I Am What I Am" marketing campaign around Iverson's no-apologies persona that strategists believe appeals to youth and urban consumers.

And, one day after the trade, Reebok executives stood by Iverson, leaving little doubt he'll remain their No. 1 pitchman.

"As he moves into the next phase of his basketball career, we wish him the very best," Todd Krinsky, Reebok's vice president for sports marketing, said in a statement. "We hope this move will enable Allen to reach his goal of winning an NBA championship."

Clearly, that wasn't going to happen in Philadelphia. The 76ers have fallen to the depths of the league, and two weeks ago, Iverson requested a trade, team officials said.

The Sixers, however, are one organization that is severing marketing ties with Iverson. He had long been the face of the franchise and appeared on one of five billboards with the team's "It's a Philly Thing" slogan. The team has removed him from that billboard.

"We try not to market an individual player. We've always tried to market the team," said Lara Price, the 76ers senior vice president of business operations. "But Allen was the one consistent player, so you would be crazy not to market him. But now that he's gone, we're going to continue to focus on the team.

"We need to introduce Andre Miller [acquired in the trade] to the market, and we want to continue marketing the young guys. Our goal has always been to have entertainment, a fun atmosphere and an interactive experience for the fans."

Some experts believe Iverson's rebellious nature has hurt his marketability, which won't improve in Denver unless he changes his image.

Davie Brown Talent, a Dallas-based firm that helps clients pick celebrities to appear in ads, excluded Iverson from its list of the 10 most marketable active NBA players. The rankings, known as the Davie Brown Index (DBI), are derived from a 1.5 million-member panel of U.S. consumers who judge celebrities based on eight qualities, including appeal, awareness and trust.

DBI spokesman Chris Anderson noted that Iverson's appeal rating was close to the rating for Mark McGwire, the former baseball slugger who has been suspected of using steroids. In trust, Iverson ranked near professional wrestler "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.

"Unless you're an edgy brand that isn't concerned with getting involved with controversy, brands usually steer clear of [Iverson]," said Scott Sanford, senior client director for Davie Brown Talent. "The trade will be a good change of pace for him, but it doesn't necessarily mean marketers that wouldn't have come after him before will start now."

In other words, nothing much will change.

As long as Iverson continues playing at an elite level and doesn't alter his image, companies like Reebok will keep enlisting him to endorse their products, while others will shy away.

"Allen Iverson is a brand in and of himself," said Bill Glenn, a vice president for The Marketing Arm, the company that conducts the DBI. "A trade doesn't change the brand unless he changes his behavior."

But what about in Philadelphia, where Iverson leaves behind scores of 76ers fans and racks full of No. 3 jerseys?

"I think he'll remain popular here," Horan said. "Not as popular, of course. But it's not like a T.O. thing. When I went to Sixers games, the reason I went was to see him play. I'm sure there are a lot of fans that still feel that way."