Patriots QB Tom Brady currently "faces the first major public relations crisis of his career," with the "TB12" brand that has "made him millions in endorsement income" possibly in trouble following the release of the Wells Report, according to Bob Hohler of the BOSTON GLOBE. Marketing and media agency rEvolution Exec VP/Consulting & Research Darren Marshall said, "He's going to be radioactive for the next four to six months. Potential sponsors aren't going to take his call, and he’s just got to hunker down and get through this." Marshall added of Brady's long-term marketing status, "He’s probably going to be fine. We’re a nation of second chances and relatively short memories." Hohler notes Forbes last year listed Brady's endorsement income at $7M, and his Q Score last month ranked him with Broncos QB Peyton Manning as "sharing the highest consumer appeal rating" among NFLers. Marketing Evaluations Exec VP Henry Schafer, whose company publishes the Q Score, said, "It doesn’t look like any of [the] Deflategate stuff affected his appeal, at least until the investigative report came out. Now we will see how he responds to the allegations" (BOSTON GLOBE, 5/8).
TOM TARNISHED? MARKETWATCH.com's Michelle Coffey wrote this incident "likely won't tarnish the reputation or marketability" of Brady. Baker Street Advertising Senior VP & Exec Creative Dir Bob Dorfman said, "More people like him than dislike him" (MARKETWATCH.com, 5/7). Fingerpaint Marketing Founder Ed Mitzen said, "It will have virtually no effect on his sponsorship marketability" (ADWEEK.com, 5/7). However, in Detroit, Bob Wojnowski wrote Brady "is tarnished, beyond a doubt" (DETROIT NEWS, 5/7). In Phoenix, Dan Bickley writes Brady is "shrinking before our eyes" after being "indicted as a cheater and a liar" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 5/8). USA TODAY's Nancy Armour writes the NFL's "Golden Boy and Madison Avenue's perfect pitchman" has proved to be "little better than Lance Armstrong, Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and everyone else who broke the rules in search of an edge" (USA TODAY, 5/8). In Providence, Bill Reynolds writes under the header, "For Brady, Deflategate Is A Stain That Will Never Come Out" (PROVIDENCE JOURNAL, 5/8). A CHICAGO TRIBUNE editorial: "That hissing sound you hear is the air coming out of Tom Brady's career" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 5/8). In Boston, Christopher Gasper writes Brady and Patriots coach Bill Belichick have "lost the historical high ground," as their claims to being the greatest ever "will carry the twin caveats of Spygate and Deflategate" (BOSTON GLOBE, 5/8). Meanwhile, several publications dedicated their editorial cartoons to the "Deflategate" topic, including USA TODAY and the Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE.
