Marketing experts yesterday said that Panthers QB Cam Newton's "loss in the Super Bowl -- and his sulking afterward -- likely won't have a major impact on his soaring endorsement prowess," according to Rick Rothacker of the CHARLOTTE OBSERVER. SportsCorp President Marc Ganis said that Newton’s behavior "may have miffed old-school sports fans, but the quarterback likely didn’t suffer any long-term damage, especially with younger backers." Ganis said that the younger demographic that is attracted to Newton "isn’t turned off by his celebrating after a touchdown -- or his despondency after a loss." Ganis: “They view it as part of his personality. They don’t expect milquetoast.” Rothacker notes Repucom's Celebrity DBI claims Newton during his MVP-winning season "saw his public awareness rankings soar." Repucom Exec VP/Americas Peter Laatz said that though his company has not collected new data since the Super Bowl, Newton’s performance "will likely have some impact on the rankings." Laatz: “His appeal will be down. The trade-off there, is the awareness numbers will go up.” Laatz said Newton did not "necessarily cover himself in glory" following the Super Bowl. But he said that the QB "may have won points with some for being authentic." Newton’s endorsement portfolio includes Under Armour, Gatorade, Beats by Dre, Belk and Dannon, among others (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 2/10). However, Scout Sports & Entertainment Marketing Michael Neuman indicated that Newton’s "surly post-game performance created a worrisome 'reason for doubt' among current and potential corporate sponsors." Neuman: "On the biggest stage, in front of the largest audience, Cam gave reason for brand marketers to be concerned" (SPORTINGNEWS.com, 2/10).
