Patriots QB Tom Brady's endorsement value "took a hit following the release" of the Wells Report on Deflategate two weeks ago, according to The Marketing Arm Celebrity DBI data cited by Mason Levinson of BLOOMBERG NEWS. Consumer trust in Brady "dropped to 3,027th of 3,686 celebrities measured, from 967th on Feb. 5," just after he was named Super Bowl MVP. The Marketing Arm Managing Dir of Celebrity Talent Acquisition Matt Delzell said, "We expected a significant drop; this is a huge." In a measurement of credibility as an endorser, Brady "fell to 2,333rd from 259th." He also "dropped to 1,190th from 123rd in the influence category and to 1,580 from 244th as a trend setter." But Delzell said that those two classifications "remain fairly strong for Brady." Data from Forbes shows that Brady last year made $7M in "endorsement income" from deals with Under Armour, Movado and Ugg. The DBI "measures eight different attributes," and the updated polling "was completed Monday" (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 5/18).
INFLATED SALES: CNBC’s Becky Quick noted since the release of the Wells Report, licensed Brady merchandise have been "best sellers,” which "kind of defies conventional wisdom." She wondered, "Are these supporters of his coming out to show their support?” Fanatics CEO Doug Mack said because the Patriots “won the Super Bowl, Brady was the sixth best-selling jersey as of a few weeks ago." He jumped to No. 3 in the immediate aftermath of the Wells Report, behind only top NFL Draft picks Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota. Mack: "He's now jumped to the No. 1 best-selling jersey in the NFL right now, up about 250% year-over-year. What's interesting about it is not just New England supporting Brady. We've sold them across 46 states, so it's national support for his jersey right now.” Mack noted when a player is suspended or disciplined, “you never know how fans will react." He said, "They often vote with their wallets and in the case of Brady, they're very much behind him” (“Squawk Box,” CNBC, 5/20).
