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Should Adidas Continue to Brand Yeezys?

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In a recent Q&A with the media during a quarterly earnings call, according to Business Insider, a reporter asked Adidas Chief Financial Officer Harm Ohlmeyer “If there was any reputational risk to the company if it continued to release Yeezy products despite no longer having the backing of the artist. ” Adidas plans to rebrand the Yeezy shoes and continue to sell them after it cut ties with Ye, the original designer, as it owns all design rights.

Ohlmeyer wasn’t ready to answer this question, only to reply, “We are working through all the options.”

Our analysis is that the partnership, which has been in place since 2013, is long-standing enough to enable Adidas to continue to sell the brand without further harm to its reputation. That’s not to say the shoes might not sell as well as they have in the last nine years. But we cannot underestimate the value and popularity of the Adidas brand itself prior to the now-terminated partnership.

Ye, aka the former Kanye West, is a critically acclaimed musician. Still, he has been divisive enough – most recently through antisemitic statements – that fans of the shoes and brand may appreciate the opportunity to be “freed” from the connection to him and still enjoy wearing the shoes. Smart messaging and careful branding could be an opportunity for Adidas.

Our analysis: Adidas is a long-standing brand and business that no doubt has rock-solid contracts in place, with appropriate legal protection. They and the sneaker – once rebranded – may even become a new symbol of inclusion and unity for those who oppose Ye’s actions. Although Darcey Jupp, an apparel analyst at GlobalData, said the opposite in an interview with CNN, we believe rebranding and continuing to sell the sneakers could be a smart move for Adidas from an ethical standpoint and a business viewpoint. We’ll be curious to see how they rebrand and message around the product line, and we will be watching.

Newsweek Turns to Christine Perkett for Professional Analysis

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Newsweek turned to our Founder & CEO, Christine Perkett, for her professional analysis of Jason Sudeikis and Olivia Wilde’s nanny drama and public statement.

Jason Sudeikis and Olivia Wilde‘s nanny drama could positively affect their careers, a brand strategist tells Newsweek.

Read the full story here.

Spin PR— Spinning Out of Control

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This month E! premiered the reality show “The Spin Crowd” which follows celebrity publicists Jonathan Cheban and Simon Huck and their Hollywood PR firm Command PR — self-proclaimed as one of the ‘most visible’ PR firms in the country. When I first tuned into the show I wasn’t surprised by the overuse of stereotypical, shallow LA behavior, but I was disappointed at how little of this show was actually about PR. If you’re interested in good ‘ole mind-numbing reality TV, then The Spin Crowd’s overacted, overly dramatic, oversimplified depiction of celebrity publicity may be right up your alley.

I, on the other hand, was hoping for a real look at the behind the scenes world of celebrity publicity —which is seemingly chic and glamorous and something I’ve always been interested in. Instead of getting insight I could sink my teeth into —I got shallow, poorly acted Hollywood drama queens. I can’t help but feel let down as I was, in fact, hoping that this show would stand apart from its predecessors and really dive into celebrity promotion, publicity strategies and best practices.

I wanted to see how the firm handles big name events, the ever-changing celebrity social media landscape and maybe a crisis or two (and we know there’s plenty) for their superstar clients.  I wanted to see the day-in-the-life of a tireless PR maven — who would share new ideas and insight into the inner workings of the Hollywood PR scene.  But the more I watched, the more frustrated I became. The show loses complete focus of what PR truly is— connecting with others in a valuable and meaningful way—and who PR is truly about—the client. Instead Command PR chooses to take us down a rat hole of wasted money, poor self-images and bad attitudes.

Aside from the lack of PR focus—the show portrays one of the most ridiculous work environments I’ve ever witnessed. 99.9% of those of us in PR have never been exposed to anything like the office environment or behavior this show depicts. In the first episode, Cheban makes and pays for a lip injection appointment for one of his new employees—and when she refuses to get the permanent procedure—he bluntly states “you’re homely — no offense. But this is, like, Hollywood. You need to step it up.” Cheban also spends part of the episode stressing over his own physique — ultimately trying to “freeze” his back fat off.  Absolutely ridiculous. I guess when there isn’t enough drama in your reality show you have to create it and that’s seemingly what they are doing with The Spin Crowd.

PR industry outsiders they wonder — is this what PR is all about? An industry so far removed from reality, common sense and respect? An industry where your looks count for everything, you don’t need to be professional, respect others, work hard, think on your toes or strive to impress your clients? Let me answer for all of my fellow colleagues and the other 99.9% of PR professionals out there – THIS IS NOT PR. At PerkettPR, we work tirelessly for our clients – we know it’s about them, not us. We think. We listen. We ask questions. We constantly look for more ways to innovate. We challenge ourselves with new projects and ideas. We consistently measure our worth in how happy our clients are, how much respect we garner from the press and how our results stack up at the end of each quarter. And we work in a healthy, encouraging, and motivating environment.

So fellow PR professionals, if you had the bad fortune of tuning in and wasting a half-hour of your lives— tell us what you think about the show. Please share your thoughts so we can dispel some of these complete myths about our profession. We are especially interested in hearing from other celebrity PR firms. Do you think this is the way celebrity publicity should be depicted on TV? Are you offended or OK with it? Is there any truth to this? Anything redeeming about this program we missed behind the self-tanner?