Michael vick's past MISTAKES have nothing to do with his talent as afootball player. He has also served his time for what he did and I know there will be people like you that don't forgive. But at the end of the day Vick is going to make money for himself and many others no matter your input IMO.
Vick DD: Since we are discussing business related topics, its even more important to look at what he has done for the most recent companies he has sponsored... Sure there are people that will hate him forever, but MOST Americans are forgiving. We see it time and time again with athletes and celebrities... IMO Vick can do more GOOD than harm going forward by teaching others (esp. Kids) to not do what he did. Hes older now and imo has learned, like most do from their early mistakes... and hes CHEAP RIGHT NOW, which might not last much longer.
I have yet to see him harm a brand... Look at how he grew sales for this company practically overnight... also, keep in mind that Vick wanted STOCK in a PRIVATE company. You cant get out of a private equity quickly, which is why most sponsors usually want $$$. This a good sign that Vick will become a LONG TERM shareholder/promoter for MSLP....
Taking a Flier on Michael Vick Sports-Gear Maker Gains Ground With Controversial Player's Endorsement Deal
By LEE HAWKINS | MORE ARTICLES BY AUTHOR Sports-gear maker Unequal Technologies brought on as a spokesman Michael Vick, the quarterback jailed for dog-fighting, even though it was warned it would be "business suicide." Now, sales are up sharply.
After serving 18 month in prison on dogfighting and conspiracy charges, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick appears to be back in the game. But off the field, he's fighting a different battle: Trying to rebuild his image. He sits down with WSJ's Lee Hawkins for an exclusive interview.
With the national media buzzing about sports-related concussions last year, Unequal Technologies figured it would be easy to generate publicity about its impact-absorbing sports equipment. But after pitching media outlets for several frustrating months, executives could hardly grab a headline.
Then, in November, the manager of controversial Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick phoned Unequal Chief Executive Rob Vito. Mr. Vick, who had been wearing retrofitted Unequal football pads all season, wanted to be Unequal's official spokesman.
Mr. Vito—who had been involved in fitting the player with the specially tailored equipment—was intrigued, but his advisory board was skeptical, sparking a heated boardroom discussion. "One of our consultants said we would be committing 'business suicide' if we hired Michael Vick," Mr. Vito recalled. "We're a small company. We can't afford that kind of backlash, where a Dick's Sporting Goods or a Modell's says, 'Hey, because you have Michael Vick, we're not going to carry you in our stores.' "
WSJ's Lee Hawkins visited the News Hub to discuss his exclusive interview with NFL star Michael Vick, who discussed rebuilding his image following a dog-fighting scandal. The full interview with Vick can be seen here: http://on.wsj.com/euTP7A
Even with Mr. Vick's brand tarnished from the highly publicized dog-fighting scandal— which landed him in jail for a year and a half and prompted companies, including Nike and Coca-Cola, to drop him—Mr. Vito sensed an opportunity. If the sporting world could be made aware that Unequal's football pads had helped Mr. Vick's spectacular comeback from a rib injury, it could help Unequal attract orders from NFL teams and football moms alike. Ultimately, he was able to convince his company to sign Mr. Vick.
The story of Unequal's association with Mr. Vick highlights how working with potentially polarizing celebrities can provide a big marketing platform for companies. Tapping Mr. Vick as a spokesman boosted the profile of the relatively unknown Unequal—and furthered Mr. Vick in his ongoing quest to rebuild his brand, which had earned about $7 million a year from endorsements before the scandal.
The company declined to disclose the size or terms of the agreement, but one expert says Mr. Vick likely came at a discount. "His price is way-off what it was before the incident," said David Schwab, vice president and managing director of Octagon First Call, a celebrity-marketing arm of Interpublic Group of Cos.
The relationship with Mr. Vick started last fall, after the football player sustained a painful rib cartilage injury, causing the four-time Pro Bowler to miss three games. Determined to have Mr. Vick play in early November against the Indianapolis Colts, Eagles equipment manager John Hatfield phoned Mr. Vito. Familiar with Unequal's claims that its pads can absorb up to 80% of the "chronic impact shock" from hits, Mr. Hatfield asked Unequal to design a chest protector for Mr. Vick using the same patented technology Unequal develops for shoes worn by some NFL players. Unequal, which hopes to go public, says its patented technology uses DuPont Co.'s Kevlar, the material in bullet-proof vests, to suppress shocks.
Mr. Vito's staff worked all weekend to fill the order. Wearing Unequal's pads, Mr. Vick then rendered a stunning performance in the next game. In post-game interviews, he credited Unequal with making him feel "invincible," dulling the impact of the Colts' hits. For the Pro Bowl, Mr. Vick then asked Unequal to retrofit him for a concussion-reducing helmet. That conversation grew into talks of a formal partnership.
Mr. Vito concedes he was nervous about aligning his fledgling company's brand with Mr. Vick, of all people. The player "didn't want money. He wanted stock," said Mr. Vito. "He was going to be a shareholder in this company, and it was a significant amount of stock. So we needed to know, could Michael Vick be a stigma or an asset?"
After visiting Mr. Vick at home, where he talked about his passion for reducing sports-related concussions, Mr. Vito was sold. And because of the quarterback's dazzling skill on the field, he was convinced that the public sentiment would eventually sway in Mr. Vick's favor.
News that Mr. Vick had signed his first endorsement deal since leaving prison caused a media explosion. "Within 24 hours, we had about 10 million hits on the website, and I was on CNN, Bloomberg, Fox, ABC and CBS," Mr. Vito recalled. "We had so many hits, it crashed our site." The exposure gave Mr. Vito a chance to talk about Unequal's insoles, golf grips, sneakers and body padding, which are currently available only on the company's website. "The sales went up 1,000% when Mike came on board," Mr. Vito said.
Since then, sales have settled in at about triple what they were a year ago.
The deal requires Mr. Vick to wear Unequal's apparel at six public appearances during the two-year contract. Over that time, Unequal has the right to use Mr. Vick's image, likeness and brand, Mr. Vito said. Slogans will include, "Unequal is the reason for my season."
Mr. Vick's first appearance for Unequal will be at the National Athletic Training Association meeting in June, which will help Unequal reach coaches, trainers and other sports personnel.
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Mr. Vick said the endorsement allows him to address the issue of concussions as he also tries to rebuild his blemished public image.
Prison was "a time that I spent dreaming and visualizing myself coming back and doing great things. And just praying for an opportunity," he said.
Still, Mr. Vick may have trouble garnering endorsement deals outside of the sports world, such as with lifestyle or health products. "For most athletes who have found themselves in trouble, the natural place to come back in the endorsement market is (products) that are on the field or the court," said Mr. Schwab, the celebrity-marketing executive. "The two sponsors that stayed with Tiger (Woods) were Nike and EA sports. Look at what they're selling: performance and clothing on the golf course, and the other is performance in a video game. Same with Michael — this is a performance product."
Mr. Vito said he's happy he followed through on his hunch to hire Mr. Vick, saying that the athlete made a mistake but paid his dues. "There are some people out there that won't forgive him even if does 100 years in jail. There will always be that 2% or 3%, that no matter what you do, you'll never be good enough."
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