As a mother, I have always tried to persuade my children to make healthy, nutritious food choices.  When my son was young his cereal of choice was sugar based and almost always had some toy inside that he just couldn’t live without.  I read with interest the 9/16/08 article in PR Week by Kimberly Maul read more and was reminded of a day in 1992 (I think)…

 

when Michael Jordan changed my son’s cereal of choice.  I asked him what cereal he wanted and to my delight his response was “Wheaties”!  The reason for his cereal choice change was due to the wise decision General Mills made in their choice of Michael Jordan as their celebrity spokesperson.  That same son – now in his 20’s – still eats Wheaties!  He may never have tried the cereal if it weren’t for MJ!  Ms. Maul reported on the recent PRWeek’s Entertainment and Media Roundtable panel discussion of the changing celebrity culture, with celebrities touting themselves as brands, and how celebrities can work with products and companies in the PR world.  The right celebrity spokesperson choice can boost the sales of a product for years to come!

Patti Knight