Just a few years ago, Alaska Airlines took an early chance on a young and unproven Seattle Seahawks quarterback. He was looking to find ways to tie to the community, and AA, on a limited budget, needed an engaging face. We all know what happened with Russell Wilson after that, and Alaska Airlines reaped the benefits.
Now of course there was risk, and manageable risk, that AA had at that point, and if Wilson flamed out no one would be the wiser, but they did their homework, took a shot and it paid off long before many knew who or what the Seahawks Super Bowl hero would become nationally. So will someone take a shot on Tom Brady’s temporary replacement at QB, Jimmy Garoppolo ?
Yes the situation is different, but there is little doubt that the Eastern Illinois Alum is going to be in the spotlight for at least part of the season, and given he is a system quarterback under Bill Belichick, may get his chance to thrive when many are predicting doom for the Brady-less Pats. Does most of his time have to be spent taking care of business? Of course. Is he new to the Pats system? He is not. Let’s also not forget that Brady rode into a difficult system when he took the reins as a relative surprise at first and blossomed, and the QB position remains one of the most glamorous and attention-worthy in all of sports. So can a brand or two seize the moment?
According to our friends at MVP Index, the young QB’s stock in social is on the rise. While doing little publicly as training camp opens, he is currently the 23rd ranked quarterback on social media according to MVP Index, ahead of Mark Sanchez and Colt McCoy and just behind Kirk Cousins and ndy Dalton (Brady is second to Cam Newton). If he does the job in preseason and plays to the system and pulls off some surprises while the bright lights are shining, his stock will rise even with Brady coming back, and there could be some real value there.
Yes the window is narrow and the time is limited, but the digital space provides some real opportunities for brands to engage and take advantage of the time with a new face. Little risk, potential high reward as some positives could arise from “Deflategate.”
Stay tuned.
