Chapter 329: Mutual Success

Over the past year, Angel Brokerage Firm has received numerous invitations for Matthew Horner to endorse various brands. However, Helen Herman and Matthew have turned them all down after discussions. The main reason was the lack of sufficiently high-end brands among the offers. There's a peculiar rule in the endorsement market: once you endorse a low-end brand, it becomes difficult to receive offers from high-end brands.

This involves a matter of style, for instance, brands like McDonald's and KFC are avoided by Hollywood stars who have clear commercial plans and greater ambitions.

Not to mention low-end brands like McDonald's and KFC, even popular brands like Nike and Adidas are not part of Helen Herman's plan for Matthew.

Matthew generally followed Helen's advice. Helen Herman and Angel Brokerage Firm had invested a great deal in him, creating his current situation. Since they refuse low-end products, their strategy is obviously aimed at long-term gains.

Their interests in this respect are generally aligned.

"What is it this time?" Matthew sat across from Helen Herman at her desk and asked, "It's not that kind of medicine again, is it?"

Some time ago, a company in the USA that produced male-specific pharmaceuticals wanted him for an advertisement. They had offered a seven-figure sum and required only a few photo shoots for the medicine.

Upon hearing this, Matthew immediately had Helen decline the offer, recalling a throat medicine brand that had deceitfully managed to get several football superstars to advertise, which turned out to be a disaster.

"No," Helen shook her head before adding, "Mercedes-Benz has officially sent an invitation expressing their interest in having you as their spokesperson starting next year."

"Mercedes?" Matthew was aware that this was considered a high-end car.

"It's not for their business series. Mercedes wouldn't choose you for a business vehicle endorsement."

Matthew agreed with her reasoning. An endorser's persona must match the product's image. Although he hadn't pursued the youthful idol route, his public persona appeared more mature than his actual age, but he was still a young actor under twenty-five and hadn't played any business-oriented roles.

"Choosing the right spokesperson can enhance a brand's image, raise its profile, and even directly boost product sales," Helen continued, "Of course, there are also missteps and unexpected outcomes that backfire."

She took a sip of water and continued, "Mercedes wants you for their G-Class off-road vehicles."

Hearing this, Matthew immediately thought of the rugged Mercedes off-road vehicles he had seen at construction sites, "The big G, I know it."

Helen didn't pick up his comment and continued to outline the basic situation, "The current face of the Mercedes G-Class is Arnold Schwarzenegger. His contract expires next June. Since Schwarzenegger has moved away from film to politics, Mercedes has decided to find a replacement."

"Is it settled then?" Matthew asked, concerned.

"It's not confirmed yet," Helen admitted, "This is just an initial invitation. Mercedes will conduct market research and, barring any unforeseen issues, they will meet with you next month. If they're satisfied, they will start formal negotiations with us."

She added, "In the automotive sector, supercars rarely use Hollywood stars as endorsers. Higher-end brands like Bentley and Rolls-Royce seldom use endorsers at all. Mercedes, being a luxury brand that is more mainstream, especially with their high-end off-road G-Class, is about the highest-end brand we could hope to deal with in endorsements."

Matthew had learned from Helen in the past that the top luxury brands rarely use celebrity endorsers. This included haute couture, high-end Swiss watches, and more. When they do use celebrities, they tend to choose models with a cool demeanor but not necessarily high popularity.

High-priced luxury items don't readily use popular celebrities as endorsers, and it can even be said that the more elite the product, the less likely they are to use a popular celebrity.

Typically, luxury brands might use celebrities for their entry-level products, like perfumes, lower-end watches, and youthful clothing and handbags. But for higher-priced items like haute couture, fine jewelry, and high-end watches, celebrity appearances are rare, especially youthful idols whose fans are unlikely to afford such items.

Because of the previous dominance of young idols, Matthew had once read online about a luxury brand that made a strategic mistake by hiring a popular young actress as an endorser in the Asia-Pacific region. A year later, the sales had not improved, and they realized that her fans were mostly under twenty, not the luxury-buying demographic. The brand inadvertently boosted the actress's fame instead of their sales.

After a year, the company quickly ended their contract with the young actress...

Matthew had also studied a lot about brand endorsements to avoid being unprepared.

The primary consumers of high-end luxury goods are mature, wealthy individuals. If a brand uses an inappropriate celebrity, it might even diminish the consumer's perception of the brand

.

This was evident in a case study he had read at Angel Brokerage, where in 2001, Chanel had chosen COCO-Li as their ambassador in Asia, resulting in protests from wealthy patrons...

Thus, Matthew and Helen weren't expecting to land the most elite brands.

Even if it wasn't Matthew, even Hollywood superstars would find Mercedes' G-Class off-road vehicle endorsements a high mark to reach.

"The next month is Mercedes' evaluation period," Helen advised, "You need to be aware of that."

She thought for a moment and added, "You are a bit young for this series, but luckily, it's not a business model but rather a sporty one. The G-Class's rugged design and strong lines match your persona well."

The biggest issue was that Matthew's fanbase leaned towards teenagers, a natural disadvantage.

However, Helen didn't elaborate further. Whether or not they secured this endorsement would depend on Matthew's fame and her own managerial skills.

Helen had already considered this, "I'll try to get you some high-end interviews soon. Don't bother with Elena Poyar or TMZ."

Matthew shrugged, acknowledging TMZ's reputation for sensationalism.

Helen had another plan, "I'll see if I can get you on the cover of Vanity Fair early next year."

"That timing," Matthew recalled the awards season for 'Pirates of the Caribbean' he participated in last year, "might be challenging."

Vanity Fair, a magazine widely followed within Hollywood and elite circles, often had its early covers highly contested.

Helen admitted she couldn't guarantee it, "I'll try my best."

Matthew spent the better part of the day in Helen's office. For him, the endorsement for Mercedes' G-Class off-road vehicle was even more important than landing a leading role in a major commercial film.

According to Helen, if they managed to collaborate with Mercedes, the endorsement alone could bring in about five million dollars a year.

With the usual strategy of these major brands, as long as Matthew didn't encounter any major issues, this could become a long-term and stable income.

Additionally, the brand effect of Mercedes was significant and would also promote the endorsed celebrity.

As is well-known, excellent endorsers paired with excellent brands can achieve mutual success and benefit both parties.

Speaking of mutual success, Matthew remembered an advertisement he had seen as a child on the old TV at home - "In my eyes, only you, only you are unforgettable."

That advertisement was a classic case of mutual success.

Unfortunately, neither Matthew nor Helen knew if Mercedes had sent out similar invitations to others.

Helen's network was limited to the entertainment industry, and such business secrets were beyond her reach.

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