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107-506: Predominantly, a brand ambassador is known as a positive spokesperson, an opinion leader or a community influencer, appointed as an internal or external agent to boost product or service sales and create brand awareness. Today, "brand ambassador" as a term has expanded beyond celebrity branding to self-branding or personal brand management. Professional figures, such as good-will and non-profit ambassadors, promotional models , testimonials and brand advocates have formed as an extension of

214-493: A brand experience or 'liking' the brand itself. Rubin believes, "when customers seek you out via social media, they're looking for an opportunity to build an emotional connection. So give it to them." Opinion leadership Opinion leadership is leadership by an active media user who interprets the meaning of media messages or content for lower-end media users. Typically opinion leaders are held in high esteem by those who accept their opinions . Opinion leadership comes from

321-479: A celebrity comic book titled The Adventures of Bob Hope to National Periodical Publications, alias DC Comics . The comic, originally featuring publicity stills of Hope on the cover, was entirely made up of fictional stories, eventually including fictitious relatives, a high school taught by movie monsters, and a superhero called Super-Hip . It was published intermittently and continued publication through issue #109 in 1969. Illustrators included Bob Oksner and (for

428-484: A lineman for a power company, Hope was assisting his brother Jim in clearing trees when a tree crashed to the ground, crushing his face; the accident required reconstructive surgery, which contributed to his later distinctive appearance. In his teens, he had also worked as a butcher's assistant as well as a brief stint at Cleveland's Chandler Motor Car Company in his early 20s. Hope and his girlfriend later signed up for dancing lessons, encouraged after they performed in

535-501: A 1942 legal document, his legal name appears as Lester Townes Hope; it is unknown if this reflects a legal name change from Leslie. After five years on the vaudeville circuit, Hope was "surprised and humbled" when he failed a 1930 screen test for the RKO - Pathé short-subject studio at Culver City, California . In the early days, Hope's career included appearances on stage in vaudeville shows and Broadway productions. He began performing on

642-428: A beneficial impact on the company's reputation. According to Alberto Chinchilla Abadías "it is advisable that the company train its workers and managers in communication and digital skills in order to effectively use these technologies." Using celebrities as brand ambassadors is not a new concept. Creswell highlights that, "film stars in the 1940s posed for cigarette companies, and Bob Hope pitched American Express in

749-407: A brand ambassador and a promotional model is in the way they represent the product/service. In many cases, unlike brand ambassadors, a promotional model may give the audience an experience that reflects the product or service being branded. Promotional models are required to be present at the venue as per the requirements of the marketing campaign, however brand ambassadors are most often referred to as

856-413: A brand ambassador can be anyone who has knowledge or can identify certain needs of the brand. The fashion industry still solely rely on celebrity clientele in order to remain brand ambassadors. Furthermore, brand ambassadors are considered to be the key salesperson for a product or service on offer. They must remain well-informed when it comes to the brand they are representing, due to their nature of being

963-425: A brand, successful customer-service relationship motivates a brand advocate to express their positive feelings towards a brand. Traditionally, a brand advocate would sing praises of a brand and this would circulate through 'word of mouth' or other similar channels. However, in the digital age social media tools have allowed brand advocates to express themselves on forums such as Twitter , Facebook by 'tweeting' about

1070-440: A broad range of domains. Variants of polymorphic opinion leadership include market mavenism, personality strength and generalized opinion leadership. So far, there is little consensus as to the degree these concepts operationalize the same or simply related constructs. In his article "The Two Step Flow of Communication", Elihu Katz , found opinion leaders to have more influence on people's opinions, actions, and behaviors than

1177-471: A controllable network of followers to interact with and gain recognition from in a social context. Opinion leaders seek the acceptance of others and are especially motivated to enhance their social status . Public individualism is the idea that an individual will act different from others because they are different. Kenny K. Chan and Shekhar Misra found opinion leaders possess this trait. “The individuation process and this personal-influence process both involve

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1284-400: A customer can be a testimonial, since a testimony could be formal or informal "word of mouth" advocating the positive facets of the product. On the other hand, a consumer could not always be brand ambassador, since the latter is more commercial and is often considered as a position bound by monetary and professional liabilities. To a certain degree, celebrity endorsements provide testimonials for

1391-434: A decade, it is with great sadness that we have terminated our contract with him." According to Giriharidas,"the personal-branding field or self-brand traces its origins to the 1997 essay "The Brand Called You," by the management expert Tom Peters ." Contemporary theories of branding suggest that brand ambassadors do not need to have a formal relationship with a company in order to promote its products/services. In particular

1498-556: A duet with an often much younger female guest star such as Barbara Mandrell , Olivia Newton-John , Barbara Eden , and Brooke Shields , or with his wife Dolores, a former singer with whom he dueted on two specials. On April 26, 1970, CBS released the Raquel Welch television special Raquel! ; in it Hope appears as a guest. Hope's 1970 and 1971 Christmas specials for NBC—filmed in Vietnam in front of military audiences at

1605-426: A frequent White House visitor over the years. The special, though different from his usual specials, received high praise from Variety , as well as other reviews. Following a brief appearance at the 50th Primetime Emmy Awards in 1997, Hope made his last TV appearance in a 1997 commercial about the introduction of Big Kmart , directed by Penny Marshall . Hope helped establish modern American stand-up comedy . He

1712-583: A golf club on stage during the week of USO performances he taped for his TV show The Colbert Report during the 2009 season. Dear Bob... Bob Hope's Wartime Correspondence with the G.I.s of WW2, written by Martha Bolton (first woman staff writer for Bob Hope) and Linda Hope (eldest daughter of Bob Hope), reveals the heart of the entertainer who became a best friend to the troops. Hope's first Broadway appearances, in 1927's The Sidewalks of New York and 1928's Ups-a-Daisy , were minor walk-on parts. He returned to Broadway in 1933 to star as Huckleberry Haines in

1819-422: A partnership of voices to leverage influence and networks from customers too. Fuggetta highlights that a brand advocate is a marketing term for "highly satisfied customers and others who go out of their way to actively promote the products they love and care about, they are a different breed altogether. " Further, he states that they are 50% more influential than an average customer. Often a positive experience with

1926-640: A professional boxer in his youth. In 1946, he bought a small stake in the Cleveland Indians professional baseball team and held it for most of the rest of his life. He appeared on the June 3, 1963, cover of Sports Illustrated magazine wearing an Indians uniform, and sang a special version of "Thanks for the Memory" after the Indians' last game at Cleveland Stadium on October 3, 1993. He also bought

2033-508: A reciprocal interchange which involve a willingness to stand out in a group situation." An opinion leader’s willingness to stand out is what sets them apart from their followers. In the jargon of public relations , they are called thought leaders . Research has also found that opinion leaders tend to be boundary spanners . In relation to their followers, opinion leaders maintain a particular degree of separation in terms of socio-economic status. According to Gershon Feder and Sara Savastano, it

2140-507: A result, there was a substantial increase in the role of celebrities as brand ambassadors. It was assumed that integrating a celebrity to a brand would increase chances of it being sold, which made companies value the business ideal of a "brand ambassador". The case study of the famous watch brand Omega, illustrates that the brand faced a severe crash in sales in the 1970s due to the Japanese Quartz phenomenon. Michael believes that, "by

2247-833: A secretary from Chicago, Illinois, who was the daughter of Edward and Mary (McGinnes) Troxell. They were married on January 25, 1933, in Erie, Pennsylvania. They divorced in November 1934. The couple had shared headliner status with Joe Howard at the Palace Theatre in April 1931, performing "Keep Smiling" and the "Antics of 1931". They worked together at the RKO Albee, performing the "Antics of 1933" along with Ann Gillens and Johnny Peters in June of that year. The following month, singer Dolores Reade joined Hope's vaudeville troupe and

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2354-548: A series of seven Road to ... musical comedy films with Bing Crosby as his partner. Hope hosted the Academy Awards show 19 times, more than any other host. He also appeared in many stage productions and television roles and wrote 14 books. The song " Thanks for the Memory " was his signature tune. He was praised for his comedic timing, specializing in one-liners and rapid-fire delivery of jokes that were often self-deprecating. Between 1941 and 1991, he made 57 tours for

2461-521: A share with Bing Crosby of the Los Angeles Rams football team in 1947, but sold it in 1962. He frequently used his television specials to promote the annual AP College Football All-America Team . The players would come onstage one by one and introduce themselves, then Hope, often dressed in a football uniform, would give a one-liner about the player or his school. Hope was briefly married to vaudeville partner Grace Louise Troxell (1912–1992),

2568-630: A successful network of contacts, which in itself can lead to more business and future clients. Goodwill Ambassador is a post-nominal title of authority bestowed by a head of state or the secretariat of an INGO; it is also a job description and position of an individual linked to the promotion of non-profit causes. The primary function of a goodwill ambassador is to help organizations advocate their mission. Predominantly, goodwill ambassadors are celebrity activists or known personalities, who use their fame and talents to secure funding, solicit donations, encourage volunteers to participate and raise awareness of

2675-480: A three-day engagement at a club. Hope then formed a partnership with Lloyd Durbin, a friend from the dancing school. Silent film comedian Fatty Arbuckle saw them perform in 1925 and found them work with a touring troupe called Hurley's Jolly Follies. Within a year, Hope had formed an act called the "Dancemedians" with George Byrne and the Hilton Sisters , conjoined twins who performed a tap-dancing routine on

2782-441: A week. The original staff included Mel Shavelson , Norman Panama , Jack Rose , Sherwood Schwartz , and Schwartz's brother Al . The writing staff eventually grew to fifteen. The show became the top radio program in the country. Regulars on the series included Jerry Colonna and Barbara Jo Allen as spinster Vera Vague. Hope continued his lucrative career in radio into the 1950s, when radio's popularity began being overshadowed by

2889-418: Is an effective way to help new businesses save the hassle of hiring brand ambassadors, training them and then realizing they are not good enough for the company. In addition, it is an effective tool in order to target a niche audience and allows one to take sole control of their own brand representation. On the other hand, branding one's own product/service creates an instant connection with the audience and helps

2996-588: Is impossible to see how he can do so much, can cover so much ground, can work so hard, and can be so effective. He works month after month at a pace that would kill most people. Along with his best friend Bing Crosby, Hope was offered a commission in the United States Navy as lieutenant commander during World War II, but FDR intervened, believing it would be better for troop morale if they kept doing what they were doing by playing for all branches of military service. For his service to his nation through

3103-442: Is not effective for leaders to be a part of the same socio-economic status as followers. “opinion leaders who are superior to followers, but not excessively so, are more effective in transmitting knowledge.” Meanwhile the leader must be close enough in standing to relate to the followers they want to influence. In a strategic attempt to engage the public in environmental issues and his nonprofit, The Climate Project , Al Gore used

3210-553: Is now a British Film Institute 'Centenary of British Cinema' commemorative plaque in his memory. He was the fifth of seven sons of William Henry Hope, a stonemason from Weston-super-Mare , Somerset, and Welsh mother Avis (née Townes), a light opera singer from Barry, Vale of Glamorgan , who later worked as a cleaner. William and Avis married in April 1891 and lived at 12 Greenwood Street in Barry before moving to Whitehall, Bristol , and then to St George, Bristol . The family emigrated to

3317-403: Is part of their identity. If you're open to the possibilities, it isn't difficult to find activities that the company is comfortable with and customers are excited to be a part of. Shofar's Furniture implemented a brand ambassador program and had phenomenal results that increased their site traffic 4000%. And this doesn't mean that the company doesn't have access or also utilize these channels; it's

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3424-417: Is provided by the testimonial of the company or product/service in question in a written or spoken manner. A testimonial does not advertise the product freely unlike the role of the brand ambassador. A brand ambassador performs the function of a testimonial but a testimonial is not a brand ambassador. By simply providing a testimonial for a product/service, one need not be an ambassador for the same. For example,

3531-549: Is successful because she has what most people don't – "she has a brand." Self-branding or personal branding is a way in which an individual may promote or build their reputation. Wheeler also highlights how sending an email can contribute towards an individual's personal brand and how personal branding has become important over the past few years due to the increase of self-employed individuals. The importance of personal branding increasingly rises due to modern audiences often trusting people as opposed to corporations. This falls down to

3638-756: The Jerome Kern / Dorothy Fields musical Roberta . Stints in the musicals Say When , the 1936 Ziegfeld Follies with Fanny Brice , and Red, Hot and Blue with Ethel Merman and Jimmy Durante followed. Hope reprised his role as Huck Haines in a 1958 production of Roberta at The Muny Theater in Forest Park in St. Louis, Missouri . Additionally, Hope rescued the Eltham Little Theatre in England from closure by providing funds to buy

3745-641: The Korean War , the Vietnam War, the third phase of the Lebanon Civil War , the latter years of the Iran–Iraq War , and the 1990–91 Persian Gulf War . His USO career lasted a half-century during which he headlined 57 times. He had a deep respect for the men and women who served in the armed forces, and this was reflected in his willingness to go anywhere to entertain them. However, during

3852-621: The National Academy of Sciences , and Science Booster Clubs, coordinated by the National Center for Science Education . Bob Hope Leslie Townes " Bob " Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-born American comedian , actor , entertainer and producer with a career that spanned nearly 80 years and achievements in vaudeville , network radio, television, and USO Tours. He appeared in more than 70 short and feature films , starring in 54. These included

3959-668: The United Service Organizations (USO), entertaining military personnel around the world. In 1997, Congress passed a bill that made him an honorary veteran of the Armed Forces. Hope was born in the Eltham district of southeast London . He arrived in the United States with his family at the age of four, and grew up near Cleveland, Ohio . He became a boxer in the 1910s but moved into show business in

4066-556: The " New Hollywood " era in the 1960s, he reacted negatively, such as when he hosted the 40th Academy Awards in 1968 and voiced his contempt by mocking the show's delay because of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and condescendingly greeted attending younger actors on stage—such as Dustin Hoffman , who was 30 at the time—as children. By the 1970s, his popularity was beginning to wane with military personnel and with

4173-399: The 'face of the brand' . Promotional models are most often found in trade shows exhibits (in some cases referred to as "booth babes"), conventions and in print, digital or selected advertisements for the brand. The use of so-called "booth babe" models at trade show exhibits and conventions has been criticized by some. Testimonial is simply a way of conveying assurance, in this case assurance

4280-715: The 1968 telecast, he quipped, "Welcome to the Academy Awards, or, as it's known at my house, Passover ." Although he was never nominated for an Oscar, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences honored him with four honorary awards, and in 1960 presented him with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award , given each year as part of the Oscars ceremony. Hope's career in broadcasting began on radio in 1934. His first regular series for NBC Radio

4387-431: The 1990s to early 2000s, brand management itself evolved as brand asset management. Davis defined Brand Asset Management Strategy as "a balanced investment approach for building the meaning of the brand, communicating it internally and externally, and leveraging it to increase brand profitability, brand asset value, and brand returns over time." In the early 1990s marketing companies like American Guerilla Marketing LLC were

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4494-528: The 28-year-old Joan Collins in place of Lamour, whom Crosby thought was too old for the part. They had planned one more movie together in 1977, The Road to the Fountain of Youth , but filming was postponed when Crosby was injured in a fall, and the production was canceled when he suddenly died of heart failure that October. Hope starred in 54 theatrical features between 1938 and 1972, as well as cameos and short films. Most of his later movies failed to match

4601-560: The Boys' Industrial School in Lancaster, Ohio , and as an adult donated sizable sums of money to the institution. He had a brief career as a boxer in 1919, fighting under the name Packy East. He had three wins and one loss, and he participated in a few staged charity bouts later in life. In December 1920, 17-year-old Hope and his brothers became US citizens when their British parents became naturalised Americans . In 1921, while working as

4708-594: The Desert Storm tour, and granddaughter Miranda appeared alongside him on an aircraft carrier in the Indian Ocean. Of Hope's USO shows in World War II, novelist John Steinbeck , who then was working as a war correspondent, wrote in 1943: When the time for recognition of service to the nation in wartime comes to be considered, Bob Hope should be high on the list. This man drives himself and is driven. It

4815-685: The USO, he was awarded the Sylvanus Thayer Award by the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1968, the first entertainer to receive the award. A 1997 act of Congress signed by President Bill Clinton named Hope an "Honorary Veteran". He remarked, "I've been given many awards in my lifetime, but to be numbered among the men and women I admire most is the greatest honor I have ever received." In an homage to Hope, comedian/TV host Stephen Colbert carried

4922-477: The United States aboard the SS Philadelphia , passing through Ellis Island , New York on March 30, 1908, before moving on to Cleveland, Ohio . From age 12, Hope earned pocket money by singing, dancing, and performing comedy on the street. He entered numerous dancing and amateur talent contests as Lester Hope, and won a prize in 1915 for his impersonation of Charlie Chaplin . For a time, he attended

5029-457: The Web 2.0 allows all individuals to choose a brand and come up with their own strategies to represent it. Biro believes that "everyone owns their own personal brand. Companies and leadership must see the value of this concept for a successful social workplace recipe. If a brand ambassador chooses to represent the company and/or its brands, the individual should do so in a transparent way." Self-branding

5136-403: The actress most associated with his film career although he made movies with dozens of leading ladies , including Katharine Hepburn , Paulette Goddard , Hedy Lamarr , Lucille Ball , Rosemary Clooney , Jane Russell , and Elke Sommer . Hope and Crosby teamed not only for the "Road" pictures, but for many stage, radio, and television appearances and many brief movie appearances together over

5243-407: The brand or company. College campus brand ambassadors not only can market products or services through either events, workshops or social media. They can market through what others may say is more affective and better for the long run, which is marketing by word of mouth. Word-of-mouth marketing was the next-most-popular method of promotion – 75% of ambassadors said they used it, and 73% of them said it

5350-462: The brand stand out in comparison to other known brands that use popular celebrities or hire brand ambassadors. Reis propagates her branding mantra, "think about other people. Think about the impressions you are making on friends, neighbors, business associates. Think about your brand." Creating a personal branding strategy is an effective way to attract audience attention. She gives the example of Marissa Mayer, CEO Yahoo. According to Laura Ries, Marissa

5457-569: The company's sales and profit margin . "The product manager is man of the hour in marketing organizations.... Modern marketing needs the product manager," raved one 1960s article. Over the course of several years, brand managers continued to exist as a medium that would help boost company revenue. In the 1990s, Marketing UK highlighted that brand managers are a part of an "outdated organizational system" while "the brand manager system has encouraged brand proliferation, which in turn has led to debilitating cannibalization and resource constraints." From

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5564-525: The concept of opinion leaders. Gore found opinion leaders by recruiting individuals who were educated on environmental issues and saw themselves as influential in their community and amongst their friends and family. From there, he trained the opinion leaders on the information he wanted them to spread and enabled them to influence their communities. By using opinion leaders, Gore was able to educate and influence many Americans to take notice of climate change and change their actions. Matthew Nisbet describes

5671-468: The day and performing in Broadway shows in the evenings. Hope moved to Hollywood when Paramount Pictures signed him for the 1938 film The Big Broadcast of 1938 , also starring W. C. Fields . The song " Thanks for the Memory ", which later became his trademark, was introduced in the film as a duet with Shirley Ross , accompanied by Shep Fields and his orchestra. The sentimental, fluid nature of

5778-446: The decades until Crosby died in 1977. Although the two invested together in oil leases and other business ventures, worked together frequently, and lived near each other, they rarely saw each other socially. After the release of Road to Singapore (1940), Hope's screen career took off, and he had a long and successful run. After an 11-year hiatus from the "Road" genre, he and Crosby reteamed for The Road to Hong Kong (1962), starring

5885-547: The early 1920s, initially as a comedian and dancer on the vaudeville circuit before acting on Broadway . He began appearing on radio and in films starting in 1934. Hope retired from public life in 1999 and died in 2003, at 100. Leslie Townes Hope was born on May 29, 1903, in Eltham , County of London (now part of the Royal Borough of Greenwich ), in a terraced house at 44 Craigton Road in Well Hall , where there

5992-496: The economy, followed by a growing middle class population and birth rate, increased the demand for products within the market. This led to a steady competition among a number of manufacturers who found it hard to get their products noticed amidst the pre-existing brands. By the year 1967, 84% of large consumer packaged goods manufacturers had brand managers. Brand managers were also being referred to as "product managers" whose sole priority shifted from simply brand building to boosting up

6099-490: The end of his career, worsening vision problems rendered him unable to read his cue cards. In October 1996, he announced he was ending his 60-year contract with NBC, joking that he "decided to become a free agent". His final television special, Laughing with the Presidents , was broadcast in November 1996, with host Tony Danza helping him present a personal retrospective of presidents of the United States known to Hope,

6206-465: The entire landscape for branding. During this time, many companies expanded their annual budgets to meet the financial liabilities that came with celebrity endorsements. Celebrities are popular and followed by many people so it makes sense that marketers benefit from using them in order to get their message across. A celebrity can capture consumers' attention, link the brand with their own personal image, and associate their positive attributes with those of

6313-409: The fact that audience members tend to believe that corporate organizations only have the final sales of product in mind as opposed to the publics interest instead. Furthermore, a personal brand is also a clear indication of who someone is and what best features they can offer, showing employees or clients what they could expect. The promotion of a personal brand is also a key part of creating and building

6420-425: The field of computer technology , might be a neighborhood computer service technician. The technician has access to far more information on this topic than the average consumer and has the requisite background to understand the information, though the same person might be a follower at another field (for example sports ) and ask others for advice. In contrast, polymorphic opinion leaders are able to influence others in

6527-400: The first to utilize campus ambassadors (also known as "brand representatives" and "brand ambassadors") college students who spread the word about the company that they represent. The goal of campus ambassadors is to help the company with marketing programs on campus to target the college demographic. This can be achieved by throwing events, hosting workshops, and utilizing social media to promote

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6634-461: The game in the 1930s while performing in Winnipeg , Canada, he eventually played to a four handicap . His love for the game—and the humor he could find in it—made him a sought-after foursome member. He once remarked that President Dwight D. Eisenhower gave up golf for painting: "Fewer strokes, you know." He also was quoted as saying, "It's wonderful how you can start out with three strangers in

6741-404: The go-to person when questions arise from consumers. The brand ambassador's job is to drive results through communication tools either publicly, such as social media , or privately including emails, messaging and further one-to-one channels. The concepts of brands and brand marketing have evolved over decades. Traditionally, consumers were familiar with only a few products that were available in

6848-479: The height of the war—are on the list of the Top 46 U.S. network prime-time telecasts . Both were seen by more than 60 percent of the U.S. households watching television. Likely the most unusual of his television specials was Joys! , a parody of murder mystery narratives, where the audience discovers at the end of the broadcast that Johnny Carson was the villain. Beginning in early 1950, Hope licensed rights to publish

6955-452: The highly controversial Vietnam War , Hope had trouble convincing some performers to join him on tour, but he was accompanied on at least one USO tour by Ann-Margret . Anti-war sentiment was high, and his pro-troop stance made him a target of criticism from some quarters. Some shows were drowned out by boos; others were listened to in silence. The tours were funded by the U.S. Department of Defense, Hope's television sponsors, and by NBC ,

7062-535: The last four issues) Neal Adams . While aboard RMS  Queen Mary when World War II began in September 1939, Hope volunteered to perform a special show for the passengers, during which he sang "Thanks for the Memory" with rewritten lyrics. He performed his first USO show on May 6, 1941, at March Field in California, and continued to travel and entertain troops for the rest of World War II, later during

7169-407: The late 1940s; however, as his ratings began to slip in the 1950s, he switched to television and became an early pioneer of that medium. He published several books, notably dictating to ghostwriters about his wartime experiences. Although Hope made an effort to keep his material up to date, he never adapted his comic persona or his routines to any great degree. As Hollywood began to transition to

7276-453: The late 1950s. Joe Namath slipped into Hanes pantyhose in the 1970s, and Bill Cosby jiggled for Jell-O for three decades. Sports icons like Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods elevated the practice, often scoring more in endorsement and licensing dollars than from their actual sports earnings." Large corporations realized that the overall image of a brand ambassador within society is an integral element in attracting consumer attention. As

7383-675: The legal guardians of Tracey, the youngest daughter of famous New York City bar owner Bernard "Toots" Shor and his wife, Marion "Baby" Shor. In 1935, the couple lived in Manhattan. In 1937, they moved to 10346 Moorpark Street in the Toluca Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles, where they would reside until their respective deaths. Hope had a reputation as a womanizer and continued to see other women throughout his marriage. Zoglin wrote, "Bob Hope had affairs with chorus girls, beauty queens, singers and showbiz wannabes through his 70s; he had

7490-543: The market. Beginning from the 1870s a number of companies began pushing 'branded products,' which familiarized consumers with more brands. From 1915 through the 1920s, manufacturer brands were established and developed further, which increased companies' reliance on brand advertising and marketing . However, the Great Depression led to a severe drawback in brand progress, as companies were left with few ways to increase revenue and get their business back on track. For

7597-431: The media can act as a reinforcing agent, opinion leaders have a more changing or determining role in an individual's opinion or action. This does not mean that opinion leaders can be always easily used by external agents to promote what they want to promote. Influential individuals might not be willing to change their behavior and may even lose their opinion leader status, if they do. In his article, Elihu Katz answers

7704-406: The media. Opinion leaders are seen to have more influence than the media for a number of reasons. Opinion leaders are seen as trustworthy and non-purposive. People do not feel they are being tricked into thinking a certain way about something if they get information from someone they know. However, the media can be seen as forcing a concept on the public and therefore will be less influential. While

7811-408: The mid-1940s, with his radio program getting good ratings as well, he was one of the most popular entertainers in the United States. When Paramount threatened to stop production of the "Road" pictures in 1945, they received 75,000 letters of protest. Hope had no faith in his skills as a dramatic actor, and his performances of that type were not as well received. He had been well known in radio until

7918-447: The morning, play 18 holes, and by the time the day is over you have three solid enemies." A golf club became an integral prop for Hope during the standup segments of his television specials and USO shows. In 1978 he putted against the then-two-year-old Tiger Woods in a television appearance with the actor Jimmy Stewart on The Mike Douglas Show . The Bob Hope Classic , founded in 1960, made history in 1995 when Hope teed up for

8025-477: The movie-going public in general. However, he continued doing USO tours into the 1980s and continued to appear on television into the 1990s. Former First Lady Nancy Reagan , a close friend and frequent host to him at the White House, called Hope "America's most honored citizen and our favorite clown". Hope was well known as an avid golfer, playing in as many as 150 charity tournaments a year. Introduced to

8132-728: The music allowed Hope's writers—he depended heavily upon joke writers throughout his career —to later create variations of the song to fit specific circumstances, such as bidding farewell to troops while on tour or mentioning the names of towns in which he was performing. As a film star, Hope was best known for such comedies as My Favorite Brunette and the highly successful " Road " movies in which he starred with Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour . The series consists of seven films made between 1940 and 1962: Road to Singapore (1940), Road to Zanzibar (1941), Road to Morocco (1942), Road to Utopia (1946), Road to Rio (1947), Road to Bali (1952), and The Road to Hong Kong (1962). At

8239-508: The network that broadcast the television specials created after each tour from footage shot on location. However, the footage and shows were owned by Hope's own production company, which made them very lucrative ventures for him, as outlined by writer Richard Zoglin in his 2014 biography Hope: Entertainer of the Century . Hope sometimes recruited his own family members for USO travel. His wife, Dolores, sang from atop an armored vehicle during

8346-430: The network their followers create. Dedicated supporters reinforce the leader’s messaging to other media consumers, strengthening their influence. If one were to remove the opinion leader there would still be a network of connected users that could share ideas with one another. An opinion leader has constructed this network, but the ability to influence others lies in the network itself. In order to effectively influence

8453-535: The opening round in a foursome that included Presidents Gerald Ford , George H. W. Bush , and Bill Clinton , the only time three U.S. presidents played in the same golf foursome. The event, now known as the CareerBuilder Challenge, was one of the few PGA Tour tournaments that took place over five rounds, until the 2012 tournament when it was cut back to the conventional four. Hope had a heavy interest in sports beyond golf and his brief fling as

8560-406: The opinion of followers, they must find the leader to be above them. Merton distinguishes two types of opinion leadership: monomorphic and polymorphic. Typically, opinion leadership is viewed as a monomorphic, domain-specific measure of individual differences, that is, a person that is an opinion leader in one field may be a follower in another field. An example of a monomorphic opinion leader in

8667-414: The organization's cause. Celebrities or known personalities are picked according to the organizations' intended audience and if fully invested in the cause they are promoting can greatly influence the process of persuading others and attracting attention towards a world issue. Goodwill ambassadors make widely publicized visits to the world's most troubled regions, and make appeals on behalf of their people and

8774-442: The organization. The United Nations goodwill ambassadors include famous celebrities like Angelina Jolie for UNHCR , David Beckham and Shakira for UNICEF , Christina Aguilera for WFP and Nicole Kidman for UN Women . A promotional model is a type of a spokesmodel, trade show model and convention model. These models carry out functions beyond representation of the company in a positive light. The main difference between

8881-762: The outset, Paramount executives were amazed at how relaxed and compatible Hope and Crosby were as a team. What the executives didn't know was that Hope and Crosby had already worked together (on the vaudeville stage in 1932), and that working so easily in the "Road" pictures was just an extension of their old stage act. Hope had seen Lamour performing as a nightclub singer in New York, and invited her to work on his United Service Organizations (USO) tours of military facilities. Lamour sometimes arrived for filming prepared with her lines, only to be baffled by completely rewritten scripts or ad-libbed dialogue between Hope and Crosby. Hope and Lamour were lifelong friends, and she remains

8988-559: The position as a campus ambassador because of the experiences gained. Student ambassador offers students a chance to grow their leadership and communication skills, and inspire other students to take a more active role in representing the school. Eager prospective students might also be interested in joining the program. This offers yet another incentive for students to apply to your institution. It can also add value to your current students’ experience. Many companies value positively that their employees develop their personal brand so that it has

9095-457: The product concerned. However, in some cases celebrity branding could go wrong and affect product revenue. For example, doping charges against Lance Armstrong cost him $ 30 million in endorsements and he stepped down as the chairman of Livestrong . Nike – who sponsored Armstrong and the U.S. cycling team – stated in a press release," due to the seemingly insurmountable evidence that Lance Armstrong participated in doping and misled Nike for more than

9202-401: The product/service they are marketing. However, with the advent of the digital age testimonials have reached an all-time high. A large number of websites feature a "go to" tab where one can put down reviews or testimonials for the product/service. This has led to an increase in fake reviews, where companies have chosen to pay people to get their positive feedback. According to a study conducted by

9309-623: The property. He continued his interest and support, and regularly visited the facility when in London. The theater was renamed in his honor in 1982. During a short stint in 1960, Hope became a part owner of the Riverside International Raceway in Moreno Valley, California , along with Los Angeles Rams co-owner Fred Levy Jr. and oil tycoon Ed Pauley for $ 800,000 (adjusted to $ 7.0 million in 2020). Les Richter

9416-475: The question, "Who is an opinion leader?" One or more of these factors make noteworthy opinion leaders: There are personal characteristics that make up an opinion leader. Opinion leaders are individuals who obtain more media coverage than others and are especially educated on a certain issue. Opinion leaders that utilize social media are more likely to be introverted. Introverts don't receive as much interpersonal interaction offline. They can compensate by creating

9523-465: The radio in 1934 mostly with NBC radio, and switched to television when that medium became popular in the 1950s. He started hosting regular TV specials in 1954, and hosted the Academy Awards nineteen times from 1939 through 1977. Overlapping with this was his movie career, spanning 1934 to 1972, and his USO tours, which he conducted from 1941 to 1991. Hope signed a contract with Educational Pictures of New York for six short comedies. The first

9630-451: The research firm Gartner, "one in seven reviews/testimonials posted online by the end of next year is likely to be false. Other estimates put the number as high as one in three." However, on the flip side, the power of a customer's story has been proven to increase web traffic and conversions. But in this case, you would have customers who are building genuine relationships and showing that they're so passionate about your brand that it actually

9737-465: The sake of their brand and survival in a hopeless market, companies such as Procter and Gamble , General Foods and Unilever developed the discipline of brand management . The "brand manager system" refers to the type of organizational structure in which brands or products are assigned to managers who are responsible for their performance. From the early- to mid-1950s to the mid-1960s, more firms moved toward adopting brand managers. The sudden boom in

9844-427: The same concept, taking into account the requirements of every company. The term brand ambassador loosely refers to a commodity which covers all types of event staff, varying between trade show hosts, in-store promotional members and street teams. Previously, the job of a brand ambassador was undertaken typically by a celebrity or a public figure, who get paid adequately for their time and effort. Nowadays however,

9951-579: The social environment. Information from the mass media does not directly flow to the target audiences, but through a mediation process, in which influential people digest the information and spread it to the public. Opinion leaders have certain characteristics that make them influential in the decision-making process and the behavior of the public. Through knowledge sharing, opinion leaders may help others do jobs better, facilitate personal development and improve personal recognition. According to Yufu Kuwashima, an opinion leader’s power and influence come from

10058-530: The success of his 1940s efforts. He was disappointed with his appearance in Cancel My Reservation (1972), his last starring film; critics and filmgoers panned the movie. Though his career as a film star effectively ended in 1972, he did make a few cameo film appearances into the 1980s. Hope was host of the Academy Awards ceremony 19 times between 1939 and 1977. His supposedly-feigned desire for an Oscar became part of his act. While introducing

10165-449: The theory of two-step flow of communication propounded by Paul Lazarsfeld and Elihu Katz . Significant developers of the opinion leader concept have been Robert K. Merton , C. Wright Mills and Bernard Berelson . This theory is one of several models that try to explain the diffusion of innovations, ideas, or commercial products. Opinion leaders play an important role in information flow, because we tend to seek advice from others in

10272-418: The time Omega had seen the error of its ways, the damage to its reputation was done. From the 1970s to the end of the 1990s, it was no longer seen as a luxury watch company." It was then for the first time in 1995, that Cindy Crawford became the new face of Omega, introducing the age of the celebrity brand ambassador. The man behind this marketing ploy was believed to be Jean-Claude Biver, whose strategy changed

10379-528: The upstart television medium. Hope did many specials for the NBC television network in the following decades, beginning in April 1950. He was one of the first people to use cue cards . The shows often were sponsored by Frigidaire (early 1950s), General Motors (1955–61), Chrysler (1963–73), and Texaco (1975–85). Hope's Christmas specials were popular favorites and often featured a performance of " Silver Bells "—from his 1951 film The Lemon Drop Kid —done as

10486-412: The use of opinion leaders as intermediaries between scientists and the public as a way to reach the public via trained individuals who are more closely engaged with their communities, such as "teachers, business leaders, attorneys, policymakers, neighborhood leaders, students, and media professionals." Examples of initiatives that take this approach include Science & Engineering Ambassadors, sponsored by

10593-440: The vaudeville circuit. Hope and Byrne also had an act as Siamese twins ; they sang and danced while wearing blackface until friends advised Hope that he was funnier by himself. In 1929, Hope informally changed his first name to "Bob". In one version of the story, he named himself after racecar driver Bob Burman . In another, he said that he chose the name because he wanted a name with a "friendly 'Hiya, fellas!' sound" to it. In

10700-542: Was a comedy, Going Spanish (1934). He was not happy with it, and told newspaper columnist Walter Winchell , "When they catch [bank robber] Dillinger , they're going to make him sit through it twice." Educational Pictures took umbrage at the remark and canceled Hope's contract after only the one film. He soon signed with the Vitaphone short-subject studio in Brooklyn , New York, making musical and comedy shorts during

10807-504: Was a successful method of promotion. Just over 50% of the campus ambassadors we surveyed said that they hosted events for their company, but only 55% of them said that this was a successful. Word by mouth plays a big part in marketing because the company brand, product or service is being passed down by people who most likely know each other and are close to. This increases the chances of people taking action and buying that said product or service. In addition, students are more willing to take on

10914-648: Was made president of the raceway. Hope made a guest appearance on The Golden Girls , season 4, episode 17 (aired February 25, 1989) called "You Gotta Have Hope" in which Rose is convinced Bob Hope is her father. In 1992, Hope made a guest appearance as himself on the animated Fox series The Simpsons in the episode " Lisa the Beauty Queen " (season 4, episode 4). His 90th birthday television celebration in May 1993, Bob Hope: The First 90 Years , won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety, Music Or Comedy Special. Toward

11021-515: Was miles away in New York, on Broadway. More intriguing, there is no record anywhere of his marriage to Dolores, if it happened. And there are no wedding photos, either. But he never forgot Louise and quietly sent her money in her later years. Dolores had been one of Hope's co-stars on Broadway in Roberta . The couple adopted four children: Linda (in 1939), Anthony "Tony" (1940–2004), Kelly (1946), and Eleanora "Nora" (1946). Bob and Dolores were also

11128-561: Was performing with him at Loew's Metropolitan Theater. She was described as a "former Ziegfeld beauty and one of society's favorite nightclub entertainers, having appeared at many private social functions at New York, Palm Beach, and Southampton". His marriage to Reade was fraught with ambiguities. As Richard Zoglin wrote in his 2014 biography Hope: Entertainer of the Century , Bob and Dolores always claimed that they married in February 1934 in Erie, Pennsylvania. But at that time, he

11235-468: Was secretly married to his vaudeville partner Louise Troxell, after three years together on and off. I found divorce papers for Bob and Louise dated November 1934, so either Bob Hope was a bigamist, or he lied about marrying Dolores in February that year. He had actually married Louise in January 1933 in Erie when they were traveling on the vaudeville circuit. When he claimed he had married Dolores in Erie he

11342-541: Was the Woodbury Soap Hour in 1937, on a 26-week contract. Serving as the master of ceremonies for these Rippling Rhythm Revue radio broadcasts, Hope collaborated with the big band leader Shep Fields during this period of transition from vaudeville to radio. A year later, The Pepsodent Show Starring Bob Hope began, and Hope signed a ten-year contract with the show's sponsor, Lever Brothers . He hired eight writers and paid them out of his salary of $ 2,500

11449-473: Was widely praised for his comedic timing and his specialization in the use of one-liners and rapid-fire delivery of jokes. He was known for his style of self-deprecating jokes, first building himself up and then tearing himself down. He performed hundreds of times per year. Such early films as The Cat and the Canary (1939) and The Paleface (1948) were financially successful and praised by critics, and by

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