If Giants win, Eli would be marketing force

BY NEIL BEST | neil.best@newsday.com

February 2, 2008

PHOENIX - Eli Manning has been kicked in the behind by his big brother for ESPN and has licked the cream out of cookies with his big brother for Oreos. He even has pitched some products on his own.

If the Giants win Super Bowl XLII, though, their quarterback is poised to move from a novelty act most known for his last name to a legitimate national marketing force.

It could send his estimated $5 million per year as a corporate pitchman skyrocketing.

"If he wins, there will be a dramatic effect on his marketing ability and his consumer appeal in a positive way," said Henry Schaefer, a vice president of Marketing Evaluations, the Manhasset-based company that produces the famed "Q scores" that measure celebrities' name recognition and appeal.

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According to Schaefer, before the season, Manning had 75 percent recognition and a positive rating of 20, slightly above the 17 average for sports figures. Compare that to brother Peyton's 82 and 40 - which ranks second among active athletes only to Tiger Woods. (Michael Jordan still is No.1 at 90/55.)

Schaefer said Eli is close to the levels Peyton was registering about four years ago, so he should make a similar climb if he keeps winning.

The next Q scores will be calculated late this month, at which point the change in Manning's stature can be quantified. But his appeal as a merchandising magnet already is apparent.

Collectibles associated with him were up spectacularly last month. Brandon Steiner, whose company markets Manning family items, said, "He now has a second mailing address: Madison Avenue."

USA Today reported Modell's Sporting Goods has sold more Eli jerseys this season than in the previous three combined.

Still, there is that nagging matter of his famously laid-back personality. Might that be a drag on his value to the advertising world?

"I think over time that if he's going to sustain a strong endorsement career, his personality will have to mature, just like his game has matured," said David Carter, a sports business and marketing expert at the University of Southern California.

"He has some room to grow there, but with his family line, he's been schooled in how to handle himself and he has had a lot of on-the-job training. I wouldn't worry about it."

Steve Rosner, whose firm, 16W Marketing, has represented Super Bowl MVPs such as Steve Young, Desmond Howard and Troy Aikman in the past, said Manning's quiet personality in some ways could be a positive for him. It might separate him from other sports figures and is something that can be used creatively in an ad campaign.

Carter said the same thing.

Having a squeaky-clean image also appeals to many potential marketers, of course.

Said Rosner: "I don't think there's any way you can compare him to Peyton yet, but if he won, he would certainly jump to somewhere close to the top of the most marketable NFL guys."