Jimmy Smith, chairman and CEO of Amusement Park Entertainment,
an ad industry vet and
outspoken advocate for the Black Lives Matter movement,
believes it's unlikely Mr. Kaepernick will be dropped by Beats.
"They aren't going to drop him," Mr. Smith said. "It would be
hypocritical for a brand like Beats to drop him because they have a
guy like Dr. Dre, who actually did a record called 'F*** the
Police.'"
"That's their rebel," he added. "The roots of that brand is Dr.
Dre and Dr. Dre is a rebel from all the way back in the day. He
knows all about protesting what he feels is injustice. I would be
surprised if Beats drop him."
An Apple spokesman who represents the Beats brand did not
respond for comment.
Meanwhile, an EA spokesman said it would update its
recently released video game Madden 2017 with commentary from
Brandon Gaudin and Charles Davis to acknowledge Mr. Kaepernick's
action. When asked if EA would still include the QB in future
commercials, the spokesman declined to comment.
"As far as Madden, that one is a little tricker," Mr. Smith
said. "They are probably discussing whether to drop him and I would
say it is 50/50."
EA's endorsement could be problematic for some who see Mr.
Kaepernick's move as being disrespectful to the military, as the
company is also the publisher of the popular Battlefield franchise,
a video game that typically involves American soldiers killing
terrorists.
Jim Andrews, senior VP at IEG, a sponsorship trend researcher,
said brands will most likely keep quiet and monitor the
situation.
"There is nothing forcing sponsors to come out and say we
support him or we don't support him," Mr. Andrews said. "They don't
have to start a new campaign and they don't have to put him in a
new ad. But if I was one of those brands, I wouldn't want to inject
myself into the situation."
"You don't want to be seen as disassociating yourself because it
could be misconstrued," he added. "Basically, he is a very
polarizing figure right now and in general, in marketing for most
companies and brands, polarizing is not a good thing."
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It's no secret that Mr. Kaepernick's career has been on a
decline since he exploded onto the scene just three years ago.
Today, he's currently battling for a roster spot. "This would be a
different situation if this was Tom Brady or someone who was at the
top of their game," Mr. Andrews said.
Mr. Kaepernick will start Thursday in the 49ers final preseason
game, which is also regarded as a game where the regular season
starters do not play.
As for how his protest will affect the 49ers' brand, Mr. Andrews
said most fans are understanding. "It is an unavoidable situation
for them," Mr. Andrews said. "If they interfere with his decision
than they will come off as being against freedom of speech."
Although much has been made about Mr. Kaepernick's decision to
remain seated, a similar event took place in 2004, when MLB slugger
Carlos Delgado did not take the field during the seventh inning
stretch for the playing of "God Bless America," something most
teams adopted in the wake of 9/11.
"At the end of the day, athletes who speak out aren't speaking
out because they care whether a brand is going to stand behind them
or not," Mr. Smith said. "They are doing what they feel they should
be doing, what they feel is right in their heart, regardless of who
is standing with them or who isn't."
