Know-How Exchange : Advertising/PR

I am evaluating various communication channels for an all-luxury car dealership chain. I’d like feedback on 1) how to best evaluate the effectiveness of a celebrity endorsement with a professional hockey player and 2) how to best use this opportunity should the dealership decide to continue. The dealership sells the world’s finest automobiles to discerning, luxury-minded clients.

The hockey player has offered to open his home for a dinner with the dealership’s top 200 clients. He also allows the dealership to use his name in advertising where appropriate. He is supposed to wear a dealership baseball hat in media interviews when he can. In exchange, he drives a dealership car free of charge.

One final note, the hockey player is very well liked and historically an outstanding player. Within the last year, however, it is well known that he has made some bad financial investments and lost a lot of his money. This is the only celebrity endorsement the dealership currently has in place.