Vastly different opinions
Comparisons rage on for Winston, Mariota
With the NFL draft over, fans might think they’ll have to wait until the regular season before continuing to debate the relative merits of quarterbacks Jameis Winston, picked No. 1 overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Marcus Mariota, selected No. 2 by the Tennessee Titans. Think again. The latest measuring stick: The Celebrity DBI, an independent index that qualifies and quantifies consumer perception of celebrities, is generated by The Marketing Arm in Dallas. The index, based on a survey of 1,000 consumers nationwide, is designed to provide brand-relevant insights but is also another way to yet again compare the quarterbacks.
“Their awareness levels are comparable, but that’s where the similarities end,” Matt Fleming, director for talent acquisition for The Marketing Arm, told USA TODAY Sports.
Winston ranks near Johnny Manziel, Bill O’Reilly and Donald Trump in terms of “appeal’’ — which leaves him in the bottom 2% (3,597 out of 3,664 celebrities on the list). He ranks in the bottom 20% (2,994) in “aspiration” — whether a celebrity has a life to which respondents aspire to — alongside Nick Saban.
In “trust,” Winston ranks near Janet Jackson, Vanilla Ice and Mark McGwire, leaving him in the bottom 7% (3,421).
“He’s not going to have tons of blue-chip brands banging down his door to use him in a national campaign,” Fleming said.
Mariota looks to be in better position to attract those elite brands. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner, Mariota is in the top 7% (224) in endorsement, near Rory McIlroy, and in the top 3% (95) in aspiration, alongside Roger Staubach, Aaron Rodgers and Sandra Bullock.
“The company he keeps is really impressive in terms of how consumers view him,” Fleming said.