McKayla Maroney is best known as the Olympic gymnast that was terribly unimpressed when she achieved only a silver medal in the Vault event at the London Summer Olympics. Since then, the picture of her reaction once she received her medal has gone viral online. Her popularity increased substantially as her picture resulted in the creation of an infamous Internet meme, an example of which is pictured below, and she has even performed her signature expression with Mr. Obama in the White House. Now, she is the newest spokesperson of Dr Pepper Snapple Group (DPS), the huge underdog to Coca Cola and Pepsi.
I believe DPS getting Maroney on board as one of their spokespersons is a great tactic to position themselves favourably amongst Coke and Pepsi in the minds of the younger demographics. Maroney’s face has crossed millions of peoples’ computer screens, and she has even started acting on the CW show, Hart of Dixie. Needless to say, she is a popular girl with a lot of potential, and her saying that she is finally impressed with something will catch the attention of consumers.
Original article from Seeking Alpha
Maroney’s 7UP Ten Picture from Just Jared
I found it interesting that Maroney was able to turn a simple expression into a sponsorship deal. There are few times ever where people can gain overnight stardom and the Olympic Games is certainly one of them. It would be interesting to follow how much Maroney made in the future off of her now infamous grimace. I am not sure how much positive impact having her as a new spokesperson will have on obtaining any sort of market share from Coke and Pepsi as you mentioned, but the Dr. Pepper Snapple Group is riding the popularity while it lasts.
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