The Waddell Effect
One night, during the spring of 2003, Brian Godfrey and I found ourselves running through an almost empty Miami International Airport, searching for Michael Waddell and hoping he hadn’t been abducted by a group of Cuban exiles. We’d missed our exit on the way to the airport, gotten lost and arrived almost an hour late. Now, we were searching for both Michael and someone who spoke English. Eventually, we found him, standing outside the terminal, having a conversation with a group of folks who more than likely didn’t understand a single word Michael was saying but like most people, seemed intrigued by what was coming out of his mouth. The days that followed, turkey hunting the Seminole Reservation were awesome. I don’t know that I’ve ever laughed so hard in all my life. Michael was……..well, Michael. That guy who always seems to know the right thing to say at the right moment and can always find the humor in just about any situation. That person who seems to fit in anywhere, regardless of where he is or who he’s with. Always more concerned with the folks around him and quick to shun the spotlight. And even though I’d met Michael before, that week in Florida made me a huge Michael Waddell fan. I’m happy to report that to this day I’m still a Waddell fan. However, as Michael’s star continues to rise, I find myself worrying about my ability to continue earning a living in our industry.
For all the tremendous upside that Waddell brings to our business, I can’t help but notice that like most things, there’s also a downside. The major negative that I see to this point comes from those manufacturers who either didn’t have the funds to secure Waddell as an endorsee of their products, or simply moved too late to join the sweepstakes. Of these companies, it appears that most have decided to bury their heads in the sand and wait for the Waddell Effect to blow over. Sure, I understand how bad the economy is, I’m sitting at home writing this during SHOT and that should give you an idea of just how tight money is around BOSS these days. Still, I don’t think those companies on the outside looking in are doing themselves any favors by sitting on their hands, hoping that someone will discover a skeleton in Waddell’s closet. Those companies need to understand that nothing is going to stop this train anytime soon. In the past our industry has tried to embrace the personality, but for one reason or another, for all of their attempts, the others fell short. In my opinion, the major difference between the others and Waddell is that Michael’s talent and dynamic personality were developed over a long period of time. Michael had time to develop, for viewers and fans to learn to know him and eventually become huge fans. For the first time a personality wasn’t forced on the viewers. It was a natural process, one where all the stars lined up, for the first time.
Not surprising, the companies that have developed their own talent over the past several years aren’t hurting for sales or viewership. Will Primos figured it out years ago. Put your money into your own people. Create personalities that buyers and viewers can identify with through the use of the “team” concept. Certainly, no other company has come close to being as successful as Primos in this type of public relations. Mark and Terry Drury have been super successful using the same formula with a little “tweaking” for good measure. On the contrary, a company like Knight and Hale, who promoted David and Harold solely for so many years now find themselves having to plug new personalities into their own show. The “team” concept works, why else would Waddell surround himself with Nick Mundt (a star in his own right) and T-Bone? Producers would be well advised to promote this concept to their clients, regardless of whether they’re on camera talent or a potential sponsor. In addition to Mundt and T-Bone, Waddell also went into business with two of our industries most talented producers. Both Steve Finch and Marc Womack would be like gold to any company fortunate enough to hire them. The combination of Waddell talking and smiling and Finch and Womack driving the truck will be very tough to compete against.
However, the majority of the industry seems to be acting like a bunch of children who didn’t get their way. Or, in this case, didn’t get to play with the person they wanted. Still, I’ve been very impressed with a short list of companies who decided not to sit around, waiting on someone to kidnap the kid. I love what Benelli did with Phil Robertson and his gang of long hairs. No Michael, no problem. Benelli simply went out, found a quality production company and put the money in the right hands. What’s come back on their return has been nothing short of spectacular outdoor television. And while Phil Robertson was already a household name with waterfowlers, now he’s a household name with all hunters, one who seems to always be holding that Benelli shotgun. BOOM,BOOM,BOOM.
In addition to Benelli, Nikon has continued to promote their personalities, not backing away from fear of not having a signature Waddell line of rangefinders or scopes. Nikon’s add campaigns have always been well done, top shelf ideas with quality industry personalities promoting the product. And while Scott Shultz and Scent Blocker wrapped up Waddell early on, Scent Lok continues to be a major player in terms of television sponsorship and promotions. These are the companies, that despite not having Waddell in their camp at this moment, will continue to be viable options for producers in the future.
On the flip side, several companies simply refuse to respond to the challenge. Rather, they choose to stand on the sidelines and watch as companies that have signed Waddell pour money into television and print advertising. I would suggest that those companies start creating their own personalities. Or is Waddell’s popularity so great that companies are scared to even put up a fight. For companies like Benelli, Nikon and Scent Lok, it’s just another day in the field, one that I truly believe they will come out of better for working hard at promoting their products in the face of the Waddell Effect. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go order a Bone Collector set of sheets and comforter for my wife.
