FALL OF A SPOKESMAN

Subway’s image takes a hit as Jared Fogle, the longtime face of its advertising campaigns, pleads guilty to paying for sex with minors,

Here is what marketing and industry experts think Subway should to do to fix things going forward, post-Jared. Ken Wong, professor of Marketing, Queen’s School of Business:

I would not just replace Jared and swap in a new spokesperson. They can stay with the healthy positioning, but find another way to communicate it. Charitable causes, alliances with health groups, content marketing and the like could all be used. Swapping in a new spokesperson draws attention to “where’s Jared?” If Subway wants to go the distance, they could say something like “no one knows better than us how this can go undetected and the lives it could effect.” Jeff Swystun, president of Toronto’s Swystun Communications and a longtime advertising executive:

I would play up the freshness and the quality of the product. Subway needs to get away from the discounting, the $5 and $6 subs, since they risk going beyond a value brand to a cheap brand in consumers’ minds. They should also come out with a series of improvements in their product lineup because they haven’t kept pace with others in this area such as Quiznos, which has a bigger variety of toppings and condiments. Doug Fisher, president of Toronto-based food service consultancy FHG International:

Cutting ties with Jared is the proper route. They will want to separate themselves from this immediately. They have a good product, and I think they should still promote the perception that it’s a healthy alternative (in fast food), and that they’re selling food that can help with weight loss. He is irrelevant to this brand positioning. Michael Mulvey, assistant professor of marketing, Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa:

Jared Fogle’s name seems almost retro to me, and all restaurants are now health conscious. Maybe they could look for someone else with an exceptionally positive story related to the Subway brand. They should also focus on newer ingredients — something more modern and contemporary (such as the recent avocado and spinach promotion). With fast food it’s important to create ritual behaviours and habits, like burgers on Thursday or pizza on Friday. Richard Rotman, professor of media studies, Humber College:

Any attempt to introduce a new spokesperson calls attention to the old one. It would be time to distance the chain from using a spokesperson because, after all, Fogle was something of a fluke to begin with — he presented himself (to the company). It would be time to stick to the marketing basics: communicate the product’s advantages and its nutritional value. Even any attempt to associate itself with contributions to victims’ groups, by way of expatiation, also calls attention to what has turned out to be a serious error. It’s not to say that using a spokesperson in the future would not at some point be wise; but that person must be clearly associated with health and nutrition. A good start would be someone female and a nutritionist.