Hi class,
I’m Helen from the FILA Group that presented in class today. First off, thank you all for your insightful questions and especially Eric for fielding some for us. I realised there were a lot of questions regarding our 3rd tactic — appointing Drake as our creative director and the face of FILA, and would like to address the question on Cliff’s concern about the possibility of FILA and the vintage brand identity being aligned with bar brawls and negative aspects of our brand ambassador’s past.

Also, Eric pointed out that Rihanna’s fan base has not been affected by the Chris Brown scandal, and that is true because despite the scandal it is difficult to disregard her artistic and creative talent. While I do acknowledge that being a victim of assault is not the same as engaging in a bar fight, it is also important to note that Drake has denied being involved and reports show it was mainly between the two celebrity’s entourages. Perhaps another example would be Kanye and his endless and sometimes insensitive Twitter rants. I believe that as much as you try to get behind a brand ambassador, it’s not to say that they are without faults. Though Kanye does have an almost comical reputation, it has not severely hurt his fan base, and support for his Yeezy Boost for adidas as well as its subsequent seasons has not diminished. While it is true that Drake has been involved in Twitter feuds and (alleged) bar brawls, the general negative sentiment has been directed more towards Meek Mill and Chris Brown. Drake’s history has not caused a huge shift in his fan base and they seem to be more forgiving (as opposed to maybe Taylor Swift’s fan base), and he still has a large following.

Moreover, we also take into account Drake’s image of the “sensitive” rapper and how he chooses to channel his responses non-aggressively through his music.  Nonetheless, we don’t attempt to hide or ignore Drake’s history, but perhaps a way to look at it is that the way he chooses to channel his emotions into creativity is a character trait FILA could get behind.

We welcome any further questions or suggestions that you feel we could elaborate more on or refine in our report. Thank you!