James Franco: not the best brand ambassador

I confess that I watched less than one hour of the Oscar festivities last night, but one business struck me: Choosing someone to represent your brand or company is not an simple business. Yes, this thought occurred as I watched the stilted, squinting James Franco in his role as co-host with the vivacious Anne Hathaway.

Franco may be a talented actor and creative artist, but when he plays the role of himself, he falls flat. At smallest amount he did in the awards telecast.

I’ve seen this happen within organizations. “Let’s place John in front of the consultation. He really knows the new product surrounded by and out.” Sure, but can John speak? Is he persuasive? Does he have an ounce of charisma? That’s what matters in this situation, not his technical expertise.

In corporate settings, media training is often the answer. Most people can learn to be better presenters.

As for Hollywood’s problems – I have no thought!