Teens shouldn't be conscripted to be unknowing shills for a brand, he said. "They intend for the kids to carry their message forward, and they're not telling them that."
Kids who love to talk about new things often can't help sounding like spokespeople.
"This mascara doesn't clump like all the others," Stephanie Wolf, 16, said of the CoverGirl samples she received at the cheerleading competition in Anaheim.
The reactions of teens like Stephanie explain why CoverGirl parent Procter & Gamble thinks that "if we can get a sample in someone's hands, we know a significant percentage of them will go back and repeat," said Gooch, the Old Spice manager, who also represents Secret. He said P&G gives away 300,000 to 350,000 Secret deodorant sticks annually at cheerleading events.
According to Varsity, which runs the events, 72% of cheerleaders who were exposed to the brands at the events remember them. And 89% of the cheerleaders who "had a direct brand experience" are "more likely" to purchase the product. Varsity estimates that more than 1 million teens have "interacted" with its sponsors at events around the country.
Once a brand reaches a cheerleader, it's probable that its name will spread faster than a nasty rumor. Teens, especially girls, are continually connected these days through cellphones, instant messages and e-mail. And cheerleaders are often the leaders of the pack -- what Varsity's Cota calls "the top of the food chain."
"If you can connect with people more likely to be influencers, it's probably a good way to get out your message," said Kelly O'Keefe, director of executive education at Virginia Commonwealth University Brandcenter, which teaches advertising. "Cheerleaders are likely very social, highly influential and communicative."
Sunshine Smith, a 14-year-old from Portland, Ore., embodies that. She was huddled with other girls from her team in Anaheim, talking about beauty products. Her sister Alison, 8, also a cheerleader, hung on every word. Sunshine said she and her friends would use the free products to give makeovers to one another, then show their friends.
Her coach, Twila Smith, said news of the products would travel fast.
"They're the perfect kids at school," she said. "Lots of kids look up to them."
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alana.semuels@latimes.com
