Forbes’ poll warns against brand Bieber

KARACHI: Forbes’ latest e-Poll on Justin Bieber reveals that his popularity has decreased drastically over the last year and suggests that perhaps it is no longer wise to have the teenage pop star endorse your brand.

Bieber used to be a money-making machine for anything with his face on it, including his music. The Hallmark card collection he endorsed sold surprisingly well in a target audience not normally too fond of cards while his “Girlfriend” perfume was the best-seller among last year’s celebrity-licensed fragrances.

But now, what with Bieber’s typical teen antics, from drugs to tiffs with paparazzo, neighbours and airport security, and his latest egotistical comment suggesting Anne Frank would have been a belieber, his image as everyone’s idol teen is floundering. Reportedly, business execs also accuse him of missed appointments and misled brand extensions.

Media and affected brands aren’t the only ones Bieber is currently failing to please. Forbes’ e-Poll, which asked parents and teens to rate the “Boyfriend” star on a variety of attributes including charm, cuteness, rudeness and musical talent, suggests a radical decrease in Bieber’s popularity among fans since last May.

Parents with no adult children who “dislike” Bieber grew by 6% while teens who dislike him grew 10%. His attractiveness and cuteness rates have fallen by 5% and the percentage of teenagers who consider Bieber rude has tripled. The ratio of parents who attribute rudeness to the celebrity have doubled, while those who attribute charm to him have halved. The most alarming statistic of all is the 20% drop among teens that would recommend his music to others. Plus 30% of Americans predict he’ll be in rehab by the age of 30.

Although none of the current brands he endorses appear to be letting him go, they don’t seem to be making new deals or extensions with him either. The “Baby” singer’s popularity seems to have been stolen by the British boy band, One Direction.

Howver; some brands feel that Bieber’s recent bad boy image may just render him cooler among teenage admirers, spurring his popularity and making him a worthy ambassador for adventure-related products, such as the sports brand Neff that recently appointed him.