MarCom Professional

According to the Wall Street Journal:

Executives at Olive Garden declined to discuss the uninvited spokesmodel. One official says the company has tried to walk a fine line with its response, maintaining the chain's wholesome image without alienating potential customers. "I don't feel comfortable talking about this...because it is a complicated issue for the brand," says Michele Kay, executive vice president of WPP Group's Grey advertising firm, which handles the Olive Garden account.

* PHOTO (sourced from exposay.com) Girls Next Door - Holly Madison, Bridget Marquardt & 

  Kendra Wilkinson (right) with Hugh Hefner. 

Now, I fully understand the importance of brand values and the need to be true to the brand, but guys, lighten up a little. It ain't that complicated.

Okay, Wilkinson's authentic ravings about Olive Garden may not sit well with the restaurant's 'brand custodians' but hey, there could be worse things than having a pretty inoffensive celebrity wax lyrical about your company and its offering, surely?

I understand Olive Garden itself not commenting one way or the other - Starbucks reportedly refuses to comment in the media when celebs are photographed in the tabloid press clutching one of its coffee cups, and that's fair enough. 

But you can't fight word-of-mouth in full flight (whether positive or negative) - the best option for Olive Garden is to go with the flow, accept Wilkinson's praise for what it is - a customer genuinely giving your product a wrap - and then move on (or better still, try to ascertain if there are any opportunities for further mileage from the wave of publicity).

As Dave Balter from Boston-based word-of-mouth company BzzAgent told the Wall St Journal:

"A brand doesn't have to actively embrace someone like Kendra, but they should certainly be willing to accept the fact that she's willing to tell the world how much she loves them."

Unfortunately for Olive Garden, because the ad agency rep has got narky about the Wilkinson situation, the story seems to have turned somewhat negative.

Anyway, looking at the Olive Garden website, the brand that could do with a little spicing up. Who knows, Wilkinson's endorsement may actually increase sales by introducing the restaurant to a whole new generation of people.

Interesting to note that apart from her TV show, Wilkinson has over 730,000 'friends' on her MySpace page, so she has some potential to influence.

Ogilvy PR's Virginia Miracle - on her blog Marketing Environmentalism - provides some good advice for brands (including Olive Garden) in dealing with a 'rogue brand ambassador'.

The Word Of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) and Ragan.com's PR Junkie blog have also bought into the saga.

FOOTNOTE: Virgin boss Richard Branson obviously doesn't have an aversion with being seen with Kendra Wilkinson!