Early last year, marketing executives at
Totes Isotoner heard a teenage singer from Barbados named Rihanna perform a song called "Umbrella", and it quickly became the company's rallying cry.
Cincinnati-based Totes, which had not used a celebrity to endorse its products since Dan Marino, suddenly had a hit campaign on its hands.
Rihanna arranged a deal to have Totes create customized umbrellas with sparkly fabrics and glittery charms, with the singer receiving a percentage of the profits.
And the creation of the Rihanna "brand" had benefits for Totes as well - after "Umbrella" became a Grammy-winning hit, Totes began to reach younger shoppers and to attract more traffic to its website.
According to the New York Times, Totes describes its working relationship with the star as "invaluable".
Read the full article
here.
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