As a Stanford graduate with a degree in communications, Seattle Seahawk CB Richard Sherman took advantage of the media coverage after the NFC Championship Game with his memorable postgame interview with Erin Andrews. Not only did Sherman stop the potential TD that could’ve lost the Seahawks the NFC Championship, but he continued to bank in on the moment to gain publicity and future endorsements.
Although many would say Sherman acted like a crazy person during his postgame interview, he became a trending topic on every social media platform within seconds. Sherman was clearly media conscious of his actions as he looked directly at the camera and kept his rant non-profane. Minutes later, he sat with reporters at the Fox Sports Postgame Show appearing calm and collected. As someone who makes a mere $555,000 as a top NFL player, Sherman made smart, conscious decisions with his actions to gain the publicity to bring him into the spotlight.
How many CBs do most NFL fans know off the top of their head? Not many. As a DB, Sherman would rarely receive any publicity compared to that of Peyton Manning, a star QB with a $15 million salary. With the biggest game of the NFL season approaching, Superbowl XLVIII and the weeks leading up to it are the biggest media days for any player in the NFL. Sherman purposefully spoke up during his interview to gain the publicity he needed.
On the same night as Sherman’s postgame interview, Beats by Dre released an ad with Richard Sherman that professional media planners dream of. The ad consisted of Sherman being interviewed by several reporters asking about him as a player and “a thug” from Compton. Unlike the interview with Erin Andrews, Sherman was calm and collected as he was wearing Beats by Dre headphones. The ad ends with Sherman placing the headphones on his head and walking away, featuring the words “Hear what you want.” This is a clear example of perfect marketing that correlates to the social media banter following Sherman’s rant.