InsightsOut

It’s a story of consumerism, activism and cynicism.

Celebrity chef makes millions of dollars unabashedly peddling a bevy of southern-inspired culinary delights laden with sugar, fat and empty calories. Celebrity chef contracts a health disorder directly attributed to unhealthy eating. Celebrity chef signs a lucrative contract with a pharmaceutical company to promote diabetes awareness.

By the time Paula Deen revealed to the word her contraction of Type 2 diabetes, she was already singing the praises of moderation and offering diabetes-friendly recipes in a campaign to promote pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk’s diabetes drug Victoza®. All the while, Deen will continue her career as America’s “awe-shucks” purveyor of down home cooking through endorsements, cook books and television appearances.

While this unfortunate diagnosis is an immediate threat to the Paula Deen Brand, the decision to wait three years before revealing it and the accompanying announcement of the Novo Nordisk partnership damages something far more important: Her credibility.

Deen has built a fiercely loyal fan base through her ability to not only serve up delicious and indulgent food, but also through her genial and down home persona. Spending 30 minutes in with her on The Food Network was like a carefree Sunday afternoon in grandma’s kitchen.

Her decision to turn an unfortunate health disorder into a business venture will raise immediate questions about her motives and authenticity. In fact, Deen is already addressing these concerns publically.

She said she waited three years to announce this because she wanted to give it the time and thought it deserved.

She said she wants to let the world know that “diabetes is not a death sentence.”

She said there are other risk factors for Type 2 diabetes, including genetics and age.

These are all reasonable responses. And Deen has announced that she is pledging a portion of her earnings from the Novo Nordisk deal to the American Diabetes Association (a decision made as a response to the negative media coverage surrounding the partnership). But wouldn’t a public anti-diabetes campaign that is not tied to a drug company accomplish the same objective? And wouldn’t the preemptive and direct engagement of her loyal fans help to mitigate the onslaught of criticism better than a public appearance on the Today Show?

Time will tell if Paula Deen emerges from this development with the same brand equity that helped her get to the top of the TV food chain, but one thing is apparent: the health of her credibility is at stake.