RadioShack names Nick Cannon as Chief Creative Officer

Hadley Malcolm | USA TODAY

RadioShack's desperation to regain relevancy collided with pop culture Wednesday when it named entertainment mogul Nick Cannon as its chief creative officer.

For the electronics chain, which has been trying to remake itself under new ownership after filing for bankruptcy protection early this year, the appointment means an opportunity to distance the brand from its 1980s-era reputation and appeal to Millennials.

The hope is that Cannon will help with "innovating in the consumer electronics space and particularly the space that empowers young people," RadioShack Chief Marketing Officer Michael Tatelman told USA TODAY. Tatelman declined to discuss Cannon's compensation.

The role isn't necessarily surprising for Cannon, who has carved out a niche for himself in the entertainment industry as not only a performer, but also as a businessman and entrepreneur, particularly in electronics.

.@RadioShack is back! So excited to announce that I'm officially part of the fam as their new Chief Creative Officer. #RSncredibleCCO — Nick Cannon (@NickCannon) December 2, 2015

Cannon will work with RadioShack to develop exclusive products and advance the company's education and STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) initiatives. He is also slated to put on events and performances, as well as curate playlists for the company's 1,733 stores.

The announcement is the first positive news to come from struggling RadioShack in a while, says Richard Doherty, research director of Envisioneering, a tech-focused market research company.

"There’s a whole generation that’s grown up not sure what RadioShack offers," compared to chains like GameStop, Best Buy and Walmart, he says. "If (Cannon) takes an active roll and starts messaging that it's not just batteries and cables, it could be the best thing to happen to them in the last two or three years."

While Cannon's role came together in recent months, in some ways it has been 27 years in the making. Cannon, 35, said his relationship with RadioShack began at the age of eight, when he started frequenting his neighborhood San Diego store after inheriting stereo equipment from his grandfather that he didn't understand how to use. It's where the DJ and rapper bought his first microphone and learned how to assemble a sound system.

"I always had an affinity for the brand," he says. Now he hopes to instill his passion in the next generation of entrepreneurs. "I want people to understand that it’s a brand that is innovative. It’s for the thinkers and the doers of today’s Millennial generation."

Cannon will have an office at RadioShack's headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas and plans to be there "as much as I possibly can."

Cannon will have to fit in time for RadioShack while also addressing many other duties. He hosts NBC's 'America's Got Talent,' is the chairman of TeenNick for Nickelodeon and founder of production agency, Ncredible Entertainment. Through Ncredible, he released his own 8" Android tablet and developed a line of headphones with electronics company Monster. This month, Cannon will start filming a new Nickelodeon series with Monster, where child and teen entrepreneurs pitch their products for potential backing.

Cannon says he hopes to expand his product line for RadioShack, which is trying to stage a comeback. After years of tanking sales and failing to keep up with the rapidly changing consumer electronics industry, RadioShack filed for bankruptcy protection in February and sold more than half its stores. General Wireless, an affiliate of hedge fund Standard General, acquired the leases of 1,733 stores in April and started reinvigorating the brand by sprucing up the stores, striking new product partnerships and working to make sure items were consistently in stock.

Although other retailers such as Apple and Amazon are seen as more cutting edge with the latest tech products, RadioShack still has a solid customer base that frequents the stores in search of cables or equipment for circuit boards, Tatelman says.

Cannon is passionate about both DIY electronics and products like stylish headphones, and Tatelman promises he will serve as more than just a famous face.

"I've seen so many partnerships with quote unquote a brand ambassador," he says. "This is not that. This is a guy who authentically believes he can make a difference in peoples' lives through our brand."

Contributing: USA TODAY's Mike Snider and Jayme Deerwester