While leveraging a celebrity can add extra sizzle to your PR campaign, as discussed in the recent piece titled “Celebrity Endorsement in Public Relations Campaigns,” it can also present a challenge. This relationship adds on an additional layer of responsibilities to your already full plate. Negotiating the celebrity marketplace is often difficult, and to help navigate the often murky waters, don’t go at it alone. Utilizing an expert in this arena can make the difference between never getting through to the right contact to signing the perfect spokesperson at a reasonable price.
In our celebrity experience, it’s vital to on-board a trusted resource to help cut through the clutter and achieve the results you’re seeking. I caught up with Talent Negotiator Susan Gold to glean some additional information on the common practice of using securing celebrities in PR programs.
A resource used frequently by Coyne Public Relations and various other companies, Susan’s unique point of view and firsthand experience in the field provides valuable “food for thought.”
Following is a conversation we had about our collective experiences in finding and signing celebrities for our brands and some useful information for the best way to find the right person for your brand:
Deborah: “I’ve often been directed to a host of different ‘people’ when trying to secure a celebrity. When you want to pitch a spokesperson for the brand – who would you typically engage in a conversation – the publicist, the manager, the agent?”
Susan: “It's of crucial importance the right representative is targeted. Usually, if any payment is involved, the deal must go through the agent. If it is a charity- related event or having to do with brand integration, the publicist is appropriate. A manager is also able to accept offers, but this may conflict with the relationship with the agent.”
Deborah: “I’ve negotiated a number of celebrity deals, but each seems to be a little different. Some with one lump fee for all aspects of the relationship, and others with various responsibilities assigned specific dollar figures. What is your opinion on which works best? How do you recommend structuring a deal? I’ve also brokered the deal myself and worked through third parties like you. What are your thoughts on this?”
Susan: “It's hard not to sound self-serving in the reply. I think the response to question one comes into play. It's very tricky getting deals done, especially the higher up the celebrity food chain one climbs. Many times, a broker will have developed relationships and may have a more clear line to the celebrity directly, their assistant, producing partner or other associate who may be able to move a deal through that would not have in normal circumstances. With high-powered celebrities they have many, many offers to sift through and yours may go by the wayside if it's not been delivered to the appropriate representative or structured correctly. On a personal level, when I have a small leak under my kitchen sink, I always think my husband can fix it. Days and weeks later and several trips to the plumbing supply store, we still have the leak. It's better to go to a professional plumber. That's what I want to say in the circumstance of structuring a deal with a celebrity and getting the deal done.”
Deborah: “Understood. That’s not to say that it can’t be done; however, it does save a great deal of time and effort if you work with someone more ‘in the know’ on the celebrity world. What are your end goals when signing your client up for a campaign, whether it be for advertising or PR?”
Susan: “My end goal is to deliver the appropriate talent for the campaign within budget – and hopefully under budget on time and in a professional manner.”
Deborah: “I’ve put out celebrity offers and then waited, and waited for an answer. How much time is ‘reasonable’ to give them to reply before moving on to the next candidate? Also, how much time would most celebrities be willing to give to a deal that does not involve big advertising dollars?”
Susan: “Honestly, it's case by case. I know certain celebrities are slow to respond, but do reply. Others you could wait for eternity; they will never reply to your project. It takes time and experience doing these deals and working over and over again to get a feel for how long to wait for a reply. Now, in regard to asking for their time on a project, if you are able, ask for more than you think you may need and then tailor it realistically to brand needs. If you are able to cut back time, you may have a happier celebrity and more ebullient participant. That said, sometimes – for purposes of a successful negotiation – you may have to cut back services required and time needed in order to secure the celebrity. In that instance, you make the best of what you have and make certain your production is organized and executed with precision.”
Deborah: “Client preferences aside, in your experience, how does the talent receive their information? Do they like big packages with bells and whistles, emails or printed out copies of documentation to read through?”
Susan: “Emails work best. Some of my clients feel fancy FedEx packages are imperative. I don't believe so. A phone call first, followed by an email with a personal call to follow up is what I feel works best.”
Deborah: “Realistically, how much should PR practitioners carve out in the budgets to pay for a celebrity endorsement?”
Susan: “That's a question that cannot be answered in a blanket statement. It is case by case. I have been able to structure deals with personal and meaningful elements so that celebrity will agree at much less than their normal quote. And we must remember, a direct endorsement is always much more expensive than an endorsement that is implied.”
Deborah: “I’ve been involved in campaigns where celebrities donated their time to a cause, or donate part of their fee to charity. At this stage of the game, is it out of the question for a celeb to do an appearance or endorsement for free if it is for charity or a good cause?”
Susan: “It's not unheard of, but it is quite rare. Generally, there is a family or very personal connection for them to appear or endorse a project or charity gratis.”
Deborah: “What makes the celebrity experience ‘worth it’?”
Susan: “’Worth it’ means all parties experience a positive feeling from start to finish. Worth it is the celebrity performed as agreed and the client was satisfied with the services rendered for the fee exchanged. And, as celebrities do generally provide a link to easy recall for those that recognize the talent. I feel it that the worth lies in the added credibility or prestige a brand receives when linking with the right celebrity.”
Deborah: “Sounds like you might be busy these days. How many calls do you get from PR firms asking for your clients to participate in brand activities?”
Susan: “Many. More than calls direct from brands at this time.” Susan Gold’s commentary provides us with an in-depth look at the ins and outs of engaging, and ultimately working with, a celebrity. It also underpins the prevalence of celebrities in public relations campaigns, and our message that securing the right celebrity for your brand is crucial to the overall success of the program. The celebrity endorsement has to be meaningful and genuine for it to be looked upon favorably by potential consumers. Getting a celeb isn’t enough – getting the right celebrity can make or break your program. And, not only does it have to make sense for the brand – it also has to make sense for the celebrity in order to get the best out of them.
