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This is where science comes into play. In our case, we rely on our celebrity index – the Celebrity DBI – to provide us
with data to guide our decisions. The DBI quantifies consumer perceptions of more than 2,500 celebrities, scoring
them across a number of key attributes, including Awareness, Appeal, Trust, Influence, Aspiration, Trendsetter,
Endorsement, and Breakthrough (the degree to which consumers take notice of a celebrity).
Awareness is the baseline. If our target doesn’t know a celebrity, the other attributes are meaningless. Breakthrough
is also an important attribute. If the celebrity doesn’t capture the attention of the consumer, the brand’s message
is less likely to be received. Influence is an equally significant attribute for brands. How does this celebrity impact
brand consideration and purchase intent?
The importance of other attributes varies depending on the brand. A bank, for example, might be more interested
in celebrities who score high in trust, while a fashion brand or even an energy drink may value celebs who are
regarded as trendsetters.
Supporting this analysis, we segment our process into six factors or vertices, which we envision as a hexagon,
assigning a score to each. Serving as a roadmap to guide our thinking, this process enhances endorser identification,
resulting in maximization of engagement between the brand, the targeted consumer, and the celebrity.
Combining scores from each of the following six vertices determines a celebrity’s overall fit in driving consumer
engagement and brand objectives. Not all of the six vertices of this hexagon are equal, however. Some, like cost
and creative fit, carry more weight.
1. Talent Synchronicity
One of the most interesting challenges of our business lies in
discovering which celebrity best fits the unique personality of
a brand. Imagine a triangle, with the brand, the consumer
and the product each sitting in one of the three corners.
The challenge is finding the celebrity who fits best with all
three of these variables. Some celebs will fit better with the
brand; others match up more evenly with the product itself;
and still others are ideal for the consumer. The goal is to
land in the centre of the equilateral triangle (Figure 1). When
we do – when we hit the midpoint of that target – we’ve
achieved talent synchronicity.
Of course, when additional filters are layered on top of
this triangle – target demographics and psychographics;
image congruency or the linkage between the brand and
celebrity; the extent to which the celebrity engages the target
– it becomes increasingly difficult to hit the bull’s eye using
guesswork and conjecture. Considering the investment, it’s
important to tilt the odds in our favour.
2. Cost
Figure 1
Costs vary depending on talent level (A-level, B-level, C-level), rights, services, term, territory, exclusivity and
brand creative. Will the celebrity appear on camera? Is this a global campaign? Voiceover only? Will the brand
use the celeb’s likeness (e.g. Elvis Presley)? Are we licensing a song? Is the creative compelling?
Depending on the situation, celebrity costs can range from the low five figures to eight figures. In addition to
talent fees, factor in union fees (if applicable), production fees, including first-class travel or even a private plane,
along with other accommodations and other ancillary marketing costs, and you can see how the fees escalate
quite rapidly.
We typically identify anywhere from a few to 100 celebrities for a particular project or campaign, before filtering
down to ten or so, and then ranking them in talent synchronicity from 1-10. If Celebrity #1 costs $1 million and
Celebrity #2 requires $500,000, who do you sign? If you’ve been disciplined in your approach, removing as
much subjectivity as possible, the answer should be more clear, but there may be a struggle between the poet and
the scientist, which is also part of the process.
3. Creative Fit
In some cases, the brand or its agency has already developed (and received approval from the client on) creative.
Based on the existing creative, which celebrity fits best? Are there specific personality characteristics, attributes, or
skillsets that the celebrity must possess in order to be a good fit? In other cases, the creative is built around the
celebrity. In these cases, it’s important to develop creative that suits the celebrity naturally and puts the celebrity
in a position to deliver the brand messaging in a natural way. In some cases, we may decide to allow the talent
to have some creative input. Chefs or comedians, for e [\KX^H