Growing Your Small Business: Celebrity Endorsements

There are millions of different ad campaigns that can land a lot of new customers for your business. One huge problem is that money is limited. It would be nice if we had an unlimited advertising budget and could use all the different mediums of getting our businesses recognized. The reality of this paints a much different picture though. For most businesses, both large and small, the funding for advertising is very limited. Every aspect must be researched and thought out to completion before any move is made. Some of these campaigns more than pay for themselves, while others may not yield the same results. Landing a major endorsement can work wonders for your business. It can also cost you a little bit more than what you may be willing to spend. There are different avenues to consider when you start to consider sponsoring an athlete, team, event, or celebrity. A lot of these considerations go beyond monetary value and force you to look at your customer base as well. Some of these endorsements can also have moral implications. It may seem very confusing at first, but a little research and a lot of thought can go a long way in cutting through the haze.

The first thing that you need to do is look at your product and the clients that you want to attract. Of course you want to attract everyone, but there is a certain group that is more likely to come to you than others. For instance, if you sell pantyhose, you may not want to select a baseball player as a spokesperson. While some men will buy hose for their significant other, they usually will not care where they come from or what brand they are. This type of endorsement may be better from a female celebrity or model. It would also be easier to offer your products as payment this way as well. I doubt Derek Jeter would accept a case of pantyhose as payment, even if thousands of women were to listen to his advice on purchasing them. Knowing your audience and the people that they look up to is a great place to start. By understanding them, you will also be able to better place your ads when you have them produced. You will know what radio stations they listen to, the TV stations they watch, and the magazines they read. Truly understanding your clientele is key to all of your business ventures. This should be no different.

The next thing that you want to figure out is what you are willing to spend. You need to know the max amount of either money, goods, or services you are willing to part with in exchange for that endorsement. . Even if you are planning to offer free products or services, you will still need some money for photographs or video. It does no good for your celebrity to sponsor your products if you can't tell people about it. You will need to consider the costs that it will take to get your ad out to the public. We may all want to run an ad during the Super Bowl, but many of us can only afford a newspaper ad. Knowing what you can afford will give you a better idea of what you need. If you can only afford a print ad, then you will need the photos and typesetting done, while if you are running radio ads, you will need a way to record the spot.

Now that you knew what to do, it is time to try to get the endorsement. Many of these celebrities are willing to do small spots in exchange for free products or services. One thing that you want to keep in mind is other endorsements that they may have. If you sell something that they already endorse, they will not be able to help you. It will be considered a conflict of interest, and they may lose the other endorsements that they have. You want to avoid putting the person in this situation. Not only will be very uncomfortable for them to turn you down and waste your time and theirs, but it will may also strain relationships. This strain may effect you getting other endorsements. Many celebrities and athletes communicate with each other often and it may spread that you are difficult to work with. This could ruin any attempt that you make at securing their support.

When trying to get someone to back your business, you do not want to track them down like some autograph hound. You need to keep this very professional. There are often avenues of contacting these famous people. For athletes, you can send correspondence to their home arena, while other celebrities can be reached through their television network, radio station, or movie studio. When you contact them, you want to use proper manners in a letter that states who you are and what you want. You want this letter to be very official. You do not know this person personally and do not know how they will react to a stranger attempting humor or starting on a first name basis. You can save that for when you do meet with them. Explain that you would like to have them endorse you after a brief description of what you offer. Do not discuss specifics or payments yet. Just ask if you can take them to lunch or coffee. This will allow them to meet you on very neutral terms and offers them a free meal or beverage from the start. Many people will talk to you just for that benefit, even if they are prepared to deny you anyways.

Meeting the person is a very important step in the process. You want the meeting to be very businesslike. Stay away from fast food or franchise restaurants. Starbucks or Peet's coffee have become very acceptable venues for business meetings and can be used if you have invited them to coffee. You will want to show up dressed for the task at hand. You do not want to be overly formal. Business casual is the preferred attire. One very important thing is not too ask for an autograph. Once the meeting is completed, then it is acceptable to ask while you are parting ways. Asking for one straight off can start the meeting on a bad note. Not all famous people will give autographs and many find it to be a pain. Start the meeting with an introduction and play to their self esteem a little. Let them know that you are a big fan and enjoy their work. List one or two instances that you really like. Whether they are movies or spectacular plays they made. This will make them feel like they are in control and give them a small power trip. This will help you to gain the contract later in the meeting when you begin talking business. Once you have started with the small talk and are seated, you can begin your presentation. Do not expect an answer immediately. Some people like to think things over and need to discuss business with their agent. You may have to wait a couple days to get the answer. Make sure that you have an accurate business card with you so that they can contact you when they do have the answer. You will present this card at the conclusion of your presentation. This will help to relax them and let them know that you do not demand a response right away. This gesture may pay dividends when it comes to choosing who to endorse. One key to remember is that they are just people. They do not constantly want to be treated differently. If you talk to them like they are a normal person, you can start a friendship and a stronger business relationship.

No matter who it is that you choose to ask, the steps are all the same. They are just people. If you can remember that and act accordingly, you can get an endorsement from just about anyone. There will be times when the person may tell you to talk to their agent. So not despair though. This is just a technicality and is often used to weed out any false invitations from stalkers or autograph hounds. If you are told to follow certain steps to attain the interview, follow the steps to a T. This will not only speak of your professionalism, but will gain you a little respect from the celebrity. Do not feel daunted by their presence. They want to be treated like a normal person. If you can deal with them tactfully and respectfully like you would with other people, you stand a much better chance of getting that endorsement. Having someone famous talk about how great your product or service is can draw a lot of customers. If done right, it is an easy and effective way to gain business. It is easy to get overwhelmed and scare away a potential endorsement though. Just remember to relax and treat them like people. You should have no problems, regardless of how famous they are.