Choosing the Right Paid Spokesperson
Learning Resources was launching a new line of cooking and kitchen toys for kids to spark creativity, encourage healthy eating habits, and develop fine motor skills. When we started brainstorming celebrity partnership ideas, Snoop Dogg came to mind.
He’s a known lover of a good meal, among other things. He’s also published a few cookbooks and is well-regarded across a broad range of target audiences.
Like his good friend Martha Stewart said: "When I go to a party, all people wanna know is how is Snoop Dogg?”
Guess what happened when we brought Learning Resources and Snoop together? Well, sort of, we brought a Snoop impersonator instead of the real deal.
We got the attention we wanted for the toy line – The Toy Insider editor-in-chief James Zahn even started the hashtag #SnoopDogg – and, believe it or not, some people still think they met the real Snoop! Months later, industry friends, media contacts, and prospects are still talking about this online.
Choosing the right paid spokesperson is not as simple as just picking the biggest name; it’s about finding a partner that fits with your brand and budget and can motivate target audiences toward your goals. If you’re considering bringing a celebrity or influencer on board, here’s how you can get started (and hopefully avoid any PR nightmares along the way).
Do You Need a Paid Spokesperson?
Choose a known personality when you need immediate credibility, quick results, and memorable moments that stick with your audience (and land with the media). It’s a great strategy if you’re launching a product or targeting a new demographic that needs scale or if you need to influence a very specific population, for example.
When choosing spokespeople, you have four basic options.
A company spokesperson/executive: Company spokespeople foster trust as they’re part of the team bringing the vision to life. They know the ins and outs of the product or service development and can address questions with ease that a celebrity would need to be trained in-depth on.
For example, say that a B2B software company is launching a new integration with another software vendor. Having the Chief Product or Technology Officer of both companies speak with the media versus a paid spokesperson is more beneficial since they are better suited to speak on how it will benefit users and the industry at large.
Company spokespeople are likely going to be the quickest option and, of course, the least expensive, too.
A professional: Similar to a company spokesperson, a professional would be a true expert in the field, providing an additional level of credibility from a third party. We’ve worked with occupational child therapists in this capacity before.
A professional will usually be more affordable than a typical celebrity, but their reach will not be as broad. There are lots of factors to consider here including whether they have written a book, if their dedicated niche following meets your target audience, and more.
In some unique cases, a “professional” that has become a celebrity can be a great option. For example, Transfix, our freight logistics client, set out to give back to well-deserving truck drivers during National Truck Driver Appreciation Week. They launched the “TransFIX My Rig” contest for drivers to win a custom cab renovation from licensed contractor and host of CBS’ “Secret Celebrity Renovation,” James Cameron.
This attracted national media attention from ABC News – where they did a behind-the-scenes look at the day in the life of a trucker out on the road.
An “everyday” person: There’s also the option to create your own spokesperson. We’ve seen brands create contests to find their brand spokesperson. This has a lot of unknown variables (you have to do a background check, assess their media experience and social following, etc.) at play that can make this time-consuming and risky.
But if they are charismatic, collaborative, and have a great story that ties to how they would directly benefit from your new offering, it can work. Sometimes the founder of a product can serve as that person, too, and you know you have a winning combo.
A celebrity spokesperson: As the saying goes, “Go big or go home.” A true celebrity route is going to be the most expensive route, but at the same time probably the greatest potential. (We were able to play off the doppelganger idea to get the celebrity benefits without the price tag.)
Our digital marketplace client G2A.COM wanted to unite the digital and physical worlds of sports to broadly reach gamers. After researching the overlap between gamers and actual athletes themselves, they tapped FC Barcelona’s striker Robert Lewandowski – an avid gamer himself – as their brand ambassador.
Using Lewandowski’s global presence, G2A.COM not only enhanced its credibility with the striker’s passion for gaming but was able to reach over 200 million to boost the platform’s popularity.
Remember, while a celebrity spokesperson may generate more initial buzz – sometimes other options are better. After identifying your main objectives and what success looks like, be sure to ask yourself:
What’s the nature of the message we’re communicating – does it require technical or industry-specific knowledge?
Will the audience respond better to a familiar face or a well-known external figure?
Can a celebrity spokesperson lend more credibility to the message or less – is there sensitive information involved?
Do we need someone who can provide consistent messaging over time?
Considerations for Choosing Your Paid Spokesperson
Not all paid spokespeople are created equal – especially when bringing a large-scale celebrity into the fold. We take a handful of considerations every time and will bring those to life here through our recent work with David Henrie.
In celebration of its 40th anniversary, Learning Resources launched “The Playfluencer” – an initiative that promotes all of the benefits of learning through play. This campaign reinforced the brand’s mission of fostering a lifelong love of learning for kids and their families.
We developed a strategy that combined the power of storytelling through earned media with recognizable advocates playing with their families. “The Playfluencer” needed to be someone who would draw eyes toward the toys on their established channels. We also didn’t want to just slap a celebrity name or face to the program without a story connecting the dots.
Here is the checklist we used to decide that Disney’s David Henrie was the right paid spokesperson for the job:
Brand Alignment: Does this celebrity’s image, personality, and values align with your brand? A mismatch will feel inauthentic and even lead audiences to question what your brand stands for, so make sure that the spokesperson you choose reflects the tone and image you wish to convey.
Pay attention to any red flags in a potential spokesperson's past or present behavior that could hinder your brand in the short or long term. Look closely at their recent press and social presence – especially considering 75% of people use social media for purchasing advice. A scoring or ranking system can be beneficial – labeling a spokesperson high-risk, neutral, or low-risk can help you gauge the risk versus reward of your potential partnership.
Henrie – known for his role in Disney’s Wizards of Waverly Place – fit the bill across the board. He is a father of three children who are featured heavily across his feeds. He has also publicly shared his admiration for the Learning Resources brand.
Audience Fit: Make sure those brand values translate to the right audience, too. Learning Resources wanted to further their connection to parents in a meaningful way. The great thing about Henrie was that not only did his role as a father now allow for showing off “play” in action, but he also brought the nostalgia factor from his role as Justin Russo on Waverly for many young parents today.
It’s not always this easy or obvious. You might need to dig deep into a potential spokesperson’s past experiences or hobbies. For example, did you know that Steve Buscemi is a former firefighter and Geena Davis became an influential figure in women’s sports after A League of Their Own and almost made the 2000 Olympics games for archery?
On the opposite end of the spectrum, audience fit backfired on Pepsi when they chose Kendall Jenner for a socially conscious commercial trying to capitalize on the Black Lives Matter movement.
Past Endorsement Success: Research the spokesperson’s previous partnerships. Have they helped other brands succeed, or have their endorsements been lackluster or negatively received? Previous wins in similar industries can provide reassurance that they’ll be able to deliver for your brand as well.
We knew Henrie’s following – 2.8 million followers on Instagram and 2.6 million on TikTok – was large and engaged. He had also had successful partnerships with brands as varied as Toyota, Dove, and the meditation app Hallow.
PRO TIP: Before locking in a celebrity spokesperson, follow them on social media for a few months to see how they interact with fans and handle potential controversies. It’ll give you a better idea of how they’ll represent your brand should the stakes get high.
You’ve Chosen Your Spokesperson. Now What?
You’ve settled on the perfect spokesperson (or three, since you want to be prepared in case someone falls through). Reach out through the right channels, whether that’s the spokesperson’s agent or emails listed on their social pages.
Make sure they are interested and, more importantly, available before you dive deeper into the negotiation process. Focus on making the process collaborative. The best partnerships are those that don’t feel like transactions. You really are looking for a win-win.
We recommend:
Prioritize the Give and the Get: A-listers come with a high price tag, but if their reach and influence align with your campaign goals, they could be worth the investment. Ask yourself: will this partnership deliver on your goals?
We like to think of this in terms of the give and the get. Are you getting social reach alone or will the spokesperson also offer media interviews, in-person appearances, or other tailored content for your audience?
Make your contracts as detailed as possible. Outline deliverables, timelines, and specific KPIs such as social impressions and product sales that can be used to measure your success later.
In Learning Resource’s case, we had a nice mixture of guaranteed exposure through Henrie’s social media combined with some media interviews that garnered us additional awareness and placements for our client, their products, and the campaign itself.
Remember, what you give and get during a partnership is completely in your hands – spend time here during the negotiation stage to make the most of your spokesperson’s potential impact.
Streamline Communications: Request, if not demand, an opportunity to speak directly with the spokesperson before any actual initiative takes place – whether that’s a media training call before an interview or a prep call before an appearance at an actual event.
Too much can fall through the cracks if an agent or publicist remains the middle person and you rely on them to deliver the message and expectations.
Use your Onboarding Time Wisely: They will need to be onboarded with the ins and outs of your brand’s core narrative, objectives, and what the partnership entails. While they need to stick to the script you provide a word for word, if you set the expectations and messaging points clearly, you will be in good shape.
PRO TIP: If you’re partnering with a spokesperson who has little on-camera or interview experience, offer to rehearse with them or send them a best-practices guide. A little extra prep can limit your risks considerably and help your partnership go a long way!
Learn from the Experience
At the end of the day, choosing the right paid spokesperson is a balancing act between your brand values, the spokesperson’s values, and the goal of the initiative. When done right, a well-chosen spokesperson doesn’t just elevate a brand; it creates loyalty and boosts credibility – 56% of consumers agree.
The stakes are high and the process requires careful planning, smart negotiation, and constant evaluation. The good thing is you’ll learn from each partnership. One last point that’s crucial ideally throughout the program and definitely afterward, reflect on any unexpected challenges, and adjust your strategy for next time. The more you learn from each partnership, the better prepared you’ll be for future collaborations.