Dear Sarah,

If you've had a placement in a magazine, how long should you wait until you approach the magazine again?  Should you continue to pitch them as long as you have noteworthy news or product updates?

Thanks in advance,

Erika Deady-Wohlers    Tutu Pour Mon Deux

As we approach NY fashion week next month, award shows and the holidays in general, Pop-up shops which are often popular become rampant…….and so do the solicitors who are looking to you to fill the available spots. I know, some of them are really good sales people and you are ready to sign on the dotted line right?   Are they worth it?  How much can I expect to make?  Is the celebrity really going to take a photo with it? What is it going to cost me? What's a girl to do?

I participated in a few of these back in the handbag days and I have to tell ya…….not a lot came of it.  I find that photos of celebs with your product are pretty useless with the media as they know it's a "forced photo" when they see the backdrop, and sales are usually low as most attendees are getting it for free.  Yes, you can use the photos on your website and in social media, but even boutique buyers are getting hip to the award show events and are not impressed with that type of celeb photo any longer.

Pop-up store fronts can be lucrative if the host can produce the people. But how do you know if they can?

I have put together a short list of questions you can ask the host or hostess prior to accepting to make the most educated decision possible. Don't forget, usually about 30% of the RSVP's actually show up!

This list is an assortment of questions you can ask about a celeb event or a regular pop up store front – just pick and choose what is relevant each.

1. Have you done this before?  (Or "Been in charge?" if an ongoing annual event)
2. How many guests do you expect?
3. How many Celebrities are you inviting?  How many RSVP'd?
4. Has the press been invited?  How many RSVP?
5. What were average sales last year?
6. Do all the celebs take photos with the products?
7. What kind of promotions are you doing for the event?
8. Can I bring an assistant?

Let me know if you have done a successful Pop-up and what the outcome was, and equally, LMK if you find some great new ones this year!

Andy Grove, co-founder of Intel Corporation said, " Only the paranoid survive". 

I am a total believer in this theory.  Not sure you need to take it to the extremes with paranoia, but constantly reviewing your strategy, staying on top of your next move and noticing that scared stomach feeling you get at times as a welcome reminder that your business is alive and well makes for a healthy business .  If we want success, we have to be consistently coming up with new things to sell, new ways to sell it, new stores, new marketing, new PR, new celebrities and in general, fresh news about our company.  In short, we need to be better, faster and stronger than we were the prior quarter.  

And yes, you will have friends and family bugging you that you work too much or too hard, and are always concerned about your business. Instead of defending yourself, just say "Thanks for noticing"……this will totally rock their world.  But you know what you were really saying, is that this fear (or paranoia) is what makes you successful. 

I find that when I get too comfortable with what I am doing in my business that sales slide, I find myself to be utterly boring, my blogging suffers, and in general, things are not going well.  Daymond John told me that his mom always said, "It takes the same energy to think small as it does to think big."  I think of this quote often when jumping out of my comfort zone.

Failure is not an option right?

What do you do to get out of your comfort zone?

Dear Sarah,

I make these super cute round terry towels, that are incredibly absorbent, and have an unique button loop so you can hang it from almost anything; towel bars, stove bar, fridge handle, apron strings, high-chairs, cribs, strollers, tennis bags,  and gym bags.  I have targeted several celebrity moms, chefs, tennis pros and dog lovers who I want to send these to (I have your "How to get your products to Celebrities" CD) but how can I promote this if I can't get a photo of the celeb with my product since it most likely will be used in the home and not worn like a handbag or other fashion item?

Thanks,
Lana  Simply Lana

Dear Lana,

Thanks for asking this question. In this instance, I would proceed as planned to send to your target celeb list.  Perhaps you will see a tennis pro using one or a celeb mom with one on her stroller (cute photo on your website by the way) that you can find on TMZ or another celeb website or even in a weekly magazine.  But the approach you might want to take with this item in particular, is to find out what charities these celebs are into and offer to give a percentage of the towel of their choice to their favorite charity. That would give you the ability to put their photo on your website and drive traffic through social media and the celebs Facebook page as well.

Let me know how it works out!
xoxo
Sarah

Ok, so are you doing the dance of joy?    This can be a really controversial topic as some people feel you shouldn’t promote this as it’s a breach of privacy – but my take is that if they bought it, and didn’t have an assistant do it under a different name, they are willing for you to use their name.  I see this as a great opportunity to get the word out and get your self some press! If you feel uncertain about this, you can always contact them directly and ask permission!

Remember: The media wants to know about this the minute it happens, not months later when you get around to it.  You have to act quickly to capitalize on this luck and try to turn it into more sales FAST!

So what can you do to spread the good news?

• Get a photo of the celebrity and put it on your website home page saying they bought the item
• Use the same photo on the item page on your website
• Send out an email blast to your list showing the product and celeb photo with a call to action to buy it.  Perhaps offer a special promotion for a day or two.
• Post all over social media – again, a special promotion can help here too.
• Create a “One Sheet” which is a single page promoting the product and celeb and send that immediately to the media outlets you want to be in.  Be sure to only list retail prices when sending anything to the media.
• Send the “One Sheet” to your current store list as well your dream stores to show what a superstar you are.  Be sure to only list wholesale prices when contacting stores with stories like these.
• Add the “One Sheet” to your Press page

Good luck!

Have you ever wondered how to get yourself on TV and strut your stuff for the world to see?  I have been on TV a few times myself over the years, and let me tell you…….it works!

Here are 30 cool tips and tricks from my Entreprenette Experts that you can use to get your bad self on TV!

Don’t be shy about signing up for my Instantly Famous Products mailing list to get your products into the hands of celebrities – it’s a great way to get on TV.

1. Help Behind The Scenes

How To Get On Television: I have had the good fortune of being on multiple television shows, and I think I have discovered the secret (at least for me). I call on the studio and ask them how I could help the show. Maybe do research or bring a live audience or spread the word. My objective is to genuinely help. When I do it enough, they often are so grateful that they invite me to be on the show. Definitely not the typical approach.... but it works!

Thanks to: Mike Michalowicz of The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur.

2. Get a Following!

How To Get On Television: Creating a YouTube video and generating a great following for that video is a great way to show validity that there is proven market appeal for your product or service and thus validate why it should be chosen to be featured on tv. It is a marketing "pull" strategy versus push with a lower cost than traditional "pull" strategies. (yes I am a marketing nerd.)

Thanks to: Margo Schlossberg of KuraDesign Accessories.

3. Give a Great Pitch

How To Get On Television: A lot of people don't take into account the fact that news shows need content as much as you need a free plug. If your item can be tied to a specific season, holiday, etc., put together a good pitch via email on why their audience would want to hear about it in a way that isn't pushy or overly-promotional and send it to every local news station. You don't need a PR company to get on TV, you just need to ask. The worst that can happen? Nothing, you are no worse off than before!

Thanks to: Anthony Adams of The Hangover Cure.

4. Doing Well by Doing Good

How To Get On Television: Give your product to charities sponsored by the TV show you target. For example, for toys, The Today Show does a great toy drive and gives a full 30 seconds to 1 minute per guest. The Ellen show and Rachel Ray also do holiday drives to gather products for the needy.

Thanks to: Michael Araten of K'NEX Brands, L.P..

5. Know who you are pitching to

How To Get On Television: Do your homework before you pitch your product, watch the show,find out what kind of products they like to feature,and then tailor your pitch to fit them,they aren't going to change their format and style to fit your product,your product has to fit into their format and style. Have a standard "core" pitch that has all the important info in it and then tweak it to fit who you are pitching to.

Thanks to: Anna Eves of DigiPix.Us.

6. We Love Changing Seasons

How To Get On Television: "Summer is coming and I MUST have this!" The changing of the seasons is a perfect time to shine a light on your product. Start early by contacting your local morning shows to get on their program schedule. If they don't have a segment planned that fits your product, develop one for them! Offer a new way to use an old standby or introduce the newest "must have". Get your act together before the TV appearance, and be ready to answer emails, phone calls, process payments and ship efficiently.

Thanks to: Laura Davis, AIA of HPD Architecture in Dallas, Texas.

7. Check your email

How To Get On Television: There is a wonderful website that everyone who owns their own business should use. The website is called HARO (help a reporter out) and is a great resource to the opportunities out there for promotion. This website provides you with three emails a day. They include a variety of writing and promotion on every topic from pet grooming to women in their 50's who love ski diving. There are plenty of opportunities for blog features, magazine articles and TV spots!

Thanks to: Michelle Littler of littletoad.

8. It Never Hurts to Try

How To Get On Television: I am not going to tell you that getting on TV is easy...although I have to say for me it couldn't have been much simpler. I noticed that the NBC affiliate here had a morning show that did little 5 minute segments on new businesses. So I thought "it cant hurt" and sent them an email with mine and asked them if they wanted to spotlights a mompreneur. The very next day they replied inviting me on the show. No kidding. Maybe I was lucky, but it never hurts to try!!

Thanks to: Kelly Robinson of SchKIDules.

9. It's all about fun and games!

How To Get On Television: When I realized I created an original game that could change the way women interacted with each other at baby and bridal showers, I knew that I had to be creative in getting my product in front of the right people.

I made a video of my friends playing a custom game for ellen and sent it to her. Twice. No call. Did the same with the Today Show. Same results. I emailed a pregnant anchorwoman and said I have the most unique games she needs to know about for her shower. She did a story on me.

Thanks to: Susan Newton of BadaBadaBingo.com.

10. Send a Personalized Letter

How To Get On Television: 1) Study the types of shows/stories that this media outlet does and how they use experts

2) Propose a story which would be of interest to their viewers and in which it would be natural for them to include you

A producer or journalist wants to give her audience something special. If she gets a press release, she knows that lots and lots of other media are getting this too. But if she gets a personal letter, she’s going to give it more consideration.

Thanks to: Sally Shields of The Daughter-in-Law Rules.

11. Gotta Be Must See TV!

How To Get On Television: If you want to get TV exposure, you really have to find what it is about your product or service that is unique and different. But not just unique and different, but newsworthy...in other words, being different is not enough. You have to find the angle that makes it newsworthy, fun, informative, innovative. If you can't find that hook, you will have a hard time getting on TV. Also, as much of a visual that you can provide (it is TV after all), will really help!

Thanks to: craig wolfe of CelebriDucks.

12. Give them a unique angle

How To Get On Television: Understand the show's (and Reporter's) demographic and provide an angle that will appeal to that audience that is unique to your product. By providing a creative story idea for the reporter's segment you are more likely to get a spot in their lineup. This has worked on several occasions and don't get discouraged, I have received last minute calls when someone had to cancel an appearance and this made it easy for them come up with a new idea quickly.

Thanks to: DeAnna Cochran of DeAnna Cochran Jewelry.

13. Outspoken or Outstanding

How To Get On Television: Promoting yourself or your products on television can be a daunting task. While trying to remain humble, you must inform, educate and entertain viewers with your goal. The best way is to contact the producer with short informative information, a press release with who, what and where, pictures and an offer of a sample for testing. Reminding them after a reasonable time helps the busy journalist or producer and a quick response to their inquiries is a must. Swimming is a good sport for business.

Thanks to: Karon Gibson of AmericaNurse.

14. No Name? No Book? No Sweat!

How To Get On Television: I got on prime time television with no name, no book, and no publicist! I simply called every day for 2 weeks with the same pitch. I carefully listened & responded to the exact time of day they told me to call and the person they told me to ask for. I mimicked their tone and the speed of their voice and by the end of 2 weeks I was invited to do an interview. So I had a teen create a website overnight and got 600 hits for a 3 minute segment with nothing to sell! Just imagine if I was serious!

Thanks to: Adelaide Zindler of HomeOfficeMommy.com.

15. Quit being so self-centered

How To Get On Television: Who likes someone that only talks and thinks about themselves? No one, including TV producers. Instead, think about how your product genuinely helps people or how you can educate the market, then tell your story from that vantage point. And please, don't make it a thinly veiled sales attempt. We can smell a rat.

Thanks to: Carrie Rocha of Pocket Your Dollars.

16. Ditch the Pitch

How To Get On Television: Don't pitch your product. When I pitched my book, I didn't get on TV. When I wrote an article about the health and wellness of teen girls, which is the subject of my book, I received the call. So hey, every now and again, you have to change your way of getting attention.

Thanks to: Candi Meridith, MPH of Meridith Health & Wellness.

17. Persistence and Patience

How To Get On Television: My one tip to get your product on tv is persistence. I have emailed producers numerous times before getting a response which led to television exposure.

Many producers are extremely busy and do not have time to read all of their emails. It is important to make your pitch catch their attention and then follow-up a week or so later to make sure they received it and see if they have any questions.

Thanks to: Danny Kofke of Survive On A Teacher's Salary.

18. Fresh Success

How To Get On Television: Make sure your product is fresh, original and interesting; be relevant to the viewers needs.

Thanks to: Kerry Bannigan of Nolcha.

19. Find a local news producer!

How To Get On Television: TIP... start out locally and find the right T.V. producer. News stations in your area like to feature local entrepreneurs to showcase. You can then use your local appearances to try to generate some national publicity (i.e., post the video to YouTube and add it to your website and reference it when you contact national producers). You should call local stations and get producer's email addresses. You will not have much luck if you just submit an email through the station's website.

Thanks to: Gregory Ladas of The Couch Potato Diet.

20. A Place Setting For Four?

How To Get On Television: Getting your product on television can be fun and probably the most rewarding thing you can do. There are steps to follow so don't try to bulldoze your way in front of the cameras. Showering producers with samples sometimes can backfire, if they come out of nowhere and lack that key ingredient called context. We always recommend coupling a pitch with a subject or news angle with something topical, especially if an outlet you're targeting has run stories with which your product connects.

Thanks to: Adrienne Mazzone of The Knife and Forklift.

21. Land Your Product On TV

How To Get On Television: My best advice would be guerilla marketing. Contact your target company directly. Email the company directly to pitch your product. Pick the highest level of corporate contacts you can find, devise a specific email about the product, how each company would benefit from selling the product, outline your prospective. Ask advice on how best to move forward with the idea & how to advertise in order to get maximum exposure for the idea. A great company to contact would be AsSeenOnTv.com. Think BIG!

Thanks to: Michael Di Pippo of PenFishingRods.com.

22. Promote A Non-Profit, Not You

How To Get On Television: The best way I've found to get my product on TV is to be connected with a non-profit organization with an event coming up. The pitch to the TV station is that you're promoting the event. TV news, etc. love to promote non-profits because they're good for the community, and they are usually happy to give you a plug at the same time. The fact that they will be featuring/selling/giving away your product at the non-profit's event becomes almost incidental, but it will get your product on TV!

Thanks to: Elizabeth Yarnell of Pomegranate Consulting, LLC.

23. Always put the audience first

How To Get On Television: I sent items to NBC (Philadelpha) for breast cancer awareness month and was featured a segment called "Loves it". We were also on FOX Philadelphia with our line of funky crystal tees for people that have had plastic surgery. How? Along with your product samples & a sincere, polite pitch, be sure to include a few bulleted talking points for the host, and show how this will make an entertaining segment. What will the audience get out of watching it? Keep it upbeat & be pleasantly persistent.

Thanks to: Lee Sequeira of Sparkle Plenty Designs.

24. Think like the Producer!

How To Get On Television: The best way to get your product or service on TV is to first think like the producer, not your client:

What can you supply the producer that will help *their* audience (if it's a national TV show you better be available EVERYWHERE) that is visual and has movement - and is not just a talking head with a static image. First and best rule is *be* the producer and solve their problem - and your client will get what they need as well :)

Thanks to: Barbara Pflughaupt of BP Media Relations, LLC.

25. BYOV - Bring your own video

How To Get On Television: The classic conundrum - you can't get your burgeoning client tv segments without them having already been on tv or having a reel. So make one yourself! I block off about two hours and take a Flip camera and film my client talking about their brand and their business. I am a fashion/beauty publicist so I usually have them go through the collection and highlight their favorite items for the season and why, exactly how a style or beauty expert would do on the Today show.

Thanks to: Janna Meyrowitz of Style House PR.

26. Be Newsworthy

How To Get On Television: If your product provides a service and/or is news-worthy contact the news department at as many TV stations you think would be interested. They usually monitor their web site for submissions. If you get any response; be courteous, understand how they want to fit your product in to a story, provide what they want and continue to follow up until completion. Dont forget to purchase from a 3rd party vendor your appearance. This way you have it for future use.

Thanks to: Alan Klayman of STUDENT at the wheel®.

27. How to Get Your Products on TV

How To Get On Television: The TV producer I worked with on this local TV spot: http://www.my601.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?articleID=958 had pretty simple advice about getting your business on TV: just contact your local TV stations with the interesting or exceptional story about your business. Local TV stations like to showcase local businesses with outstanding stories. Get on their list of contacts and tell them your accomplishments and the topics you can comment on and then respond (right away!) if they call.

Thanks to: Grace Bateman of Peru Paper Company.

28. Get Your 15 Minutes!

How To Get On Television: As an avid TV craft show fan I wondered how artists were chosen to demonstrate or have their work featured on air. I decided on trying the simple approach - why not contact the people at TV shows I was interested in & just ask? Three days after sending the initial question to customer service I was on the phone talking to a producer. It had actually happened & I was finally able to attain one of my highest goals – all because I just asked.

Thanks to: Consuelo Okdie of Consuelo Okdie Art.

29. Shark Tank Pitch Tip

How To Get On Television: Speak from your heart! Show how much you love your product and others will love along!

Thanks to: Lori Lite of Stress Free Kids.

30. To TV through Twitter

How To Get On Television: Getting on TV isn't easy, but it's certainly doable. Are you following your favorite TV producers and on air experts on Twitter? You should! TV presenters and contributors like Jennifer Jolly aka The Good Idea Gal @goodideagal often tweet about the stories/segments they are working on and look for suggestions from their followers on Twitter.

Thanks to: Inga Vascenkova of ItsHot.com.

I am really excited to share this private interview I did with Jordan McAuley, Author of Celebrity Leverage.

Profit From The Power Of Our Celebrity Culture

This man has the 411 on celeb connections galore!

Jordan speaks candidly about how celebs can help your business, how to get to celebrities quickly and how to make the most of it.  He offers insider tips and is very generous with his knowledge.  He is also the owner of Contact Any Celebrity and has a special offer of only $1 for a week trial!

Celebrity Leverage is a great DIY guide for every entrepreneur.

Jordan's book, Celebrity Leverage is available on his website at  http://www.celebrityleverage.com Follow him on twitter: @JordanMcauley

People often wonder if a celebrity endorsement can hurt or help your business.   Here are 25 tips to help you see the good the bad and the ugly and make the best choice for your own brand.  You decide if you want to roll out the red carpet or not!

1.  Is bad press good press?

Well, as they say, even bad press is good but I don’t always agree with that.  Just look at Tiger Woods. Sure, there will be lots of people who will still buy the products he endorses but there must be some concern that bad press of a celebrity could hurt the product, otherwise big companies wouldn’t have cancelled their contracts with him.  If I get to a point where a celebrity wants to endorse Pencil Bugs, I definitely want to make sure it’s someone positive.

Thanks to: Jason O’Neill   www.pencilbugs.com

2. Celebs = Sales

There is no question that a celebrity endorsement can help your product line.  After my product, The GoPillow!  was featured on the Montel Williams Show orders poured in from all over the United States AND it opened up the Canadian market for us.  Also, I was able to get coverage for my product with several local media outlets much easier. Bloggers and magazine editors paid my GoPillow! much more attention once Sherri Shepherd (co-host of The View) bought one.

Thanks to: Tangela Walker-Craft    http://www.simplynecessary.com

3. The Trifecta!

Celebrity endorsements help if 3 things are present:

1. The celebrity is liked by the audience you are marketing to (I.e – Dale Earnhardt, Jr. for buildable toy cars)

2. The celebrity is generally known and admired (like Ty Pennington)

3. The product they are endorsing makes sense for them to be affiliated with (like Michael Jordan and Gatorade). 

Without all of the above, it just looks phony, and hurts you.

Thanks to: Michael Araten

www.knex.com

4.  Can Oprah open doors?

I believe that the right celebrity would help my product immensely.
Like many others, I’ve been trying to get my product on Oprah for years. The reason I’ve been so persistent with that quest is because she obviously has the reach that at times seems limitless.   A celebrity endorsement of her caliber shortens the time from inception to reality.

Thanks to: Marianne Douglas   www.StrategiesforSuccessCurriculum.com

5. Celebs can increase consumer awareness

Generally, I believe celebrity endorsements can help a product line, depending on the celebrity and his/her credibility. Celebrities can significantly increase consumer awareness, not to mention the positive press and “as seen on” slants that can now be associated with the product! There’s a belief that if we buy what a celebrity buys, then we too can be just like them and have a piece of that “better” life. For others, it may represent a dreamy reminder of the “better” life ’round the corner.

Thanks to: Sunni Patterson   www.exotic-elegance-handbags.com

6. Credibility is elevated

I help manage a small radio station, and we have received endorsements from a number of celebrities. I feel it has helped us increase our credibility and gain more listeners. Our celebrity endorsements have come in the form of station IDs we have used on our station.

Thanks to: Deborah W Halasz 

http://www.nkairplay.com

7. Perceived value

Having a celebrity endorse your product can help and hinder. The main effect it has though is taking a certain control about how your product is perceived out of your hands. For example Tiger Woods, it is all great until we realize he is only human after all and suddenly got to get out quick.

Thanks to: Marc Lawn
 www.thebusinessgp.com

8. Celebs are free advertising!

I think if your product and the celebrity endorsing it make sense and fit your target audience, it can only help. They can also be the best ‘Free’ Advertising for small businesses. People want to buy what a celebrity has or likes. Celebrity moms and Celebrity Gift Guide Endorsements are most helpful for my product and promotion and have resulted in referrals and direct repeat orders.

Thanks to: Katie O’Neill 
www.ktsteppers.com

9. Reputable can be better than famous

Having a celebrity endorsement (a TV gardener in my case) helped me to leverage initial funding, attracted attention, and opened conversations. Whether it is likely to help or harm depends on how well you calculate who to ask for an endorsement. If the person is completely appropriate to the brand or product and is of reliable character then it is likely to do you good. A celebrity endorsement at all costs carries the risk of “Why on earth would I care what they think of this product?” or worse still, if scandal follows them while your product is still on the shelves, of “They’re the LAST person I would buy something from!” A non-famous person with a reputable but related job title (a senior person in a related association or charity) is a better endorsement than a famous but totally unrelated TV hound.

Thanks to: Joanne Roach www.thefoodies.org

10. Find a good match

The Right celebrity endorsing your product can help you, absolute. If you hire Mariel Hemingway to endorse your Yoga or Health product that’s a pretty good match, baby boomers know who she is and trust her so most likely it would help you. If you hired Kim Kardashian for the same product it’s most likely a complete miss, and that wouldn’t help very much.

Thanks to: Bert Martinez
www.bertmartinez.com

11. Are we celeb obsessed?

It really depends on the product. Generally, I believe, we are too celebrity obsessed. I worked with many –so I feel qualified to make this assessment. I wrote 2 books on personal style for real people showing real people as examples. I believe that celebrities are held up to emulate and it doesn’t help the public at all –in fact it often leads the public in the wrong direction. Style is a perfect example.

Thanks to: Sherrie Mathieson www.sherriemathieson.com

12.  Be clear on your message

Celebrities are usually badly matched based on price and availability and these days unless the celebrity is someone who is not being used by others (doubtful) or a completely tied-in product (for instance, why is John McEnroe selling car rentals??), it misses the point and usually means some marketer is just getting it off a list. That is why creative ads that use real people – hello, actors — usually work better than dropping Regis into the mix because you could “get” him. Particularly now, as most media users really don’t want hype; they’re looking for message.

Thanks to: Richard Laermer  RLMpr.com

13. Celebs are a cheap way out

I feel that celebrity endorsements are a cheap way out and a potential nightmare in the making. Especially using athletes – who seem to represent a wild card investment. From Avis and OJ through Tiger – there are a myriad of examples of celebs who have gone off the tracks of “positive role model” and dragged their client brands down with them. In the long run none of these companies really suffer – except for the squandered time and brand equity that’s been wasted – but the overall practice is a cop out way of marketing. I think it says “we couldn’t come up with anything new – so lets spend the clients money and hire a celebrity.” Do you think Omega sells more watches because it was the first brand worn on the moon or because Sharipova is paid to clutch a ball while wearing a watch in magazine ads?

Thanks to: Steve Lundin 
www.blogfrontier.org

14.  Ask for who you want

If you want to get noticed by a celebrity, pick someone that you think is truly a match for your topic, as you’ll have a much greater chance of them noticing your product. When I was searching for celebrity endorsements, I picked a handful of people that I believed would really resonate with what I was writing/teaching. Don’t just pick a celebrity for the sake of celebrity. Think about it greatly, and then don’t be afraid to ask, ask ask!

Thanks to: Sally Shields www.theDILRules.com

15. Does their brand align with yours?

When determining if a celebrity endorsement can help or hurt your product line, it all comes down to brand values.  In other words, do the celebrity’s values behind their brand align with your product brand values.  What does the celebrity stand for besides just bringing more eyeballs to your product?  If they’re eyeballs that will bring along a positive, beneficial association to your product based on the celebrity’s brand then it’s worth exploring the endorsement.  It’s also important to compare the celebrity’s core fan base with your target customers.  Is it a fit?  Will the endorsement expand your base or will it be shooting arrows into empty air?

Thanks to: Cindy Yantis   www.cindyyantis.com

16. Create a human connection

In todays world of Facebook, Twitter and texting, people long for a human connection. Celebrity endorsements allow marketers to subconsciously connect the positive feelings consumers have for the celebrity to the product being endorsed. Successful entrepreneurs know they need to sell connections and experiences, and celebrity endorsements allow them to do that.”

Thanks to: Jordan McAuley
 
www.ContactAnyCelebrity.com

17. Protect your brand

It depends on the brand or company, but celebrities can build visibility very quickly, create differentiation, and even drive sales. Brand fit and relevance are important factors when assessing a potential endorsement by a celebrity. A few things to bear in mind: – Look for credibility – on the part of the individual, but also the link between s/he and the product or brand. Consumers and media are cynical, so you want an authentic tie between the product and the celebrity. Make it relevant. – Steer clear of overexposed personalities; they’re often not worth it. – Protect your brand with a tight morals clause, exit strategy, and other contractual requirements in case of negative publicity or reputation harm. Have a crisis plan, just in case. – Don’t put all your brand equity in one personality. Think in terms of product endorsements (Fergie loves our lipstick) rather than a brand ambassador (“Be a Tiger”) – Go beyond background checks. Make sure the endorser treats media, staff, sponsors, and fans with respect. – Look for a celebrity who need you as much as you need them. – Consider an expert spokesperson like an author or professional in your area (e.g., financial expert, physician for health product, etc.), instead of a true celebrity. They are less expensive and may be more credible, particularly for an entrepreneurial company. – Consider a part-cash, part-equity deal. It builds credibility and helps ensure good behavior.

Thanks to: Dorothy Crenshaw www.crenshawcomm.com

18. Who loves your celeb?

Choosing the right celebrity, based on the public’s perception of the celeb, (and how it ties to your product) can be very beneficial. Of course, whenever you’re dealing with people, there always is a risk that your chosen celebrity could do something stupid.

Thanks to: Jhan R. Dolphin www.jrobertconsulting.com

19.  Familiar faces help

Celebrity endorsements lend credibility to a product. Even if the celebrity
isn’t an A-lister, familiar faces make people more comfortable buying
something.

Thanks to: Amy Maurer  www.smartmomjewelry.com

20. Image counts

When it comes to celebrity endorsements, it really depends on the product and the celebrity to determine if it will be a good fit. If the celebrity doesn’t have the best image when it comes to social issues, then you would probably not want to get them involved in events and causes where they could actually taint the work or product that is being promoted. If your product is alcohol, certain food or certain types of locations/getaways, I think that does give you more cover for the people who might do well to provide an endorsement.

I think at the end of the day it is about what will benefit the brand, not distract from it. If you feel the celebrity will get more attention than the product, than it could possibly be the wrong choice.

Thanks to: Cyrus A. Webb  www.cyruswebb.com

21.  Raise your visibility

It can raise visibility and lead to media and marketing opportunities that wouldn’t otherwise be available.

Thanks to: Melissa Bradshaw www.weelittlearts.com

22.  Authenticity counts

My opinion is that it’s a 50/50 gamble.  Consumers are pretty savvy these days and know when a celebrity is authentic or not in endorsing product.

Thanks to: Kathy Peterson www.KathyPeterson.com

23.  Find the common denominator

By having media endorsements I’ve found it’s easier to get noticed in the media and to receive even more publicity. My tip for getting celebrity endorsements is to find a common denominator. Is your product the right fit for the celebrity to endorse? Know their show, what they stand for, and their favorite charities. Be prepared to give away your product to their studio audience or favorite charity.

Thanks to: Jean Newell www.newcomarketing.com

24.  Quality counts

I definitely feel celebrity endorsements work and give credibility to a product or service to boost initial sales.  But I also feel the product or service has to be able to hold its own weight and make a long-lasting impact.  Quality is how I think the two come together in the first place.  Having celebrity representation though, should not be the only thing written in the marketing plans to reach desired levels of success.

Thanks to: Asahah
Kirkland

 www.beatingblackkids.com

25.  Choose wisely

Celebrity endorsements can have positive and not so positive results (duh). For small companies, you might want to look for positive people and sources to work with when promoting your products and services that benefit consumers. An endorsement from a celebrity that is looked upon as a good person, someone that consumers trust and want to emulate, is a great thing for retailers.

We also know that some endorsements, whether through celebrity or through major media, can bring a huge traffic spike right after they happen. So accuracy in the endorsement to what consumers are going to experience is very key. If an endorsement is misleading or just not accurate, the visitor may have a negative experience even though the intention was to do good.

Thanks to: Brent Shelton  www.FatWallet.com

Have you ever thought of watching TV as part of your job?

Well I never did either until many years ago my publicist asked me which TV shows I wanted to see my handbags on.    I had to admit that I had no idea as I never thought to “watch” with that in mind!  I had never even thought of that as a possibility to be honest…….

So I started to change the way I watched TV.  I started to make lists of the shows and the actresses that I wanted to carry my bags.  I even visualized it. It didn’t happen overnight or anything……Rome wasn’t built in a day agreed?  But it did happen over the next few months…

Once you get an item on a TV show, you can use that to get better PR for yourself which can result in sales…..or use it to pitch directly to stores to get more sales.

So this is what I suggest you do to get things going on your end:

1. Think about watching TV from a “who can use my product” frame of mind.
2. Consider who can carry or wear your product.
3. Perhaps you have a home décor item – consider where it can be used on the show.
4. If you have a made-to-order type of business – how can you make them the “right” thing?
5. If you are a service based professional – perhaps there is a show that relates to your industry and you can think about how to relate what you do to the character of a show.

Let me know which shows are on you’re “A” list!