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Eight Benefits to Using Celebrity Spokespeople for Your Cause by Elaine Fogel Using a celebrity spokesperson for your nonprofit can be extremely valuable. You don’t necessarily have to be a big national or international organization to benefit from someone famous speaking on your behalf. According to Media Trust in the U.K., here are the eight positive benefits: 1. Raising campaign awareness. 2. Raising an organization's profile and media coverage. 3. Attracting new audiences. 4. Demystifying campaign issues. 5. Raising funds by encouraging sponsorship and contributions. 6. Mobilizing public opinion and involvement. 7. Contributing to the repositioning an organization in the public's perception. 8. Reinvigorating a long running campaign. Choosing which celebrities to recruit all depends on the type of your organization and your budget. Although many famous people will offer their time pro bono, you may be surprised by the associated costs that can add up quickly. During my career in nonprofit marketing, I’ve worked with a few celebrities, some of whom are internationally known. Some costs I had to consider included: return first-class airfare for two, limousine service, hotel suite, meals, gift baskets, gratuities, and all incidentals. Although expenses could be considerable, the media exposure and types of supporters the organization attracted were well worth the investment. As nonprofit professionals, my team and I were used to shoestring marketing tactics, so after some brainstorming, we came up with ways to keep costs as low as possible. Before you consider this option, do a cost/benefit analysis to determine if your organization is a viable candidate for any spokepeople. If your organization is locally based, asking a local celebrity or TV personality may work well and keep costs reasonable. Ensure your selected celebrity is someone your target audiences know and like. There’s no point in selecting a young rapper if the average age of your donors or members is 75. Try to recruit celebrities who have been affected by your cause or mission- whether personally, or by someone in their inner circle. Celebrities with understanding and concern for your cause will also bring credibility and commitment. It’ll make a better match if they have passion right from the start. © 2006 |
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Elaine with actor, Leslie Nielsen in 2004. |
