Celebrities work best in healthcare promotions when they have "personal life" experiences, bringing instant credibility to your message.
But relying on big Hollywood names without determining the substance of what they bring to campaigns, usually results in costly efforts that distract your audience.
"I don't recommend using [national] celebrities for every campaign, there are wonderful stories that can be told using local celebrities who have first-hand experience with the issue," says Susan Islam, director of media relations at the American Cancer Society (ACS) in New York.
But getting caught up in "celebrity hype" is tempting for healthcare marketers because of the national cachet they can bring to a campaign. Often using expert doctors to promote a healthcare service or program simply is not compelling enough to generate widespread interest.
Strategically selected celebrities achieve marketing as well as media results. For instance, actor Larry Hagman was chosen as spokesman for the U.S. Transplant Games, an Olympic-style event for recipients of life-saving organ transplants, a year after receiving a liver transplant. He availed himself for interviews on "CBS This Morning," "Entertainment Tonight" and discussed his personal experiences during a satellite media tour. He also mentioned the organization's phone number as a source for donor cards while promoting his TV show (now cancelled) on "Larry King Live" and the "Rosie O' Donnell Show," last year.
The marketing challenge is in doing your celebrity homework. In addition to selecting celebrities who have personal experiences with the cause at hand, take into consideration:
- The celebrity's appeal among a target audience like seniors, women, baby boomers, etc.
- If the celebrity is in your region for another high-profile cause that might take away from your effort.
- The celebrity's track record with healthcare promotions - talk to other hospitals and healthcare organizations, ask staffers who have experience with celebrity campaigns, as well as PR/marketing agencies.
- The costs involved - negotiating to pay travel expenses and not appearance fees, perhaps the most significant consideration.
Celebrity Public Affairs Council
ACS frequently uses celebrities for marketing efforts ranging from congressional appearances to PSAs and special events. But Islam admits that celebrities are overused in the industry and marketers tend to pay too much in talent fees. Celebrity fees can range from $3,000 to $15,000.
To streamline the process and avoid paying exorbitant fees, ACS now relies on its Public Awareness Council of 15 celebrities who have agreed to waive their fees for various cancer causes.
The council, launched last year, represents a diverse group of well-known personalities who have had personal brushes with cancer. Members include poet Maya Angelou, whose mother and sister have breast cancer; tennis player Pete Sampras, whose coach died of a brain tumor; and actress Shari Belafonte, whose father has prostate cancer.
"Celebrities who have cancer or have a family member with cancer are more dedicated to promoting awareness and the public is more in tuned to what they have to say," says Islam.
The downside to using celebrities who have waived their appearance fees is scheduling changes and last-minute cancellations. As a last resort, ACS will pay celebrity fees for major national events. But Islam stresses that paying celebrity fees without pursuing other options sets a bad precedent. "Lets face it, these are public service events, if the cause is right, celebrities should be willing to donate their time."
Keeping Local Costs Down
For local providers, celebrities are not as easy to efficiently secure. "Unfortunately, a lot of celebrities will not waive their fees unless they are tied into a national healthcare group," says Donna Forward, event specialist for St. Joseph's Hospital in Atlanta.
Although she is somewhat successful with getting celebrities to support hospital events through travel expense agreements, Forward relies most on Speakers and Entertainment, a New York-based celebrity bureau that has a strong healthcare focus.
St. Joseph's, which uses two to three celebrities a year, typically spends $40,000 to $50,000 on fees and expenses, according to Von Roebuck, the hospital's media relations specialist.
To curb expenses, Forward tries to use celebrities while they are in the region, usually Georgia, the Carolinas or Florida. This is where the bureau is useful. It lets Forward know who's coming to the area and also looks for other regional organizations interested in sharing the appearance fee.
Through its bureau relationship, St. Joseph's landed actresses Ann Jillian and Peggy Flemming for cancer efforts.
In addition, celebrities are most efficient when they are used for part of a campaign-like a special event-as opposed to a total advertising effort which requires more of the celebrity's time and involves talent fees.
National celebrities like actress Linda Ellerbee and sports commentator Len Dawson have appeared at special events for the hospital's programs on breast and prostate awareness. (Contacts: ACS, Susan Islam, 212/382-2169; St. Joseph's Hospital, Donna Forward, Von Roebuck 404, 404/851-5849)
The Celebrity Circuit
If you're in the market for celebrity talent, check out these speakers bureaus that boast inside connections with well-known actors, athletes, musicians and other entertainers
- American Entertainment International Speakers Bureau, Brookline, Mass. Phone: 617/731-8521. Web site: http://www.world.std.com
- Charisma Productions Inc., Greenfield, Ind. Phone: 317/462-4245. Web site: http://www.charismapros.com
- Greater Talent Network, New York. Phone: 800/326-4211. Web site: http://www.greatertalent.com
- Nationwide Speakers Bureau, Los Angeles. Phone: 310/208-5543. Web site: http://www.nationwidespeakers.com