Big Apple publicist Eric Yaverbaum has no dearth of celebrity PR nightmare stories to share. Among his favorites is the NBA "Rookie of the Year" who appeared two hours late for
a client's promotional event, leaving a crowd of press and a few exasperated publicists to wait in the wintry drizzle. When the sports star spokesman finally showed up, he refused
to exit the limo because it was "too cold." Hardly an all-star PR performance.
This is what publicists' nightmares are made of -- and part of the reason Jericho Communications co-founder Yaverbaum is dubious about working with pro athletes. But that's not
to say he's written off celebrities completely. "If you're going to use a celebrity [to spearhead a PR campaign], you've got to make sure he's going to get out the message you
want him to get out," says Yaverbaum. "And that's not easy."
It's also not easy to gauge a celebrity's return on investment, especially for corporate PR departments who constantly justify their budgets to management, and agencies who
face shrinking client rosters in an uncertain economy. Sure, get Anthony Hopkins to show up for cocktails and the press will beat a path to your door, but will it help you build a
brand in the long term? Inventive PR folks we talked to say yes.
Big Names Don't Necessarily Mean Big Money
Belle Gauvry, SVP and director of the national media relations department at Porter Novelli, made serious waves for a new cruise ship using (apologies for our candor here) a
couple of has-beens. Princess Cruises' "Love Boat," launched on Valentine's Day 2000, was christened by "Love Story" co-stars Ali MacGraw and Ryan O'Neil. The '70s movie is a
classic sobfest for 30-something women everywhere -- the same target market for cruise vacations. The launch also happened to coincide with the movie's 30th anniversary, and
MacGraw and O'Neil hadn't done interviews together in decades. The vintage Hollywood pair appeared live from the ship on "Good Morning America," did a piece for "Access
Hollywood," and then the story was picked up by several news magazines and wire services.
Gauvry says the cruise line saw a substantial rise in bookings following the launch and that the campaign was far more effective -- not to mention less expensive -- than a
massive ad blitz. "Even if you spend $200,000 on a celebrity, you're still talking about a fraction of the cost of producing a quality TV ad and buying the time you need to run
that ad," she says. Although she acknowledges that the two stars "weren't cheap," she says their appearance fees didn't break the budget.
Celeb-Finding 101
Rule number one when finding an effective celebrity: don't get starstruck. "You'll get burned when you start with a celebrity in mind rather than your audience or product,"
says Gauvry. Take the time to do qualitative research to see whether your potential star's audience crosses over into your target market. Also, celebrity rags like the Enquirer
and People are great windows into a star's personal history. "If you're looking for a spokesperson for Alzheimer's, you'll find out that Angie Dickenson cares for a
sister with the disease," says Gauvry who once recruited Linda Carter to pitch pain-reliving medicine after she found out that the former "Wonder Woman" star suffers arthritic
pain. But not every star who seems a good fit for your campaign will be one. Cautions Rodger Roeser, senior PR consultant with marketing firm HSR in Cincinnati, "Just ask [weight-
loss company] Jenny Craig. There was a huge negative reaction when they signed on Monica Lewinsky to try out the program. They lost customers."
Celebrities might sign onto your campaign because they are bound by law to get out and press the flesh. Corporate endorsements may require them to make a certain number of
appearances yearly, says Steve Winter, COO of the Washington-based Brotman, Winter, Fried Communications. That's how he convinced the late Dale Earnhardt to appear at an auto
show. Earnhardt, who was sponsored by an auto parts manufacturer, helped boost attendance by 50% from the previous year's show. Also, adds Winter, stars often view PR appearances
as great places to plug their own books, movies, TV shows, etc. Giving personalities the freedom to plug their own material will make working with you that much more attractive.
Celebrities are Like Chocolates...
In the end, bringing on celebrities is like bringing on employees--you won't know whether they will perform for you until they are under the spotlight. Check references, gauge
their public image, learn their idiosyncrasies and, most importantly, find out how much they cost before you cast them as purveyors of your PR strategy. Doing so could help you
score the public relations equivalent of a box office hit. Jennifer Woods, spokesperson for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), says part of the reason her
organization has become so recognizable is thanks to the efforts of A-list celebrities who identify with their cause. "People listen when famous people speak," she says. Adds
Gauvry, "It's hard to quantify the effectiveness [of celebrity campaigns,] but if executive management is seeing that the story is out there, you'll see immediate returns at a
fraction of the cost of advertising."
(Eric Yaverbaum, Jericho Communications, 212/645-6900; Belle Gauvry, Porter Novelli, 212/601-8053; Rodger Roeser, HSR, 513/346-3455; Steve Winter, Brotman, Winter, Fried
Communications 202/296-7200; Jennifer Woods, PETA, 757/622-7382.)
Star-Hunting Resources
CelebrityAccess.com, a B-to-B online resource for entertainment, music industry, performing arts and event-planning professionals.
Cftech.com/brainbank/marketing/talentagency.html, a comprehensive listing of Southern California talent agencies, reprentatives and casting directors that includes the largest
and most well-known to the smaller boutique shops.
WMACCM.com, William Morris Agency, one of the world's largest and most reliable talent agencies.
IMDB.com, Internet Movie Database, one-stop-shop for the latest on movie and entertainment news.
WebbModels.com, Talent agency search engine
SAG.org, Screen Actors Guild
Ema-online.org, The Environmental Media Association, a nonprofit industry organization dedicated to educating the public through feature films and TV programs. Mobilizes
Hollywood talent to include environmental content and themes in productions large and small; matches stars with causes.
The Price of Fame
Of course, not all professional athletes are insufferable prima donnas. Most want to cultivate a positive image in the press, which is the reason Steve Winter of Washington-
based firm Brotman, Winter, Fried Communications asked Philadelphia Eagles' tight end Jamie Asher to participate in the Hair Cuttery's "Take a Player to School" campaign. Winter
says Asher was engaged to go to classes and talk to kids about the importance of staying in school. Several local news affiliates ran the story which Winter classifies as an
"astronomical" return on investment. Asher's fee: between 1,500-$2,000.
Winter cautions, however, that when an event goes too well you might find yourself at the wrong end of an athlete's ego. He recalls an event with Dexter Manley that went
flawlessly-until the former Redskin went back to the promoter and pressed for $500 more. "He had all these fans telling him how great he was, so his self-worth was suddenly
inflated," says Winter. "The promoter reluctantly paid him more, but we all sat there shaking our heads."