Uploaded by
eHow on 05.11.2008
We're talking about celebrity appearances and endorsements. And specifically in this
segment, we're going to talk about knowing the right doors to enter. Most celebrities,
particularly actors, have an agent, a publicist, and a manager. It's important to understand
the distinction between each and their role in the celebrity's life in order to know what
door to enter and sent the request depending on what it is you have to offer. Keep in mind
that an agent of a celebrity, their job is to get their celebrity clients work. Think
of it as an employment bureau if you will. A manager, in the other hand, looks at the
celebrity's big picture, their career from the big picture stand point, and manages more
of the day to day life concerns and questions of a celebrity. A publicist, on the other
hand, their job is to promote any project that the celebrity might be working on, or
to make sure that their celebrity client is still, remains in the best light in the public
eye. The agent and managers are paid on a percentage. And a percentage of nothing is
nothing. Therefore, if you have a charity request, the right door to enter is through
the publicist, who gets a flat rate on a monthly basis, regardless of whether the celebrity
is paid or not. A manager and agent gets paid a percentage. It could be anywhere from ten
to twenty percent of what the celebrity makes. So keep that in mind that their job is trying
to get their celebrity for the most amount of money possible. So, when it comes to having
a particular request go to a celebrity, keep in mind that if you have a commercial endorsement
deal, that should go through the agent. If you have a charity request, that should go
through the publicist. And if a celebrity does not have a publicist, go through the
manager. The relationships are also very, very important in terms of dictating what
door to enter. In my company, because we've been doing this for so long, at the celebrity's
source, we have relationships with celebrities directly. In addition to their representatives.
So, sometimes we may go direct to a celebrity with a request, or, even though we might go
through a publicist, or an agent, we might also show it to the celebrity just so they
know what's going on, but we don't want to step on any toes, so we will go through the
right door, but if they're holding onto that request too long, and we haven't gotten an
answer, we might use our relationships to get a speedier response. So relationships
are very important. They get people to return your phone calls and that's what I like to
think that's why people return our phone calls. But again, keep in mind, you've got to enter
the right door for the appropriateness of that, whatever the request is that you're
sending over. First of all, you certainly do not want to send a request to a celebrity
directly. We're able to do that because they know us, but they're not going to respond
to unsolicited mail, even if they're list their posted on the Internet, or printed list.
Don't send the celebrity a request directly if they don't know you. Keep in mind, again,
be appropriate with what door you enter, for what kinds of requests. Paid requests should
go through the agent, non paid requests through the publicist.
