Maximizing a Celebrity Appearance for Your Brand

At RockOrange we represent a wide variety of clients – from large consumer brands to newly launching lifestyle businesses. With such a diverse group of clients, we always have to stay ahead of the game and keep a strong pulse on the practice of matching companies with the right strategic partners or celebrity ambassadors to drive awareness for corporate initiatives, be it product launches, red carpet events, non-profit programs or social media campaigns.

It is well known the power that a positive partnership or celebrity endorsement can have on your brand. But as a publicist, the glitz and glamour and perception of spontaneity that appears in the final coverage, doesn’t quite represent the less than sexy work that has transpired behind the scenes.

Recently, RockOrange had the pleasure of being able to promote the very lovely Jennifer Lopez as she was a recent guest of our client, Casa de Campo Resort & Villas in the Dominican Republic. She performed her very first concert in the country at the historic Altos de Chavón Amphitheater, and also brought along her children and new boyfriend, former New York Yankee, Alex Rodriguez. Her ageless beauty, tremendous talent and genuine graciousness were reflected in the photos and footage, but in and of themselves, those images and photos only go so far. It takes a rock solid plan, fresh ideas and a lot of work before, during and following the events to generate the right coverage for your clients.

With that, we thought we’d share a glimpse behind the curtain at some of the steps and a few tips on how we minimized missteps and maximized this celebrity appearance:

  • Be prepared: In advance of the celebrity’s arrival, pre-write a statement and social posts that you can send out immediately following. Have your media list ready and an editor on standby to refine any photos or footage. You want to lead the conversation, so time is of the essence. With proper planning, you should be able to quickly make minor changes to your statement, and send it out with a few clean images and footage. (Biggest reminder: DO NOT over-edit or add music to the footage. Leave the ambient noise.)
  • Know your team: When things are moving fast, or if you are based remotely from the appearance, you need to be able to trust in your partners. Have your core team identified and roles clearly defined. (A shout out to our fabulous partners at Casa de Campo!)
  • Make it easy for the celebrity: No one likes to have his or her time wasted. Pre-walk the path where the celebrity will walk. Know your entry and exit spots. Make sure they are able to quickly and easily get to their locations, without anything blocking the way. In the moment, they will be looking to you for guidance and confidence.
  • Know your end goal: Pre-determine what your ideal coverage looks like. Seed the outlets you want to be in and give them first access, or provide it to the outlet with your house cameras. Determine what your ideal coverage/image of the celebrity looks like. You want them to be shot in the perfect lighting with your brand represented in the background. Sometimes, this means kindly coercing the celebrity to stand or be somewhere they may not want to be. Politely stand your ground, know what you need to achieve, and make it happen.
  • Find things you can control: If the appearances don’t go as planned, find other ways to tell the story. What was the celebrity wearing? Who were they with? Where did they dine before or after the appearance? Stay focused on the goal of getting your brand image weaved throughout.
  • Integrate your brand message: Ensure that statements and visuals (photos and videos) reflect your brand integrity, likeness and/or name. But unless you are the president or owner of the brand, the focus is not on you. This is business and not friendship, so no cameos please.

So, how did this checklist work for us?

Our RockOrange Rockstars generated a little over one (1) billion media impressions and 250 million social media impressions off of Jennifer Lopez’s arrival to the island, groundbreaking first concert, visit and accommodations at Casa de Campo, and a philanthropic appearance with one of the resort’s local charity partners. By pitching stories that ranged from the aforementioned events to what she was wearing and details of the luxury resort, we secured over 350 placements in ten countries in media outlets ranging from Vogue and Architecture Digest to Entertainment Tonight and Telemundo.

We hope these few insights help guide your celebrity experiences to provide the best return on investment for your brand.

 


RockOrange is a fully integrated communications agency made up of a diverse group of collaborators who are passionate about building brands. We don’t just follow trends, we set them. We take solid, fresh ideas and turn them into value for the companies we work with. We see problems as opportunities, provide strategic leadership and never lose sight of our clients’ goals. 

 

 

RockOrange Clients In the News: Coverage Roundup

2017 is in full effect and boy, have things been busy! Check out this roundup of some great coverage our team has secured for our rockstar clients over the past few weeks:

Beerboard

Beerboard, an integrated beer management tool and guest display system, scored big on the front page of USA Today Sports the day after the second most watched Super Bowl in history with some impressive game day national beer consumption stats.

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Seasons 52

The popular Seasons 52 eatery in Coral Gables received a visit from Lisa Petrillo and CBS Miami for a feature on the popular TV segment, “Taste of The Town.” Additionally, lookout for an upcoming a segment with WTVJ/NBC 6 – 6 in the Mix.

 

Grand Hyatt Playa Del Carmen Resort

Grand Hyatt Playa Del Carmen Resort got lots of love on Valentine’s Day in Recommend Magazine, LatinFlyer.com, and Spa Travel Gal blog for their romantic vacation specials.

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Casa de Campo Resort and Villas

Casa de Campo Resort and Villas made the news as recording artist Jennifer Lopez prepares to do something she’s never done before, perform in the Dominican Republic. Casa de Campo will host JLo at the Altos de Chavón venue, a Grecian-style amphitheater originally built in the 1970’s. Check out the features in TravelPulse, Fox News Travel and EIN News.

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Planet Fitness

Planet Fitness made its way into the Miami Herald’s list of things to do for lovers and loners on Valentine’s Day. Check out the full list of Valentine’s Day suggestions here.

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Capillus

Capillus, a company that produces FDA-cleared laser caps for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia, was recently featured on a full-page spread in Women’s Health Magazine, an estimated ad value of $215,900.

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Looking to score some solid coverage for your brand? Drop us a line: info@rockorange.com or 305.731.2224.

 

 

Trends that Won Social Media During the Super Bowl

Like most of you, we were watching Super Bowl LI with our beer, wings, and dare we say, soul-crushing disappoint in tow (sorry Patriots fans, not sorry).

After the game, we all wanted to know what was going down off the field and on social media. Was the crying Jordan meme on Brady’s face going viral yet? Did Lady Gaga crush it with her half-time performance or was she getting slammed? Which brands’ commercials were scoring with fans and which were tanking?

So, we asked our social media team to take a dive into the conversation using our social listening platforms and analytics to let us know what was buzzing. Here are the top four trending topics throughout the night and into the post-Superbowl online frenzy:

1. Patriots Make an Epic Comeback

With over 11 million mentions across the country, the game itself was the star of the night. Garnering a whopping 36 percent of the mentions on Sunday, the Patriots comeback in the second half was the most talked about online. And honestly, who couldn’t talk about that unbelievable ending?

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2. Goo-goo for Gaga

But slow down, Pats… not too far behind, Lady Gaga came in hot with her incredible, acrobatic halftime show.

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Many were saying it was even better than the Queen B’s…

 

3. Tom Brady Makes NFL History

Along with the historic overtime win, Tom Brady also made history being the first quarterback to win five Super Bowls. Everyone was talking about it, some congratulating and some throwing shade.

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4. 84 Lumber’s Controversial Commercial

Finally, when everyone came down from the Super Bowl high (or got over the hangover), the ads became a contender. 84 Lumber caused the most buzz in the 24 hours following the big game with its controversial commercial (so controversial Fox actually denied airing the entire ad).

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You can watch the full ad here:

Shout out to Budweiser and T-Mobile for picking up big buzz for their commercials as well.

 

We enjoyed taking a short break from serious politics and cat videos to join in on the Super Bowl banter. Looking forward to seeing who makes the most talk next year… maybe a 6th win for Brady and the Patriots? (shudder)

Interested in our social media and online brand analytics services? Get at us: info@rockorange.com.

 

RockOrange Part of Team Recognized for Helping Broker Peace Between World’s Biggest Burger Chains

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Last Tuesday, the prestigious Cannes Lion Awards, considered by many the gold standard for industry recognition in advertising, twice recognized the McWhopper campaign, ideated by Young & Rubicam New Zealand.

As part of RockOrange’s ongoing relationship with Burger King, our team was recognized for its work to deliver a robust issue management process just in case the call for peace didn’t go according to plan. RockOrange also worked closely with Burger King’s other agencies on marketing ideation and materials review.

The Grand Prix awards, won in the media and print & publishing categories, went for the revolutionary campaign that saw Burger King bring competitors to the table to put aside their petty differences and raise money for the cause of peace.

“I think our Grand Prix reflects so much of what it good about the industry,” said jury president Nick Waters, CEO of Dentsu Aegis Network Asia Pacific, in an interview with AdWeek. “This is a case of a big brand. And big brands sometimes find it difficult to move quickly. This is a case of a big brand taking on an even bigger competitor, moving quickly, being bold, acting within the brand, acting cheekily, reacting to events, bringing consumers in.”

The campaign began with an open letter to McDonalds CEO Steve Easterbrook, offering an olive branch in the form of a shared burger in honor of Peace Day. The burger would use ingredients from both McDonalds Quarter Pounder sandwich and Burger King’s Whopper sandwich. The chains would meet in Atlanta—a midway point between the brands’ respective headquarters in Illinois and Miami—and open a McWhopper pop-up, with proceeds going to Peace One Day, a non-profit organization dedicating to spreading peace.

And while archrival McDonalds refused Burger King’s overtures, other fast casual and quick service restaurant brands like Denny’s, Wayback Burger, Krystal and Giraffas all opted into the campaign, successfully creating the Peace Whopper.

This is far from the first recognition for RockOrange, which earned a nod for PR News’ ‘Facebook PR Campaign of the Year’ in April, and was named ‘New Agency of the Year’ by the Bulldog Reporter and The Holmes Report in 2014.

The Cannes Lion Grand Prix awards were accepted by Young & Rubicam New Zealand, who conceived the campaign. Agency partners Code & Theory, Alison Brod Public Relations and The David Agency were recognized as well.

Smart PR or Dumb Celeb? #conspiracytheory

Celebrity influencer posts are going viral for all the wrong reasons. Celebs including Scott Disick and Naomi Campbell appear to have “accidentally” copy and pasted a little more than they should when promoting branded goods – namely the notes on ‘how-to-post’ as provided by the brand PR.

However, those “mistakes” are making the posts go viral and amplifying brand recognition even further which makes us wonder (#conspiracytheory) if this trend is ‘Smart PR or Dumb Celeb?’

 

Happy Holidays featuring Adelf

While we’re always working to deliver solid, fresh ideas for our clients, one of the best parts of the holiday season is that we get to have a little bit of fun thinking out of the box for our more festive projects.

This year, once again, we wanted to share some humor and holiday joy with you, our friends and clients that have made 2015 such an incredible year for us. In our first year, our Elf on the Shelf came to life. Last year, our Elf showed you how to take an Elfie. And this year, we’re excited to bring you… ADELF.

We had a lot of fun producing this parody — but we went the extra mile and held a Fresh Ideas Challenge among our RockStars, too. Everyone took key scenes from the video and created some pretty funny memes. It was a true roller coaster of emotion — from the awkward, to the heartbreaking, to the hilarious. Take a look below!

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Adelf on the Shelf
 

Join in on the fun by making some memes of your own and use #AdelfontheShelf!

 

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10 Ways to Rock It in PR, by a Pro in the Know

By JEANETTE NARANJO

I’m writing this on a plane bound for Washington, DC as I prepare to accept the Rising PR Stars 30 & Under Award from PR NEWS. I’m incredibly excited and humbled (thank you again, PR NEWS!) The team at my agency RockOrange, thought it would be a good idea for me to share a positive top 10 list of advice for millennials and other aspiring PR pros.

I don’t have every answer, but I know what’s worked for me, and maybe it’ll work for you!

1.  Always answer the phone… on the first ring!

There’s no better way to learn the job than being on the front lines. And in our business, the front lines are the phone lines. Be eager to grab incoming calls, and take the time to really listen. Lessons can be learned from the most surprising people.

2.  Show up early, stay late. First in, last out.

Whether it is with your time, or in the way you dress or speak, show your dedication to your teammates and your boss that you are aspiring for the job you want, not the job you have.

3.  Always ask questions.

Something can be learned from everyone you meet. You should think before you speak, but never be afraid to ask when you do not know—the risk will outweigh a mistake down the road. People that sit quietly on the sidelines and never ask questions don’t have the answers. They’re just scared to speak up.

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4.  You’re only as good as your team.

Trust in them, and let them trust in you. Help elevate them, put them in a position to succeed. It’s good practice for being a leader one day.

5.  Always be a team player

This sometimes may mean doing things you don’t want to do (including riding in the trunk, if you are the smallest member on the team!) Collaboration is key to taking ideas and building them into something even bigger and better!

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6.  Learn everyone’s name.

At RockOrange we share a building with our largest client. During my first few months with the agency, I made it a point to have a personal conversation with everyone I could—not just the executives and decision-makers, but cleaning crews, custodians, security, lunch crew, interns and everyone else. Along with just being a nice thing to do, it’s also a strategic advantage that cannot be quantified.

7.  Do the stuff no one else wants to do.

If you do it now and don’t complain, you won’t have to do it for long. It’s the nature of agency life.

8.  Embrace new challenges.

Not in a fortune cookie kind of way, but in a real, I’m-too-petrified-to-even-think-about-doing-this kind of way. Take challenges and learn from them to grow.

9.  Don’t let yourself be pigeonholed.

Be open to diversifying your skills. It will open more doors for you in future career opportunities.

10.  Most importantly, have fun!

We could have chosen to do a lot of things with our professional lives, but we picked this field. There’s a reason. At the end of the day, we’re passionate about this work and we enjoy doing it!

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Bringing Crisis Communication Expertise to PR News’ Digital PR Conference

RockOrange Managing Partner and Principal, Miguel Piedra, co-hosted an interactive clinic titled ‘How to Manage an Escalating Crisis in Real Time’ at the PR News’ Digital PR Conference. The conference brought more than 700 public relations professionals from across the country and different industries to South Beach, Miami in early June.

Miguel along with Cynthia Martinez, director of global corporate communications for Royal Caribbean Cruises provided an overview of crisis situations they managed. News goes viral in a matter of minutes, and how a company handles a crisis may determine their long-term business survival.

Miguel has been handling crises for a variety of clients throughout his career, but even though these clients have differed in their fields, the same key ingredients have been at the core of managing each occurrence.

Crisis management goes beyond issuing a statement and going on a major broadcast network. Miguel provided five key takeaways that are essential in a crisis management plan.

1.  Have the Right People, Right Setup

At the start of a crisis, the organization needs to create a dedicated crisis team comprised of a multi-disciplined taskforce — from operations, to social media, to communications — to address the problem from every angle. In this taskforce, you establish who the leader is and create separate workstreams.

2.  Be Transparent

When managing a crisis, it is important to give the company a face — for example, have the CEO take responsibility publicly. What stakeholders want at this time is accountability from the person who will solve it. Don’t blame others. You will also need to apologize — sometimes even more than you think you need to. And more importantly, you need to provide tangible actions and solutions.

3.  Be Authentic

It’s important to tell the brand story and provide experience to emphasize the brand messages. This builds equity and insulates you when crisis occurs.

In addition, you must provide faces and stories. Deal with the issue head-on. You need to be real and honest — no phrases, no bare figures.

4.  Be Fast

In crisis communications, it’s critical to decide on activities fast. You have to decide on activities quickly and put out statements within hours, not days. However, you can issue a holding statement until you know all the details and facts. Don’t hurry to issue a statement without all the information. The long-term success of your brand will be determined how well you fulfill promises you make.

5.  Address the Real Issue

You need to be brutally honest with yourself and define exactly what is the root of the problem and address it. It’s simple: don’t focus on who is to blame, focus on the solution. Acknowledging and proactively owning up to it is a step in the right direction.

Iconic brands have survived corporate crises and lived to tell the tale, but there are far too many brands that have failed to recover from these types of crises due to failures of leadership, communication, awareness, or all of the above. You have the right ingredients to handle the unthinkable — now it’s up to you to use them well and get your client to fight another day.

Billboard Shines a Spotlight on Miguel Piedra & David Naranjo

Our very own “Rock” and “Orange” — agency principals and managing partners Miguel Piedra and David Naranjo — spoke to Billboard about some of the work we do best: connecting celebrities to brands (and brands to celebrities) through multi-channel marketing campaigns, tailor-made digital strategies, and by taking traditional and non-traditional public relations initiatives to a new level.

Miguel and David shared some of the wisdom they’ve acquired over their careers with Billboard’s Angie Romero, chatting about everything from their journey to launch the agency, to some of the mistakes major brands make when talking to consumers. The article highlights some of our major and most successful projects, including the launch of Macy’s Thalia Sodi collection, Cotton’s 24 Hour Runway Show and the launch of Gloria Estefan’s 27th album, The Standards.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE!

Tidal: Jay Z’s Streaming Wipeout

By Sergio Claudio

On Monday, the world awoke to disrupted social streams courtesy of a new music app from Jay Z and friends called “Tidal.”

“We’re starting a revolution… change your avatar to blue in support. #TidalForAll!”

Instantly, all the cool kids were joining in. News spread that Kanye, Rihanna, Daft Punk, and Madonna joined the movement. For the musically curious, it was definitely worth a look (campaign mission accomplished).

To my utter disappointment, Tidal is yet another streaming music service that belongs in the “me, too” category of the app store. Claiming to be the ultimate listening experience with its revolutionary Hi-Fi streaming, the app adds hardly anything to the streaming space and comes off as a direct Spotify clone. And with a $20-per-month price tag (or $9/mo for standard definition), Tidal is basically telling fans to leave their tried and true streaming music experience for a nearly exact duplicate at double the price, because, why, HOV said so? (Oh by the way, the app and campaign were founded so that the multi-platinum artists can make more money? Jigga please.)

I’ve asked myself why I care so much. Admittedly, my reaction caught me off guard, but it must be driven by my inner-marketer. It’s hard to believe that a “business maaaaaaan” and his team of high-powered celebs would blow their influential load of social influence on a campaign for an app that does nothing new. And, furthermore, bastardizing a social strategy that has been effective for causes that people truly believe in, to try and force some prosthetic story about unity and Revolution down our throats all to support an app that is made to… make them more money? I call bullshit, and so did the rest of the Internet.

The Twittersphere quickly launched its digital tomatoes at the lackluster press conference that boasted a “follow me” celebrity lineup and awkward silences. With a keynote address from Alicia Keys replete with fluffy aspirational platitudes and misplaced Nietzsche quotes, the Tidal team made their attempt to rally the masses around a music concept designed to benefit the rich and famous while offering nothing of true value to their users. What were they thinking, that people will buy anything if they put their names on it? Now I’m sure there are those who can make the same argument about Dr. Dre and his Beats brand, but the difference is that people can get behind the idea that somewhere the good Dr. has “been in the lab with a pen and a pad” while wearing those headphones, or at least headphones with the same technology.

It’s all about the storytelling, the brand narrative, and the fact that people believe in brands that portray an image of some form of authenticity. While Jay may believe that he can sell water to a whale, when his pitch blatantly says “because you drinking this water will make me more money,” those whales would probably rather drink sand instead.

The lesson here is that we are living in a user-driven world where brands speak to more sophisticated, informed consumers. If you’re going to come out guns blazing with this much star power, do something that is going to disrupt the industry in a big way. Do something that truly flips the industry on its head. Create new music that will be licensed to platforms rather than pushed through distributors and labels. Release new albums for these influential artists exclusively on this platform. Come through with some serious innovation and fans will gladly pause their Spotify playlists to hear what you have to offer.

Otherwise, you’re just insulting their intelligence, and the Internet will respond by drowning your message in meme-worthy posts and illuminati propaganda.

 

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