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.
