A celebrity endorsement of your campaign can make a real difference in terms of media coverage, public awareness and pressure on the relevant organisations. Celebrities set an example that people can follow. Some charities use celebrities to speak to wealthy potential donors and to motivate staff. More often than not your campaign will not be on such a large scale, but there are still benefits.
The first questions are how do you identify a potential high profile supporter for your cause and who is appropriate? Factors to consider are:
Do you need celebrity endorsement at all? Consider what progress you are making and what exactly the support of a high-profile figure can contribute
What kind of celebrity do you want? A member of a popular girl-band might not be appropriate for your campaign for factory workers’ compensation
Is your issue a matter of local concern? If so, you might want to contact a local celebrity
Are there already high-profile figures speaking out in support of a similar cause? If so, you might be able to elicit their support for your particular group
Before you set about contacting high-profile figures and celebrities there are a few other things you need to bear in mind.
Different kinds of celebrity Celebrities in the traditional sense of the word are not the only people that may help you in your cause. There are all kinds of other high-profile figures and organisations that can add a similar impetus to your cause. For example, academics, writers, local dignitaries and even prominent local project/programs and shop-owners can take your campaign to another level.
Celebrities concentrate their charity Many celebrities do in fact support charities and campaigns. However, they cannot lend their support to every single cause going.
Generally they lend their time and money to two or three causes they feel strongly about or have personal experiences of, and don’t consider any others. For instance, Ms Dynamite campaigns against guns, since this is strong part of the black music scene, and Harry Potter author JK Rowling supports single mum charities, because she was a single mother.
Be certain to do your research and find out with what causes the figures you are interested in are aligned. Search the internet for instances of celebrity endorsement for causes similar to your own. Use search engines as well as specific archives such as newspapers online and the BBC sites. For more help with online research read the Action Network guide, How to use the web in your campaign.
You can also contact national organisations which deal with these wider issues and ask them if they have any knowledge or contacts.
For example, you might be trying to prevent a mental care institution from being closed down in your area and so contacting the organisation Mind would be helpful. They may tell you that Dame Judi Dench has lent her support to causes related to schizophrenia because of family experiences. There is no guarantee that she would have the time to lend her voice but it is a useful starting point.
Long-term or short-term support? Quite often, the causes that celebrities lend their support to are by their very nature long term, such as child poverty. If your cause is finite, highlight the fact that their support need not represent a long-term commitment.
Tom Conti campaigns in London
Local feeling If your campaign is very locally based, find out which celebrities live in your area. You can do this by contacting your local paper. It is definitely worth drawing their attention to your campaign as it could potentially affect them, and if they added their voice to your campaign it would almost certainly attract the attention of the local media.
The power of promotion Remember that the celebrity has something to gain as well from the exchange. Although they will need to believe in the cause before they can lend their support, one factor to bear in mind is their own need for promotion at the time.
This could be a welcome return to the limelight for one or a way of drawing attention to themselves or their films or books for another. This may sound cynical but sincerity and self-promotion can exist side-by-side.
Agents and representatives How you contact your chosen celebrities very much depends on who they are. Most writers, musicians, singers and actors or actresses are contactable through their agents. Some have secretaries. The best way to find out who the particular agent of the figure you are interested in is to contact their publisher or record organization.
For actors' agents search Spotlight, the casting directory, or The Stage, the actor’s publication. Both will be able to direct you to the appropriate person or organisation. The publication ‘Who’s Who’ is an excellent source for agents or contact addresses. All this can be found in your local library.
Write a letter Write an effective letter outlining your cause and its implications. Remember to stress why the support of the celebrity is particularly important and raise points specific to them that you have learnt from your research.
Don’t waffle. You want to make your case briefly but effectively and you don’t want to confuse them with too much detail. You can include a press pack with more information should they be interested.
Give them a range of options in terms of their involvement. Sometimes a statement is enough – you can put that on a press release.
Obviously the best case scenario is if they pledge their full support but there are plenty of ways they can get involved. Be creative in your thinking. Remember that celebrities are very busy people so something that doesn’t need to be too time-consuming is more likely to get some input. Some suggestions are:
If you really feel that your campaign needs the boost of energy from a famous figure you can widen your net and approach other figures or rethink the kind of person you should be approaching.
Ultimately, however, the effectiveness and success of your campaign will depend on many factors, only one small part of which is likely to be celebrity endorsement.
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