Proven Marketing Technique is Adapted for Public Relations

HOLLYWOOD: With more and more companies wanting to integrate products into the lives of celebrities, The Hollywood-Madison Group, a company that recruits celebrity spokespersons, has updated the old practice of giving free product to celebrities (Celebrity Product Placement) by showing clients ways to guarantee a return for their investment.

The term "Celebrity Product Placement" is used to describe several related techniques, but its definition applies to each: free products are distributed to celebrities in expectation of a promotional benefit. Unlike the more overt, paid-for endorsement, it offers a distinct advantage. It can appear like a product choice made on individual preference. Celebrity Product Placement: A Primer.

Most companies that attempt celebrity seeding fail. Some only respond to occasional requests for products, while others make half-hearted attempts to distribute them freely without first developing a strategy. In the end, companies seed product “to the wind” but fail to grow anything of value.

But Hollywood-Madison has pioneered new techniques – ones that guarantee concrete results. With innovative approaches, special product questionnaires and a generous “Right of Publicity” agreement, clients can use the celebrity’s name, likeness and opinions as part of their campaigns.

Celebrity Product Placement is among the most inexpensive way to use celebrities. Companies can involve numerous stars in a media campaign for less than the cost of a single spokesperson. “It is one of the most under-exploited tactics available to marketers today,” said company president, Jonathan Holiff. “For the price of a few products, and sometimes a token honorarium, companies can integrate testimonials into their PR materials and create customized celebrity content for their websites.”

Celebrity Product Placement of this type tends to work best for big-ticket items such as consumer electronics and cars but inexpensive products can also be “placed” with celebrities. For Trident White chewing gum, the company commissioned a Harris poll asking the public to vote on the best “celebrity smiles.” Hollywood-Madison then placed a gift basket with the Top 6 winners, allowing Trident to plug the celebrities in their press materials.

For Sony Electronics, the company placed the Sony CD Mavica digital camera with fifteen top stars including Eric McCormack, Alyssa Milano and Dennis Hopper. Each celebrity was asked to take a picture of what “Freedom” means to them. The photographs were offered for sale on eBay as part of Wired magazine’s annual charity auction and put on display at a star-studded live event in Los Angeles. Learn more about this project here.

But does Celebrity Seeding deliver R.O.I.? Fifteen top celebrities demonstrate the practical use of Sony’s product and authorize (via contract) the use of their names, likenesses and opinions about the product for press and marketing purposes (for one year). Sony received free advertising for its product in print and online for three months, (worth an estimated $100,000), as well as 3.6 million webpage impressions (auction as a whole) and press coverage including Entertainment Tonight.

The Hollywood-Madison Group is the leading recruiter of celebrities for endorsements, appearances and press campaigns. Since 1993 it has recruited hundreds of stars including Diane Keaton, Britney Spears and director Martin Scorsese for Fortune 500 companies such as General Motors, Hewlett-Packard and Procter & Gamble. The company also conducts focus groups and popularity polling.

For more information, please contact:  Jonathan Holiff, (818) 762-8008 Ext. 200

Visit us at http://www.Hollywood-Madison.com/