CMM have years of experience in the supply of personalities for the PR & Advertising sectors.
CMM have the quickest and most direct links to most celebrities and speakers or their representatives.
The celebrity you finally utilize within your brief has most probably been contacted by
CMM for proposals before, and as such we are aware of the pitfalls of using certain celebrities or management companies.
Timing your enquiry can certainly aid your client's event. Book too late and you run the risk of your preferred celebrity or speaker being unavailable. Book too early and especially with photo-calls, your celebrity may become less current (celeb's can go out of fashion VERY quickly), and may also not be able to fully commit due to other contractual obligations. Equally, other 'more' appropriate celeb's may come on the scene.
CMM suggests looking to book your chosen celebrity 2-3 months ahead of the proposed event date.
The exceptions are International speakers and 'huge' stars who are likely to be booked up many months ahead. In these instances suggest CMM contract them for you as early as we can.
Unless you are already sure of the celebrity your brief requires it is wise to assign a maximum budget for your celebrity's activity. This enables
CMM to realistically suggest the most appropriate celebrities for your activity.
The fees for a celebrity's involvement varies between £1,500 and up to around £1,000,000 for a huge campaign involving a major international star.
The average fee for a photo-call/personal appearance is £5,000-£20,000.
There are many choices for the £1,500-£5,000 budget. [More Info]
Unless you proposal has unlimited budget, unrestricted dates, is a benign enough brand or product to be acceptable to your chosen celeb, you are also sure that you celeb has non contractual bars or restrictions... keep your options open!
If you or your client gets 'hung up' on one specific personality or speaker, if that individual ultimately can't or won't participate within your activity, the disappointment often means the job getting shelved.
Work to a list of favourite 3 or 4, preferably in order of preference. If '1' can't do it.. then chances are, choices '2', '3' or '4' will be fine.
As we know, in PR & Advertising clients often get carried away. Michael Jackson isn't singing at your Boss's Kid's Birthday party for £10,000.. whoever he is! Sly Stallone is not appearing in your client's new ad for £25,000.
Even suggesting the impossible is 'worth an ask' will make all other choices feel somewhat, second rate. We appreciate your client's don't always understand, but our job is to make them feel thrilled with whoever finally fits the budget. Try to keep their feet firmly on the ground. It'll prove easier in the end.
Before approaching the celebrities, it is important to be clear of what they may end up doing.
If your activity may take 3- 6 days.. ask for 6 or 7. If your final requirements do increase from the original brief; costs will certainly increase.
If your photo-call involves speaking to radio, TV & press, tell us it's a media morning. The initial cost may be no more, but if it's dropped in later... Fees will rise.
Most celebrities have a few of their own 'pet' charities, which they support in their own way. Linking celebrities to charities is not unusual, but can only work in the following way.
Fees directly from charitable organisations are not acceptable to most celeb's (or
CMM), however if a sponsoring company pays the bill, it can be done. These fees are generally the normal (or close to) fees.
The exception is when a speaker or artist is being engaged to perform at an event or dinner where tickets are being sold to pay for the performer or speaker.
Asking a celebrity to donate his or her fee to charity is also not the greatest of ideas.
[More Info]
Marketing sometimes requires mailing requests, questionnaires, invitations etc directly to celebrities. If you get the letters/packs to
CMM, they will arrive on the the required celebrities doormats within a few days. Fees are subject to requirement. [More Info]
CMM can also contact the celebrities to check progress if required. This latter service is a very effective way of delivering celebrities to parties or premieres etc.
Most personality's images can now be found somewhere on the Internet. Search using your favourite search engines using the following tips:- -
Make sure you are spelling the search target's name correctly, close won't do!
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Capitalise your search name. ie Chris Lewis, not CHRIS LEWIS or chris lewis.
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Put the name in speech marks so the words are looked for together. ie "Jools Holland"
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Use different search engines if no luck.
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Broaden your search to include the production or organisation they are associated with. e.g. if no Dervla Kirwan, try Ballykissangel. For Ryan Giggs find a MUFC site. Also fan sites can prove very useful indeed for biographies and images.
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Explore the links on the web sites you find.
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When found, right click on pic or text and 'save as'.. give it a name and save it onto your hard drive or disc..
...IS CONTENTMENT
And an individual cannot reach contentment until he or she is truly happy with what they already have. | 
The Meaning of Life
