Celebrity status as a brand

For celebrities of the moment, the big buck potential can be tempting but therein lies the rub. Cashing in on celebrity status deals willy nilly and without question, will lead to the demise of a personality as a leader brand, according to Ronnie Whitaker of Quirky House, exclusive corporate booking agent and publicity back-up service for Colin Moss, Chantal Rutter, Nicky Greenwall and Stephen van Niekerk.

"Positioning is key in maintaining a personality as a leader brand. Celebrity personalities should receive the same attention to detail as a company or an upmarket product," says Ronnie Whitaker, who established Quirky House in order to protect Colin's status as a leader brand in the corporate MC and speaker industry. Since then the Quirky House book has grown to include many new kids on the block like Nicky Greenwall, Chantal Rutter, Stephen van Niekerk and the invincible comics Cokey Falkow and David Levinsohn.

"Upmarket products and services are positioned, marketed and priced according to their branding. Celebrities should get the same respect," says Whitaker. "Turning a celebrity into a trophy doll is almost guaranteed to destroy his or her career. It might pay well for two or three years but the stars pay a high price for that. Once the public is sick of seeing them sprouting forth in ad nauseam infomercials, performing mock presenter roles or showcasing dodgy products, they are not likely to want to see them in anything else."

Whitaker sees infomercials as one of the worst insults to celebrities. "Personalities are merged with that of the repetitive ad. Before long, the trophy doll status becomes dull, boring, unbelievable and a sell out. It's terribly unfair. All the study, hard work and success of the small screen star is handed to the "telly-marketer" on a sacrificial plate. The money is tempting but surely no price is high enough to give away everything you have worked for?"

Attention to detail in image protection to corporate MC and speaker bookings is paramount at the Quirky House stable. It's essential to match the personality and branding of a celebrity to a company, a venue or a product in order to protect both client and the celebrity. Entertainment and speaker agencies, intent on making their 20% mark-up on booking fees, have perhaps been inclined to oversell celebrities as corporate MCs and speakers without taking branding into account. This has been a disservice to both client and celebrity MC, according to Whitaker.

"Colin Moss as a brand, is prestigious, upmarket, young, honest, cutting edge, outspoken, vibrant and sexy. As a stand up comedian he is well suited to sophisticated humour. Booking him as a corporate MC to a conference of middle aged pharmacists or as a comic in a sports bar full of Blue Bulls supporters could be misplaced. Somebody said a few months ago 'when you are invited to a function at which Colin Moss is MC, you know beforehand what sort of function it's going to be.' That sort of branding is not an accident and we are proud of it."

The brief is important too and clients have as much responsibility in this as the celebrity agent. As a writer, Ronnie Whitaker assists both client and celebrity in writing and scripting. "It's worth going the extra mile to ensure your brand isn't affected by a disappointing performance. There's nothing worse than seeing a popular screen star appear on stage and have nothing intelligent to say. Being a celebrity doesn't necessarily qualify you to be an MC, a fact many corporate clients have found out too late. There are basic requirements for a successful MC - the ability to think on your feet, quick wit, charm, skill in public speaking and the art of repartee. But to be an awesome celebrity MC, you have to be able to speak from the heart about the company and it's services or products. You have to be passionate about the topic and you have to be believable. That's why we are passionate about the brief!"

"Corporate clients pay well for a top celebrity MC. They should get a value added service."