Determining the best spokesperson for your company can be a daunting task, but aligning oneself with the right spokesperson is crucial. Below are a series of questions that should be answered when making the decision between celebrity and executive.
1.) Will the spokesperson resonate with the target audience?
According to the World Intellectual Property Organization, “[When using celebrities] instant recognition attracts the attention of the target audience and makes whatever they’re promoting more visible. Target audiences tend to have a higher recall and be more persuaded.”
However, an AdWeek Media/Harris Poll survey sited in the Holmes Report finds that “almost two in five U.S. adults (37 percent) find business leaders to be the most persuasive endorsers of products in advertising.”
2.) What’s the marketing objective for the program? Will the spokesperson help you meet that objective?
Gerard Braud in the article Lesson 23: Selecting the Right Spokesperson states, “if the [reporters] see the CEO out front as the spokesperson for certain events, they will assume the event is more serious because the CEO is having to handle the situation.”
Braud continues to say, “As a reporter, I generally wanted to talk to the person closest to the story or issue.”
For example, if a company is planning to release a new product, then the marketing objective is to release the product information and make the public aware of its availability. A reporter would be interested in speaking with someone in product development not the marketing director or CEO.
3.) Can the spokesperson effectively communicate the message?
According to Nina Vultaggio in Identifying Spokespeople for PR and Social Media, “Savvy spokespeople know when the demand for messaging changes. They watch the ebb and flow of information and spot the trends…When messaging changes to match customer concerns, that’s effective messaging.”
During the preparation for an interview, spokespeople should be made aware of the industry news and trends, examples of the reporter’s work or likes and dislikes, and typical questions that the reporter will ask. In some cases, the reporter may even give you a list of prepared questions.
If after going through this exercise you feel like the person isn’t able to deliver the message, it may be best to consider another person or postponing the interview. “There’s nothing worse than an ill-prepared spokesperson fumbling their way through an answer. The result – especially in the blogosphere – could be a slow death for the product or service being promoted,” states Vultaggio.
4.) What’s the marketing budget?
Cost is always an issue when determining a spokesperson.
If a celebrity is chosen as a spokesperson, a contract will need to be drafted by their agent outlining the obligations and time, which can vary in price. Also not only will you have to factor in the price of the spokesperson, but travel, food, security, car service, hair and make-up, and agent fees.
When using executives, cost can be extremely minimal since the company is already paying their salary. The costs that may be incurred from executives would be per diem and travel.
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