Your Essential Checklist For Enlisting a PR Spokesperson

Engaging a brand spokesperson can hugely benefit your brand profile, but it takes time, money and research to find the right individual. Drafting someone from the executive team doesn’t always make sense, and high profile celebrities can be exorbitantly expensive. What you’re really looking for is someone who's interested in representing your brand; is articulate, credible and engaging; demonstrates enthusiasm for your business; and with whom you feel comfortable putting your brand reputation in their hands. Above all you're looking for the perfect fit.

Strategic Objectives has significant experience recruiting perfect PR spokespeople for our clients' brands. We’ve partnered with movie star Nia Vardalos; astronaut Buzz Aldrin; hockey stars Guy Lafleur, Doug Gilmour and Darcy Tucker; supermodel Coco Rocha; foodies Ted Allen and Roger Mooking ... and many more celebrities on our clients' behalf.

Here is your Essential Checklist for Enlisting the Perfect Spokesperson:

1. Know your brand. A good spokesperson will mirror your brand image and values so it’s important that they understand your tone and voice. What’s the most important point you want your spokesperson to share, and how do you want it to be communicated?
2. Understand your audience. Know who you’re speaking to. The partnership between your brand and spokesperson needs to makes sense. It should be genuine and credible so that your audience feels connected and motivated to act (i.e. buy your product!).
3. Determine your budget. Celebrity spokespeople can significantly increase program impact, but they often come at a high price. Partnering with a company employee as spokesperson can be a budget-friendly option, but may require a significant time commitment that obstructs their day-to-day work. Credible third-party spokespeople can always be found to fit your program’s needs, so set your budget, and be realistic before beginning your search.
4. Research. Make sure you triple check your potential spokesperson’s background to ensure they’re not in conflict with your product/cause. Do your research and make sure they’re not already working with a competitor, or have a bad reputation. Your spokesperson will be an ambassador for your brand and finding someone with a personal connection to your company/cause might be beneficial. At a minimum, your spokesperson should relate to your company and its products or services. It's a big plus if your spokesperson has already had media training. Key Message training will be critical to ensuring your spokesperson delivers consistent, on-brand information.

Hiring a spokesperson for your company is a great way to generate positve, key message-driven social and media coverage, engage with consumers, and hopefully, influence perceptions and behaviours. The most important factor to consider when searching for a spokesperson is finding someone who will collaborate with you to achieve your objectives. With patience and perseverance, you can find the right fit.

Are you looking for a PR agency that has proven results choosing the perfect PR spokesperson, please contact us — we’d LOVE to help!