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But UNICEF uses celebrities for more than the media attention they garner. Ambassadors might testify on Capitol Hill, visit with children in foreign countries, lobby foreign governments and their leaders, call donors to acknowledge generous donations or speak with board members about an issue.
The bottom line when bringing on celebrity advocates is to find someone who is passionate about your mission and cause. It shouldn’t just be about having a celebrity for an event. Select celebrity advocates that will be able to articulate the mission of your organization and be credible and sincere about the work that you’re doing.
Szarkowski says the U.S. Fund for UNICEF has found that the best celebrity ambassadors are those that come to the organization on their own because they’ve done research on it or have an affinity for its mission.
“I think that’s really a great starting point rather than pursuing people who may or may not have time or may or may not be interested,” she says.
Before bringing a celebrity on as an ambassador, the organization has a conversation with him or her in which it shares information about its mission and the role of an ambassador. Szarkowski says celebrities often will support the organization quietly — serving as chairperson for a campaign or making a speech at an event — before taking on the role of ambassador.
Naturally attracting celebrity supporters is yet another reason why, she adds, that it’s important for an organization to have a strong, recognizable brand that’s tied to its mission and to successfully communicate its mission and what it does.
“Then people will know how to find you, know what you stand for, know what you’re accomplishing, and that allows for their interest to be directed to you in the first place,” she says.
Organizations also can initiate conversations with celebrities that have expressed an interest publicly about an issue or cause.
Some tips Szarkowski shared in terms of selecting and working with celebrity ambassadors are:
1. Select a celebrity with a sincere interest in your organization.
2. Be strategic and respectful of their time by making the most of it. “Instead of going to the celebrity on five different occasions with five different things, try to bundle your asks and have a plan,” she says.
3. Honor what they’re interested in. Celebrities may have ideas that the organization has overlooked.
4. Enable them to leverage their personal and professional relationships in support of the mission.
Lisa Szarkowski can be reached via www.unicefusa.org
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