This month, we are heading back to the 90s with the beautiful duet ‘Con Te Partiro’ by Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman. If you have ever visited the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, you've likely heard the iconic lyric of Time to Say Goodbye accompanying the famous fountains.
What does this have to do with charities?
We all know that the charity world has changed in a major way, with some charities seeing changes beyond recognition. In addition, charities are having to work harder than ever to be heard and able to deliver their mission. One of the strategies that charities are using to do this is enlisting celebrity ambassadors.
This is certainly not a new idea, as charities have proudly listed famous names to support profile raising for many years. However, in recent times, bagging a celebrity has become high on the agenda for many charity leaders.
The benefits can be huge: a social media shoutout can suddenly reach an audience far greater than the charity's own following. A celebrity attendance at a fundraising event can generate a huge opportunity to secure new donations. But what happens if this partnership backfires?
Celebrity charity partnerships that turned sour
Brian May, guitarist in Queen and well-known advocate of animal rights, has recently resigned from the RSPCA role of Vice President. Brian has been very visible as a supporter of animal rights, so it does come as a shock that he would resign from the RSPCA. According to the letter that was published by him on his social media, several undercover investigations had found evidence of failings to maintain animal welfare at RSPCA approved farms. May felt that the action taken to date by the charity was not sufficient and left him with no choice but to distance himself from the charity. One would assume that such high-profile criticism of the charity surely must cause damage?
Of course, the celebrity endorsement can cause damage by actions of the celebrity – for example, Naomi Cambell famously supported a different animal rights charity, PETA, and called out wearing fur, only to be seen modelling fur coats at a later date. This is not the look PETA would want from its celebrity endorsements and, at the very least, causes an embarrassment.
How can charities protect themselves from celebrity PR risks?
To ensure that celebrity partnerships align with your charity’s mission and reputation, follow these key steps
Define and reinforce your charity's values
Start by clearly defining your charity’s values and ethical standards. What are your red lines? What are the standards you expect of all your employees? Are these all formally agreed and documented, shared with the team and part of your everyday culture?
If this isn’t documented, spend some time focusing on these and ensuring that they are well known. When you are identifying and approaching celebrities next time, be very sure that they share the same values.
Screen celebrity ambassadors as you would employees
Just because someone is famous, doesn’t mean they get an automatic entry to the charity. You should conduct the same recruitment practices you would with any other employee. Are you absolutely sure they share the same values as the charity? In some ways, the recruitment process needs to be even more robust for the celebrity:
- Do they have a history of behaviour that could reflect poorly on your charity? A high-profile figure can bring significant exposure, but past controversies or misaligned actions could pose reputational risks.
- Are they genuinely committed to your cause, or is this just a short-term publicity move? An ambassador should be an engaged advocate, not someone seeking a quick PR boost.
Maintain regular communication and engagement
Once onboard, engage regularly with the celebrity ambassador. Make sure they are in the loop on plans and are on board with planned actions. Take time to listen to any concerns they may have and ensure that these are responded to and not dismissed. You do not want your celebrity to go rogue and make a post criticising you because you didn’t take time to listen to their concerns.
Set clear expectations with a formal agreement
A formal agreement with the celebrity is essential to set out clearly what is expected of the ambassador. This should cover things like:
- Clearly outline the charity’s values and expected conduct: communicating the values of the charity and the standard of behaviour expected when representing the charity.
- Apply the charity’s social media policies to any posts the celebrity makes in connection with the charity. For example, is it appropriate to ask that any posts are pre-approved by the charity before being published?
- Hold ambassadors accountable to their commitments: it would be disappointing to see your ambassador representing another charity at an event you were funding or expecting to be used as a profile raise for your charity.
- Establish a clear exit strategy: as part of this agreement, make it clear that the charity will say goodbye if it is no longer in the best interest of the charity to continue with the endorsement.
While there’s a saying that "all publicity is good publicity," negative press tied to your ambassador can be damaging. Make sure you have a plan that can be quickly rolled out if you need to distance yourself from the actions of your celebrity ambassador, and ensure that your charity’s reputation remains intact.
The next step
As ever, please get in touch with Dave Allum at d.allum@uhy-uk.com or your usual UHY adviser if we can be of any help.
