You know what IZEA does, but do you know who we are? Peek past the screen for a glimpse into our office to meet the people who make IZEA a brand, not just a company.
Meet the Celebrity Specialist
Connecting with celebrities has never been easier: through social media sites like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, fans can hear directly from their favorite stars anytime, anywhere. But imagine if it was your job to connect some of the most influential celebrities with some of the most distinguished brands?
Meet Veronique Conus, (“V” to us ) who leads IZEA Celebrity Relations — her job is to recruit and place celebrities in IZEA’s social media sponsorship campaigns; she reaches for the stars (on social media, anyway.)
Her unique style is vintage-inspired with a nerdy twist; converse sneakers and geek-chic glasses are her fashion favorites. She wears her personality on her Star Wars sleeve — and she may as well rock ten different hats; her expertise is as eclectic as her style.
Her Story
V entered the University of Central Florida ready to excel as a history major, but like many college students, her path took a big turn. During a research project about the history of advertising, she met Ted Murphy, then founder & CEO of digital agency MindComet. The experience was a detour on her career path and it completely changed her direction; she was hooked on the industry.
It’s been nearly six years since she left school to join ‘Ted’s great adventure,’ becoming the first IZEA employee when he started the company.
Her Talent
V has held nearly every position at IZEA, short of being CEO. Today, she’s the celebrity maven, connecting stars from socialite Kim Kardashian to comedian Andy Milonakis, with SponsoredTweets campaigns. The job requires her to be savvy about all things celebrity, but let’s just say her knowledge doesn’t stem from sensationalized grocery stand magazines.
“Twitter is a platform that requires transparency, so for celebrity tweeters, maintaining their brand, personality and lifestyle is especially important. This means I have to know what’s happening in their lives and what matters most to them. It’s more strategy than glamour and gossip.”
Respect for a celebrity tweeter’s brand is critical to conducting a meaningful, effective and engaged campaign. Celebrity relations rely heavily on a perfectly catered message.
“Celebrities know it hurts their credibility to sponsor a product that doesn’t reflect their brand. In turn, it damages the credibility of a celebrity relations team to suggest a brand or product campaign that doesn’t fit.”
Her Tips
V offers these tips for celebrity relationship building:
1. Be in the know: Celebrities are diligent about maintaining their brand. It’s not enough to know the latest gossip, working with them requires an intimate knowledge of brands they’ve supported before, personal values and business goals.
2. Be authentic: It’s Marketing 101 in the 20th century and especially necessary when working with celebrities. A suggested campaign should match the star’s brand.
3. Be brief: Celebs and their agents are busy and you’ll be one of dozens (hundreds?) trying to reach them: Get to the point quickly.
4. Persistence Pays off: They’re busy – don’t be offended if you don’t hear back immediately and plan to follow up.
5. Find the real point of contact: Get the agent’s or manager’s contact information. This is the person who will help manage and facilitate the relationship.
