By William Soulier, CEO and co-founder of Talent Village,

From Robert Downey JR and Jennifer Aniston to Reese Witherspoon, we all have our favourite actors. Those who we simply love to watch on our screens at home and at the cinema. But our interest and passion for the acting community goes further than the films and shows we indulge in; as these professionals transcend into compelling content creators too.

Today, actors are now using their voice behind the scenes, as they continue to build their own fanbase; one who genuinely cares about their career and want to know more about that actor beyond their role.

So, how can brands deep dive into this community and turn actors into powerful media channels? Read on to find out what brands need to consider when working with actors.

1 Prioritise Purpose: In general, actors will have an agent or some form of representation. As a result (just like with any talent) they may turn down opportunities that collide with their values and identity. While this can be limiting on occasion, for the brands who do achieve these partnerships, they can build long-term relationships with true talent who have an aligned audience.

For example, the award-winning actor and comedian Kevin Hart has a personality both audiences and marketers love. One notable brand Hart has worked with is PokerStars, an online poker service. During a hilarious sponsored video, Hart made a spectacular entrance during the championship, which successfully gained positive brand perception because the context felt organic and the video had a dual purpose.

2 Do your research: When working with actors, look into their profile, charity work and discover their interests. By understanding this history, brands are able to ensure their message fits with that audience and build a successful and creative concept.

Look at Emma Watson, who is a wonderful advocate for sustainability. Throughout her career she has been a driving force of the movement and has even taken time away from her studies to work with brands such as People Tree, which inspired her cover on Vogue Australia’s first sustainability issue. Last year, she even partnered with Good on You, because she wants her audience know her clothes don’t harm our precious planet or it’s people. These natural collaborations enhance her efforts and beliefs whilst driving genuine advocacy for the brands she’s worked with.

However, one wrong move can impact the brand and the talent themselves (think Jennifer Aniston and Aveeno). Consequently, agents are likely to always be on the side of caution when it comes to considering new campaigns.

3 A diverse following: In general, an actor is going to have a large range of followers, across various locations because they often work on global productions. This reach can be beneficial for brands, mainly due to the sheer breadth of their following.

But in the same vein, it can be limiting when the brand’s message and overall ethos gets lost because they have ultimately taken on a celebrity status. So, marketers need to look beyond vanity metrics and focus on quantitative data to ensure they are not just paying expensive fees for talent who have otherwise lost authenticity.

4 Don’t force it: The secret behind any successful campaign, is that it should always feel natural to everyone involved. Nothing should ever feel fake, especially in today’s media when such allegations can quickly result in overnight controversy.

This was unfortunately something which Tom Hanks, recently experienced. He condemned a promotion made by a CBD company that shared a fake endorsement from him of an old photograph and a quote which he claimed he never said. By responding to this as fake news, Hank’s honest reaction received thousands of comments, that supported him for calling out the international hoax. This in turn called out the brand who incorrectly took advantage of his reputation.

5 Listen & Learn: By working with professionals who are credible experts in their fields, such as actors - brands are able to avoid key issues and concerns which have otherwise caused a lack of trust in the industry. These fails and flops of bad practice have quickly risen because brands have followed poorly executed strategies and endured them on repeat.

However, brands could solve this solution, by working with represented professionals who seek to craft content that is authentic and goes in front of audiences that genuinely care. By understanding the value behind agency-signed talent, marketers are able to benefit from their expertise, which can be optimised in order to improve performance and impact, across multiple marketing channels.

We believe that that brands succeed by being part of the conversation – not interrupting it or subverting it, and by creating content that lives and breathe in people’s lives, wherever and whatever they’re doing. This is something that brands need to be conscious of when working with actors, or indeed any talent, in order to ensure their campaign delivers real measurable results.

Photo by Avel Chuklanov on Unsplash