Hiring the wrong celebrity to represent your brand can be a costly mistake. Witness, for instance, all the recent acrimony surrounding Paula Deen and the brands that licensed her visage.
Over the past half-century, as the age of the celebrity has taken over American public life, a cottage industry has emerged to assist advertisers in their all-important search for the perfect face to slap on, say, the side of their honey-baked ham. Helping brands measure a celebrity’s value is a competitive field and one that continues to get increasingly specialized.