A note about celebrity gifting

Every time we cover a party with a lavish gift bag or a gifting suite, we inevitably get posts where readers complain that celebrities are the last people who need to get free stuff or that the stuff should be donated to charity instead.  I think Ciaran, our Celebrity Fashion/Gear Editor, explains the impetus behind celebrity gifting very well and I’d like to share it with all of you. 

The thing is, simply giving items away to a shelter doesnothing for awareness, and that marketing and advertising for acharitable cause costs so much more than a giveaway.

Companies give up their products and support a cause becauseit is good bang for marketing buck AND because they can feel good aboutsupporting their cause of choice, getting attention for a good cause.

Many of the companies who participate in celebrity giveaways also give away a significant number of items directly to charities. That just does not get the same amount of press!

The giveaways, no matter how you feel about the idea of swag,are part of what draws celebs and media in to cover the event. As for the celebs, when most celebs put in an appearance tosupport a cause, they are not paid for their appearance. A similar"marketing" appearance or endorsement of a commercial venture or item would normally cost big $$$.

Many of the items that celebs receive are also often donated to local shelters. Most of them don’t keep all the items.

It saddens me to see all the ire and anger out there. Yes,we’d all love to get free stuff. But we cannot all bring that kind ofattention to a cause. Just like we cannot all be paid millions ofdollars to act in a film.

I’d also like to point out that at the Celebrity Baby Blog, not onlyare reader giveaways a common occurrence (so regular moms like youhave the opportunity to get some of the great stuff that celebs get forfree), but we donate a lot of cash and product to charity.  Forexample, this year, we raised over $1,100 for La Leche League throughthe World Breastfeeding Week Raffles and last winter holiday season, as part of our 2006 Holiday Project wedonated over $3,300 in cash and baby clothes and gear to Good ShepherdServices, a NYC social service agency.  These are regular charity projects for us, too.

I hope that Ciaran’s explanation helps you understand the swag biz and why we cover it.

Comments

I have read several articles about celebs receiving huge payments for appearances at charitable events. There are several articles on the internet about said payouts and celebrities demanding huge amounts of money to show their faces at charity events (even the ones that may be “close” to their heart)…snort. Hopefully, this is not the case with most celebrities, but I guess we really will never know what really goes on. As for the swag celebrities receive, I have never really complained, I understand how important marketing is and giving away a $1000 worth of baby swag is a whole lot cheaper than buying an ad in a national publication.

- Tara on September 19th, 2007

It is a marketing tool so why not use it. I’m sure it helps up the sales of items that we see celebrities using. It would be nice for more to go towards charities, etc but I totally understand the mechanics of it.

- Amber H. on September 19th, 2007

I understand the idea of gifting suites and things of that ilk. What I don’t like is companies (and CBB) just giving things privately to celebrity mothers and their children- and this happens ALL the time. It has nothing to do with charity or raising awareness for a cause- unless raising brand awareness is a “cause”!

- Astrid on September 19th, 2007

I personally would not be more inclined to buy something just because a celebrity uses it.
Buying something just because your favorite celebrity has it is simply pathetic. Make up your own mind.

And I would probably be less likely to buy something from a company that participates in giving it away free to celebrities just for the publicity. I would buy a lot from a company that gives it away to people who truly need it.

- Beverley on September 19th, 2007

I have always understood why they do it. It’s great publicity for a company but that doen’t mean I have to agree with it.

- Sarita on September 20th, 2007

What is the “cause” you mention in your article? Is it marketing? I wouldn’t exactly call that a cause! I doubt any of these companies give to celebrities for any reason other than increasing their revenues. If a product is truly genuine, useful, and yes, it can be fashionable too, then it should sell on its own.

- Heather on September 20th, 2007

So basically celebrities have to be bribed into attending charity events by the promise of free goods? Nice.

I understand the marketing aspect of it but to pretend it is for “good” is silly.

- Don'tPanic on September 21st, 2007

I have personally gifted celebs through my company http://www.bellaziza.com and see it as a very useful tool if and when photos do get published of someone wearing our exquisite baby barrettes. It’s not so much that consumers will fall into line to buy a product JUST because they see it being worn by their favorite celeb, it’s more that people will be like ‘oh that’s SO cute and where can I get one?’.

- Crista Makdouli on September 21st, 2007

“Regular moms” like us?? Are the mods including themselves in that?

- TaraLynn on September 22nd, 2007

“It’s not so much that consumers will fall into line to buy a product JUST because they see it being worn by their favorite celeb, it’s more that people will be like ‘oh that’s SO cute and where can I get one?”

Then test that theory and have some giveaways. Let some everyday people in different places pass on the word about all these fine swag products. There are still people who will ask a stranger where they got a nice bag, outfit, etc.

I dunno, at this Boom Boom Room event, it’s kinda hard to take it seriously when there are nonstop shots of the same people, such as Kim Porter, scooping up as much as their arms can carry with big, “I don’t want to be here but I get free stuff so here I am” grins

- J on January 17th, 2008

Of course you agree with giving swag. Don’t you get lots of free stuff too just for having this site and advertising goods?

Meanwhile, people out there have lost their jobs and homes and actually NEED support and help.

Land of the GREED

- MEME on January 17th, 2008

I totally agree with J. The celebs just want free stuff. Period. And the companies giving it to them want free publicity. Period. It is product placement pure & simple. I get why they do it, but it seems so tacky of the giver & the taker. It has nothing to do with “bringing awareness” to a charity. Who knows how much of the stuff we see celebs using is what they actually purchased versus what they got for free. And it is ridiculous they are given so much when they have the money to buy it all.

I own a kid’s shop and to be honest any time I’ve carried something that was “seen on” a celebrity baby, it’s never helped because if they don’t like the celeb, they then don’t like the product. Sometimes I’d cringe when the company would trumpet an unliked celeb owning it-I’d NOT tell customers because it actually hurt the product. Items customers see on another everyday person or hear great things about from everyday people is what sells.

- C on March 31st, 2008