Understand brands and endorsements

Pankaj Mullick interviews Indranil Blah, vice president, Kwan Entertainment & Marketing Solutions.

How did you get started in artiste and celebrity management?

I always knew I wanted to be in the sports and entertainment industry and didn't want a conventional job. The buzz of entertainment fascinated me. Fresh out of college, I applied to a few celebrity management/entertainment companies and started as an intern. Later, while I was in a marketing function, celebrity management was one of the services the company I worked for provided. Over time, I realised that I enjoyed celebrity management and this was the career I wanted to follow.

According to your experience, what qualifications can prepare an aspiring candidate for this field?

Celebrity management isn't rocket science and doesn't require any qualifications, degrees or diplomas. However, it does help if the candidate is aware of the world around her / him and can converse intelligently with people from diverse backgrounds.

If you were hiring for your business, what would be the personality traits you would look for?

When we hire a celebrity manager, we look at someone who is smart, and a quick, logical thinker. In this profession, you need to be on your toes all the time and anticipate the situation. It helps if the candidate understands brands and the endorsement market because celebrities would want their manager to know which star is endorsing which product and what brands are looking for. Also, very importantly, the candidate should have brilliant communication and people skills, something that a degree can never teach you.  So, if you are good with people, smart and logical, a quick thinker and have a general understanding of the entertainment industry, you have a shot at becoming a celebrity manager.

Are there any courses for this field? Which ones would you recommend?

There's absolutely nothing in India that I am aware of. There are celebrity management courses abroad, particularly in the United States but they are expensive and may not be very relevant to the Indian context. I would suggest interning with a celebrity management agency to start off; nothing better than learning on the job!

How does one get started in this field?

While the best way to start off is by interning with a celebrity management firm, the actual education can start in college itself. I suggest interested candidates keep a track, through commercials, of which celebrities are endorsing which products. Following brands and understanding their communication strategies go a long way in becoming a celebrity manager.

Author: HT Horizons

Date: 3rd Feb., 2010

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