Idolize This

Jeffrey Montie, president of Kellogg North America, is a huge “American Idol” fan. So he when wanted to find a way to give back to the Battle Creek, Mich., community, where the cereal giant is based, to celebrate the company’s 100th anniversary, getting together a group of former “Idol” cast members to perform at a free concert seemed a natural fit.

“It was a huge success,” says Tom Weeks, senior vice president of Starcom MediaVest Group, which produced the event. “It was ‘sold out.’” (Each ticket came at the price of two canned goods that would be donated to charity.)

As the sixth season of the popular show on FOX kicks into high gear, America is once again in the throes of ‘Idol’ fever. But cast members from previous seasons aren’t sitting still. They’re busy recording albums, making appearances — and hitting the corporate entertainment scene.

A Worldwide Phenomenon

“The market wants them,” says Charles Marto, executive vice president and co-founder of Executive Visions Inc. (EVI), a Primetime Emmy-winning corporate event management and production company. EVI has produced entertainment including top stars coming out of the show.

“I think it all just has to do with the ‘American Idol’ brand. It’s so huge right now,” adds Brian Eckert, of Verge Management Inc., who represents Jessica Sierra and Scott Savol, both of season four.

Eckert reports that the two artists have done a number of corporate events and appearances, and are especially popular in their home regions. Sierra, a native of Tampa, Fla., has an upcoming engagement with the Major League Baseball team the Florida Marlins. Savol, originally from Cleveland, Ohio, receives a number of requests from his home state.

But demand isn’t limited to home towns, he says. Since “American Idol” runs in other countries, the artists also develop followings abroad. Sierra even traveled to Kazakhstan to sing at a wedding — and when she arrived, what was on TV? The current season of “American Idol.”

Matching Audience and Entertainer

As Kellogg’s knew, Idols can play well to a family-oriented audience. They especially connect with the “tween” crowd, Weeks notes.

Cast members also figured in an event marketing effort for Kellogg’s Pop-Tarts, which sponsors the “American Idol” summer tour that takes place after each season.

“The tour was very successful,” he says. “It allowed us to get in touch with the tween and all-family environment, which is what the ‘Idol’ brand does so well.”

Nelly Neben of Axis Artist Management represents Anthony Fedorov (season four), who performed at the Kellogg’s anniversary celebration. “Everybody loved it,” she says. “If you’re having an event where you are trying to also kind of involve family, it’s a great perk.”

Other synergies can be found based on the artists’ individual identities. Ken Barun, president and CEO of the Ronald McDonald House Charities, used Clay Aiken (runner
up on season two) on several occasions because of his work for children with developmental disabilities.

“The thing that we liked about him was … his background helping kids and his sense of social responsibility, and that’s the reason that we started out down that road,” he explains. “He appealed to the kind of crowd that I was looking for for the specific event. He was a good fit for it.”

Aiken appeared on a float in the Rose Bowl parade, sang at a convention for McDonald’s franchisees and appeared at an event for World Children’s Day, McDonald’s global social responsibility initiative.

Booking an Idol

Some Idols are more in demand than others, and those who work with them have a few words of advice if you’re looking to book one for an event.

“The biggest thing is just to make an offer as far in advance as you can,” recommends Eckert. “If they’re open, they’re available. They like to get out and work.”

Providing enough information is also critical.

“The biggest thing that we coach our clients in is to give us enough information so [the artist] can say yes or no to it,” says Carol Grabow of Booking Entertainment Agency Grabow.biz. “They say no more because they don’t have enough information.”

Create a picture of why it would work for them, she suggests. Include what the event is, the size, the audience, how you see the artist fitting in and how much time they would need to commit.

Both starting the process early and giving enough information would be key for booking some of the hottest stars to come out of the show. Carrie Underwood, winner of season four, hasn’t taken too many corporate gigs because she’s been so busy, according to Grabow.

Joe Cannizzaro, president of Chenoa Music Inc. and manager of Nikki McKibbin (season one), says events haven’t been her focus, although she would be interested.

Knowing your audience also helps you match them with the different types of performers. “Know what kind of music you want for the event, which will gear you toward the right type of Idol,” says Neben. “They all get to be known for different things.”

Going online is an easy way to start the process, she adds. “I find it interesting that people that are not in the music industry don’t really know how to find these artists. It’s actually just as simple as Googling them,” she explains. “I would really recommend that people that are interested in booking an Idol go to the Internet first. Google them and find their direct contact, because a lot of times there’s a lot of middle people involved and it adds a lot of confusion.”

Knowing how to handle these in-demand entertainers is also vital. “Work with someone who knows how to work with them. Work with someone who’s done acts who are five times bigger than them,” stresses Marto. “You’ve got to work with someone who has a good reputation, as well as the stars’ trust and respect.

The fees these performers command vary widely. One mid-level Idol has received from $5,000 to $50,000 for jobs. Kelly Clarkson, who two years ago would have commanded a fee of around $100,000, now commands $3-$400,000, according to one expert. Rising stars such as Taylor Hicks, who won last season, was recently booked for about $150,000, according to another entertainment production expert. Carrie Underwood is said to be approximately in the same range.

Another Kind of ‘Idol’ Fever

“American Idol” isn’t just inspiring corporations to hire contestants — it’s also a popular inspiration for interactive entertainment at company meetings and other corporate events.

“I find that a lot of corporate events or even sales meetings are having so much fun with the whole ‘American Idol’ karaoke-type idea that it becomes kind of a theme,” says Neben. Idols have appeared in these settings, she says.

Will “American Idol” keep its hold on the nation? Weeks thinks so. Its popularity even in its sixth season is unprecedented, he says. “I believe it’s the one TV show property that defies the law of gravity related to TV.”