Boost Your Brand

Usually the decision to pursue a name spokesperson comes down to money. "Sure, it can pay off," says Janet Rickstrew, CEO of Denver-based Tomboy Tools. "But the price tag can be unrealistic for some companies, especially in the first few years of business." Tomboy Tools has used celebs such as Leslie Segrete of reality home-improvement television fame to tout its line of woman-oriented tools.

Before you reach for the stars, here are some tips for how to go about evaluating your options and finding the right pitch person.

Define expectations, budget and time frame. How long do you want your relationship with the pitch person to last? How much can you spend? How extensively will the person be used? All that should be discussed beforehand, Lenstrom says.

Do your homework. Look at companies, brands and products comparable to yours that have used a pitch person, Boehm suggests. Why were some successful and some not? Sullivan says it may be worthwhile to invest in modeling software that projects how various spokespeople will affect sales.

Be sure values, ethics and personalities jibe. A pitch person should embody the personality of a brand or product, and vise versa. Make an effort to get to know the person you're targeting, Ferrera suggests, so you're comfortable that he or she is the right fit. "You want someone who has the same values your company has." Having a pitch person with strong community inclinations resonates more with consumers today, Sullivan says.

Don't settle for just any celebrity. "It should seem like a natural partnership, not a disingenuous, forced alignment," Sullivan says.