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Powering stars
Celebrity managers provide services such as celebrity/athlete grooming, managing his or her time schedule, public relation services, marketing and advertising campaigns, negotiating endorsements, promotional launches, parties, and personal appearances for their clients.
The lowdown
Celebrity managers provide services such as celebrity/athlete grooming, managing his or her time schedule, public relation services, marketing and advertising campaigns, negotiating endorsements, promotional launches, parties, and personal appearances for their clients. They handle the client’s career – from signing clients based on talent and marketability to telling them where to go for auditions. The manager’s work has a wide range. Also, the manager might advise the client about personal decisions, handle fan mail, be active on social media on their behalf and provide a shoulder to them to cry on. From image management to giving the right quotes in case there’s a scandal or controversy involving the client, celebrity managers have a lot on their plate. They have the power to make or break stars
Clockwork
9.30 am: Check mails; do follow-ups
10 am: Check on make-up person for photo shoot
11 am: Make F&B and other arrangements for client
12 pm: Pick up and accompany celebrity to shoot
4 pm: Meet soft-drinks company to pitch celebrity client
6 pm: Meet celebrity client for drinks
8.30 pm: Meet another client for dinner
10 pm: Pack up and head home
The payoff
Starting salaries can vary between Rs7,000 and Rs20,000 a month, depending on the size of the company and the grade of celebrities it manages. Striking out on one’s own (typically after 10 years) can mean big payoffs but be prepared for lean periods too when the endorsement market cools off. As you move up the ranks you can make upwards of Rs1 lakh per month
Skills/TRAITS
* An amazing amount of patience and maturity
* Ability to connect with people from varied backgrounds
* Ability to come up with quick solutions
* Understand media and image-building
* Business-minded
* Well-informed about brands
* Creative thinker
* Should be able to handle and manage celebrities, their egos and tantrums
* A happy-go-lucky attitude will help you keep stress at bay
Getting there
After Class 12, you can pick up a public relations or advertising degree or diploma. Marketing and media planning courses would also provide an edge. One can then intern at a celebrity/sports management firm. Industry insiders strongly recommend on-the-job training, developing brand awareness and deep knowledge of the endorsement market
Institutes and URLs
* Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi
* Lady Shri Ram College for Women, New Delhi
* Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Delhi Kendra
* Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Delhi Kendra
* St Xavier’s College,Mumbai
Pros and cons
* Hobnobbing with celebrities
* Working with big brands
* Travelling all over the world
* Potential to develop a wide-reaching network
* Big deals can mean big pay-offs
* Prospect of starting one’s own company in about 10 years
* Not a desk job
* Need to be available to clients 24/7
* Dealing with celebrity quirks can be stressful
* Hard work, needs a lot of networking and coordinating
One cannot afford to be anything less than a perfectionist in this profession. It’s a glamorous as well as a demanding field Ena Sharma, director, Lakshya Talent & Celebrity Mgmt Pvt Ltd
