5 Essential Questions to Ask Before Booking Talent

5 Essential Questions to Ask Before Booking Talent

Booking talent can be a daunting task. With so many options available, it’s important to ask the right questions to ensure you find the perfect fit for your goals. Whether it’s a corporate event, a brand campaign, a fundraiser, a TV show, or a new digital series (we have done it all, and more!) understanding the essentials will help you make an informed decision. Here are some key questions you should consider before starting the booking process. 

The key to understanding talent booking, however, is knowing that no single answer is the end-all, be-all of your strategy. Each one of these answers provide context to and play off of each other to define the best plan for you. We here at CE are the experts at understanding not only each step in this decision-making process, but how to leverage all of your needs and wants into the perfect bespoke talent solution. 

1. Who is Your Audience?

The first place to start is at the end. Picture the end result of your work and the audience it is meant for. Who are they? What do you want from them? And what kind of an experience do you want to create for them? Talent-based content can be anything from a moment that sparks buzz, something that stirs up a sentimental reaction, or an incentive to hop on a new trend. All day, every day we’re fed content with celebrities and creators selling something — be it a product, a song to listen to, or a project to get involved in. Understanding who your audience is is one of the biggest pieces of booking talent. It’s ok if it is the following you already have and your goal is to nurture loyalty, just as it is if you’re looking to swing big and make a move for new eyes and demographics. With this in mind, we move onto … 

2. How many bookings do you need? 

There can be a lot of back and forth around quantity when it comes to bookings — both through the lens of following count/ star power of whom you’re looking to book and the number of bookings you’re looking to make. While it’s tempting to lean into the old adage “bigger is better,” the truth is that there’s no one size fits all plan. (As you will see, this will be a pattern for every question in this post.) 

One huge name offers a certain draw and appeal with their star power, but multiple talent also gives you the opportunity to represent more diversity — not just based on race or ethnicity but types of buyers, different demographics, etc. Ultimately, when it comes to answering the question of “how many bookings?” your solution will tie in very closely with your decision regarding your audience. CE has always taken a proactive approach to working with clients on honing in on the strategy that is most realistic and most beneficial for them. 

3. What is your budget?

There is so much nuance in the concept of a project budget — whether it be $5, $5 million, or $0! The first thing to understand is that money isn’t the only compensatory thing a project has to offer. There’s the traditional monetary payment, but there is also non-monetary payment or value. What else could talent be getting? If there is a huge brand or illustrious opportunity on board for the project, the talent may be incentivized because they want that association as a way to elevate their own celebrity. What we are experts in doing is understanding the immeasurable value that can be found within a budget, and how to leverage the financial aspect with the nonfinancial aspect.  

There are many reasons talent may engage with opportunities, from promotion, to passion, to an existing relationship with the project. Budget is not a make or break aspect of booking, but it is important to understand the current landscape of the entertainment industry. Talent budgets are at an all time high and the competition is greater than it’s ever been. The same pool of creators and celebrities are getting multiple offers a day to participate in events, shows, campaigns, endorsements and beyond. 

Cultivated manages budgets on projects from promotional appearances to highly paid brand campaigns, and so we know very well that the strategy looks very different depending on what the budget looks like. We also know that there are a lot of ways to work with a budget. This point goes back to points one and two — the factors of audience, number of bookings, and allotted budget all play off of each other. 

Discussing rates and payment terms is a topic that many find uncomfortable, but it is necessary for clarity in entertainment booking. Every type of talent will have a different structure when it comes to pricing, and knowing where you stand financially is crucial to avoid any surprises later. Remember to ask about what is encompassed in their fee—does it cover travel, equipment, or accommodation? Understanding these details will help you budget effectively and set expectations.

4. What is your timeline?

Celebrities are busy people! With the creator economy on the rise and many brands and media opportunities seeking digital-based talent, these creators are booked, busy, and have a ton of exclusivity that your brand or event may need to work around. It is key to plan ahead and be very clear about what your project’s timeline is, as the difference between making a booking or not can sometimes come down to 90 minutes (we’ve seen it happen!). 

Oftentimes, there is so much more than just the event itself, such as pre-production calls, social deliverables calendar, etc. to factor into your timeline. Before you reach out to talent, you need to know what flexibility you have with timing. If this is an immensely hard date that can’t be moved, you may have to miss out on talent, but if there is flexibility, you can move around to accommodate your dream talent’s schedule. 

It’s wise to know your flexibility before you reach out to talent. Clear communication is the key to making a seamless booking.

5. What is included in the booking?

Understanding the deliverables you need from talent is essential to ensuring a successful talent booking. For traditional media appearances, this may be more straightforward, but for digital projects, brand ambassadorships, or social media campaigns, the details are critical. Is there an exclusivity clause? And what is the expectation of talent posting on their accounts? Cultivated guides clients through the best way to get the most impact out of your bookings through discussing and negotiating these terms. 

Ultimately, booking talent depends on the culmination of the answers of *all* of the above questions. One consideration may lead the way and inform the rest of the decisions, but in a well-crafted strategy the who, how many, how much, when and what (so to speak) all play off of each other. We are here to partner with and guide everyone we work with, and hope that this post serves as a jumping off point to creating your talent strategy!