CELEBYTE: ADDING NEW DIMENSIONS TO CELEB-BRAND COLLABORATIONS

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When a car wash company wanted to celebrate its seventh anniversary, they requested a shout-out from television actor Rohit Roy, congratulating them on their new milestone. This kind of brand engagement is the latest feature on Celebyte, an online platform that connects fans to their favourite celebrities.

From promoting new services to recommending a range of products, these promotional endorsements offer businesses a chance to showcase a video message from a celebrity of their choice minus the legal hurdles and the hefty price tag that’s typical of celebrity endorsements.

Celebyte.com is a part of media and entertainment tech start-up Armsprime, founded by Saurabh Kushwah, Sanjay Tripathy and Aditya Save. It is now one of the fastest growing online platforms that connect fans to celebrities.

Fans can connect and access their favourite celebrities through video calls and chat or request video messages for their friends and family. The platform already has more than 500 celebrities from all domains including Saina Nehwal, Salim Merchant, Nayan Mongia, Sharman Joshi, Rohit Roy, Jay Bhanushali, Cyrus Broacha and many others.

“Fans want access and celebrities want to monetise their interactions. We try to cater to the needs of both and ensure a seamless experience. Our endeavour is to build a portfolio of celebrities across all possible categories that will offer multiple engagement points which go beyond conventional gifting and interactions,” says Sanjay Tripathy, Co-founder and CEO of Armsprime Media.

The move to build the brand endorsement category was a logical extension for Celebyte. The platform has gained much traction through the various celeb-engagement options they’ve been offering to fans.

“We got a lot of requests from the small brands and start-ups who wanted a celeb to endorse their brands and products. So, we decided to extend the scope of our offerings to accommodate this demand,” says Tripathy, adding, “We created a category that would help business owners a chance to reach out to celebrities for endorsements at a fraction of the cost of conventional celebrity brand endorsement.”

The feature has been launched at a time when most small to mid-sized companies and start-ups are under tremendous pressure to retain their revenues and are struggling to stay afloat.

As a result of the current crisis, most are now tightening their purse strings and their campaign budgets have taken a hit. And since this format promises a higher ROI at a fraction of the cost, it will encourage even those firms with restrictive marketing budgets to consider the option.

“We are trying to make it a seamless experience, something that isn’t possible in the traditional world of celebrity brand promotions. With a press of a button, you can now get a recorded video endorsement for your brand, without any hassle,” says Tripathy.