Multiple Stakeholders Care about the Value of Celebrity Rights of Publicity and Their Brands

• Author: Weston Anson
• Pages: 119-129

119

Multiple Stakeholders Care

about the Value of Celebrity

Rights of Publicity and Their

Brands

Sometimes it seems like everyone cares about celebrities, their right of publicity and

the value attached to it, and their brands. There are multiple constituencies and mul-

tiple stakeholders who care. And there are multiple reasons and multiple interests in

celebrities—and multiple reasons for concern about the values attached to them.

From the celebrities themselves, to their estates (or future heirs), to the bankers,

brokers, talent agents, attorneys, and of course the entire entertainment, sports, and

talent industries, each and all of these have a stake in celebrity right of publicity values.

Then there are the specialty stakeholders, which are multiple and surprisingly diverse.

Stakeholder interests are multivarious and multifarious; some have a direct interest

such as a personal talent manager. Some have indirect interests, such as the possible

corporate sponsor. Some of the stakeholders have very congruent interests, wanting to

see higher values wherever possible; others of course do not have that same congru-

ency and interest. Some have a purely vicarious interest. Others care about the actual

dollar values involved, others only about relative values—relative to other celebrities

and other marketing opportunities.

The purpose of this chapter is to illustrate the range and reasons why so many and

such a diverse group are interested in the question, “What it’s worth?” And the purpose

is to illustrate why value is important to so many in so many different ways.

In the last section of the chapter we look at Michael Jackson, whose case study

brilliantly illustrates three fundamental principles of celebrity brand value and right

of publicity value. First, value can change quickly and dramatically. Second, different

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