Marketer Helps Stars Tap Shine

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From Jessica Alba’s Honest Co. to Beats by Dre headphones, celebrity-backed businesses have exploded in popularity.

Capitalizing on this niche is Hawke Media, a Santa Monica digital marketing firm that helps stars spread the word about their business ventures.

While celebrities have the distinct market advantage of a built-in fan base, the product needs to be able to stand on its own, said Erik Huberman, Hawke’s founder and chief executive. The company launched more than two years ago and has grown to 60 employees.

“We try to create a brand that is separate and can rise above the celebrity. Beats didn’t stop at just the fan base of Dr. Dre,” said Huberman, 29, referring to rapper and music producer Andre Young.

Although a celebrity face can help push a product to market, he said, the firm first finds an underserved field and tries to create the right product to fill it. Earlier this month, Hawke launched MVP, an e-commerce site for retired baseball slugger Mo Vaughn’s line of big and tall clothing.

Hawke also built the Arian Foster Family Foundation website for the namesake Miami Dolphins running back, and worked with reality TV star Lauren Conrad to build her apparel site, Paper Crown, and update her nonprofit fair trade online shop called Little Market.

Huberman, who formed and sold three e-commerce sites before starting Hawke, said that experience distinguishes his business from the competition.

Todd Jacobs, a celebrity endorsements partner at Beverly Hill-based WME IMG, has referred multiple brands, agencies, and celebrities to Huberman because he understands the digital marketing world better than most, Jacobs wrote in an email.

“His team is highly skilled in the digital landscape, fast, and great about (follow-up) with clients to ensure they feel like they are achieving maximum value,” Jacobs wrote.

Hawke’s celebrity clients are just 10 percent of the company’s business, though, said Huberman. The firm has worked with a diverse roster from Evite to Bally Total Fitness.

– Hayley Fox

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