Global Launch of The Celebrity DBI

REPUCOM and The Marketing Arm Announce Global Launch of The Celebrity DBI, Bringing Critical Celebrity Analytics and Insights into the International Marketplace

Brands, agencies, rights holders, teams, leagues and other marketers worldwide can now measure, compare and leverage the impact of celebrities both locally and globally across 13 markets, including 9 of the top 10 countries with the highest GDP

New York, May 28, 2013 – REPUCOM, the global leader in sports marketing research, and The Marketing Arm, a next-generation promotions agency considered the largest buyer of celebrity talent, today announced the global launch of the Celebrity DBI, an independent index that quantifies and qualifies consumer perceptions of celebrities, representing the views of approximately 1.5 billion consumers.

Created by The Marketing Arm in the U.S. in 2006, the Celebrity DBI is regarded as the industry standard for celebrity evaluation. In partnership with The Marketing Arm, a marketing and promotions agency, REPUCOM, the global leader in sports marketing research, is spearheading the Celebrity DBI’s international expansion into 12 international markets: Argentina, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Russia, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom.  The expanded index will feature more than 5,000 celebrities, including athletes, film and TV stars, musical performers, news pundits, personalities and more.

“The Celebrity DBI provides a data-driven approach to help quantify celebrity clout and marketability,” said Paul Smith, REPUCOM’s Global CEO.  “The data has been fundamental to guiding the decision making behind hundreds of endorsement deals. REPUCOM is eager to equip international markets with key insights into the celebrity landscape that will assist marketers in strategic business decisions.”

The Celebrity DBI is the only global celebrity evaluation service designed to provide superior brand- relevant insights.  It offers:

• Realistic celebrity awareness assessment – through image and name recognition.
• Brand-centric celebrity attributes – identified by brands and agencies as the key drivers determining a celebrity’s ability to influence brand affinity and consumer purchase intent.
• Comprehensive online database – search over 5,000+ celebrities
• Segmentation – ability to segment data by key demographic filters, including market, age, gender, and income level.
• Robust survey pool –  representative sample consumer panel across 13 international markets, representing the views of more than 1.5 billion people
• Multiple analysis options – ability to compare celebrities
• Customizable surveys upon request – meeting individual demands of brands, including global research and specific brand questions.

“With the rapid globalization and on-demand information access, brand marketers look at universal, global impact and specific regional and local points of view,” said Jeff Chown, president of The Marketing Arm’s talent practice.  “To help our clients meet these needs, we’re excited to entrust REPUCOM, the best in the business when it comes to market research, with the Celebrity DBI’s global expansion.”

The Celebrity DBI helps strategically identify individuals who will enhance brand messaging initiatives and maximize ROI by evaluating a celebrity’s awareness, appeal and relevance to a brand’s image and their influence on consumer buying behaviour.

Consumers in nationally representative samples within each country evaluate celebrities across eight key metrics: Appeal, Aspiration, Awareness, Breakthrough, Endorsement, Influence, Trendsetter and Trust. Users can evaluate overall celebrity impact in a local market, across multiple markets and globally; track fluctuations in influence of a celebrity over time; compare multiple celebrities across multiple markets; and view the aggregate global influence of celebrities.

For more information about Celebrity DBI, please visit www.celebritydbi.wpengine.com.

About The Celebrity DBI, Powered by REPUCOM

The Celebrity DBI is an independent global index that quantifies consumer perceptions of more than 5,000 celebrities, including film and TV stars, musical performers, athletes, business leaders, news pundits, personalities and more. Launched in 2006 by The Marketing Arm, the largest celebrity talent buyer in the U.S, the index helps brand marketers and agencies to determine a celebrity’s ability to influence brand affinity and consumer purchase intent by evaluating celebrities across eight key attributes:  Appeal, Aspiration, Awareness, Breakthrough, Endorsement, Influence, Trendsetter and Trust. The Celebrity DBI tracks celebrities in Argentina, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Russia, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States. Users can evaluate overall celebrity impact in a local market, across multiple markets and globally; track fluctuations in influence of a celebrity over time; compare multiple celebrities across multiple markets; and view the aggregate global influence of celebrities.

About REPUCOM

REPUCOM (www.repucom.net) is a global leader in sports marketing research. Utilizing the leading technology and facilities for market research, media evaluation and commercial auditing, REPUCOM has created the industry’s first global, full-service portfolio for sports marketing research and consultancy. The company provides a single, independent source of holistic market data and insights to help its clients achieve value in their marketing and sponsorship activities.

Since its founding in 2004, REPUCOM has become established as the research provider of choice for over 1,000 of the top rights holders, brands, agencies and broadcasters in sports and entertainment worldwide. REPUCOM merged successfully with SPORT+MARKT in 2010 and later completed the acquisition of fellow industry pioneers IFM Sports, including Sports Marketing Surveys.

In 2013, the companies were united under the REPUCOM brand, bringing together over 1,400 employees in more than 20 wholly-owned and operated offices worldwide. The combined business draws on more than 25 years of experience and accumulated insights.

About The Marketing Arm

The Marketing Arm (www.themarketingarm.com) is a next-generation promotion agency that harnesses the power of emotion to make brands more engaging. The agency provides best-in-class consulting that spans nine emotional platforms within entertainment, sports, multicultural, and cause marketing. With a focus on sophisticated planning across all promotional channels, The Marketing Arm develops comprehensive integrated marketing programs for more than 100 blue-chip brands. Among its 22 capabilities are mobile marketing, shopper marketing, content creation, sponsorship consulting, consumer and corporate events, and digital word of mouth and social media.

Named the 2012 “Agency of the Year” by Chief Marketer and Promo magazine, The Marketing Arm has earned over the last four years more than 85 major industry awards and honors.

Contacts:

REPUCOM                                            The Marketing Arm
Kathy Gardner                                    Chris Anderson
203.975.9000                         214.259.3200
[email protected]                     [email protected]