Cameo (website)

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Cameo
Cameo Logo.svg
Type of site
Entertainment
HeadquartersChicago, Illinois
Owners
  • Steven Galanis
  • Martin Blencowe
  • Devon Spinnler Townsend
URLcameo.com
LaunchedMarch 15, 2017; 4 years ago (2017-03-15)

Cameo is an American video-sharing website headquartered in Chicago. Created in 2016 by Steven Galanis, Martin Blencowe, and Devon Spinnler Townsend, the site allows celebrities to send personalized video messages to fans.[1][2][3] As of May 2020, more than 30,000 celebrities have joined the platform.[4]

Overview[]

Steven Galanis and Martin Blencowe had the idea to create Cameo after leaving Galanis's grandmother's funeral.[5] Blencowe's work included being a film producer and NFL agent. In April 2016, Blencowe got NFL player Cassius Marsh to record himself congratulating his friend on the birth of his son.[1] The duo realized that "the selfie was the new autograph".[6] Marsh tweeted a photo introducing his fans to the site and it was launched on March 15, 2017.[1] Celebrities with more than 20,000 Instagram followers are eligible to set up an account with Cameo.[7] Prices start at $5 and the highest was Caitlyn Jenner at $2,500 as of March 2020.[8]

Cameo has been named #19 of America's Best Startup Employers by Forbes[9] and #32 by LinkedIn.[10]

The site grew during the COVID-19 pandemic as it accommodates social distance restrictions.[11] In July 2020 the site launched Promotional Cameos, a premium priced service for businesses to buy celebrity endorsements.[12][13]

Reception[]

Chicago Magazine called Cameo "The Most American Startup Ever".[14] In 2020, Cameo topped Fast Company's list of the "World's Most Innovative Social Media Companies"[15] and was listed as one of the "World's 50 Most Innovative Companies".[16] In 2019, Cameo received the Momentum Award given annually by 1871 and the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center.[17] Cameo was named one of the "50 Most Genius Companies" by Time magazine in 2018.[18] Galanis was named one of "Hollywood's Top Innovators" by The Hollywood Reporter.[19] Co-founder Townsend was included in a "Forbes 30 Under 30" list.[20]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c Swartz, Tracy (April 13, 2018). "Chicago-based company lets you send personalized shout-outs from celebs to your friends". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 22, 2019.
  2. ^ Hess, Amanda (August 1, 2018). "Now You Can Just Pay Celebrities to Say Stuff". The New York Times. Retrieved June 22, 2019.
  3. ^ Laneri, Raquel (April 11, 2019). "Why celebrities are signing up to sell video 'shout-outs' on Cameo". New York Post. Retrieved June 22, 2019.
  4. ^ "Cameo website connecting athletes, celebrities with fans". Newsday. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
  5. ^ "E963: Cameo CEO & Co-founder Steven Galanis allows celebrities to monetize their fame by delivering personal messages to fans, shares his unique founding story, new $50m raise by Kleiner Perkins, insights from massive growth, expanding into global markets & leading the future of influencer-fan interaction". This Week In Startups. August 9, 2019. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
  6. ^ Pasarow, Anabel. "Everyone Is Suddenly Obsessed With Cameo — Here's Why". Refinery29. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
  7. ^ "Cameo Raises $50 Million In Series B, Has Hosted 275,000 Video Shoutouts In 2 Years". Tubefilter.com. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  8. ^ Sauer, Patrick J. (March 17, 2020). "How Cameo Turned D-List Celebs Into a Monetization Machine". Marker. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  9. ^ "America's Best Startups Employers 2020". Forbes. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
  10. ^ "LinkedIn Top Startups 2019: The 50 hottest U.S. companies to work for now". LinkedIn. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
  11. ^ Kircher, Madison Malone (April 16, 2020). "Cameo Was Made for the Coronavirus". Vulture. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  12. ^ Jennings, Rebecca (July 17, 2020). "Want Ice-T, Brett Favre, or a Real Housewife to promote your business? It's cheaper than you think". Vox. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  13. ^ Ifeanyi, K. C. (August 17, 2019). "How celebrity shout-out startup Cameo is trying to turn its 15 minutes into full-fledged stardom". Fast Company. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  14. ^ Caro, Mark. "The Most American Startup Ever". Chicago magazine. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
  15. ^ "The 10 most innovative social media companies of 2020". Fast Company. March 10, 2020. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
  16. ^ Ifeanyi, K. C. (March 10, 2020). "Want Snoop Dogg to wish you a happy birthday? He can". Fast Company. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
  17. ^ "Cameo, Avail Win Big at 1871's Momentum Awards". americaninno.com. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
  18. ^ "The 50 Most Genius Companies of 2018". Time. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
  19. ^ "A Text From Post Malone? New Apps Are Transforming the Fan Experience". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
  20. ^ "Devon Townsend, 29". Forbes. Retrieved May 10, 2020.

External links[]

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