Cameo (website)

Cameo is an American video-sharing website headquartered in Chicago. Cameo was 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]

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

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 coronavirus 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] Steven Galanis was named one of "Hollywood's Top Innovators" by The Hollywood Reporter.[19] Co-founder Devon Spinnler Townsend was named to the "Forbes 30 Under 30".[20]

See also

References
  1. 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.
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