The live performance rehearsal for "That's The Way Love Goes" went smoothly. The choreographer, band, backup dancers, and harmony vocalists were all very professional. With everyone's concerted efforts, satisfactory results were achieved in just three days.
At the end of the workday on the 13th, Jimmy announced that the rehearsal had achieved satisfactory results. He told everyone to remember today's performance, that the rehearsal was over, and to rest for a few days to maintain their condition.
On the morning of the 17th, everyone would gather there again and take a bus together to the Hollywood Bowl for the live dress rehearsal.
After the dress rehearsal, they would return to Universal, where image designers and makeup artists would work on their styling.
The next day, Linton called Mira to the estate to discuss the endorsement selections in detail.
In the estate's office, Mira came in with a thick stack of Materials, which were the organized and categorized endorsement invitation Materials.
"Mira, first, please introduce the endorsement invitation information that you've screened," Linton said, taking the documents.
"Since last month, we have received over 20 more endorsement invitations for you, but most of them are for mass-market brands.
For example, brand endorsement advertisements for Adidas sportswear, toothpaste, shampoo, and pagers. These are severely inconsistent with your current positioning and would lower your style and prestige.
You are currently a popular singer and a youth idol, so we recommend that you maintain your existing style. Even if you can't get endorsements for the most top-tier luxury brands, you should at least aim for popular luxury brands.
Furthermore, when choosing an endorsement, you must also consider whether the target consumer group of the endorsed product overlaps with your fans, striving for a win-win situation where both your market value and the sales performance of the endorsed product are boosted."
Mira then educated Linton on the 'endorsement knowledge' she had recently delved into.
The most high-end luxury brands generally do not use endorsers.
High-priced luxury goods generally do not use popular celebrities as endorsers.
It is precisely Entry-Level luxury goods, such as perfumes, mid-to-high-end watches, handbags, and ready-to-wear clothing, that commonly invite popular celebrities to be endorsers.
More common luxury brands, on the other hand, extensively use popular celebrity endorsements.
Therefore, Mira told Linton not to expect to get endorsements from the top-tier brands. The best choice would be popular luxury brands or light luxury brands.
"Based on the above considerations, my recommendations are the following three: Armani menswear, Mercedes-Benz cars, and Timex watches.
Armani and Timex both quoted 3.5 million US dollars per year, requiring a two-year contract minimum, while Mercedes-Benz has not yet provided a quote.
These three are all luxury brands, or even light luxury brands, and the consumer groups for their products largely overlap with your fans.
Collaborating with them will positively boost your image, fame, and market value. Other brands do not align with your current positioning."
"The price this time has more than doubled compared to six months ago, Linton, you are amazing!" Mira exclaimed.
"Armani menswear, you mentioned it before; that must be the impact from the last Vogue magazine cover, right? But its consumer group shouldn't have a high overlap with my fans, should it?"
"Yes, Armani menswear is a bit of a surprise. Indeed, its consumer group doesn't have a very high overlap with your fans.
However, after the last Vogue magazine cover, your image, including your attire, received high praise from the fashion industry.
And the Armani suit you wore at the time saw a significant increase in sales over the past two months, which is why Armani sent you an endorsement invitation.
It can only be said that, due to the added boost from the Vogue magazine cover, your influence in menswear broke through the fan boundaries and affected the choices of many business professionals."
"Actually, it's mainly because I'm handsome, and the photographer did a good job," Linton said narcissistically.
"You are indeed very handsome and cool, which is why Armani came to you," Mira agreed.
"Mercedes-Benz cars, are they commercial vehicles?"
"Not the commercial series; commercial vehicles wouldn't seek you for endorsement. Mercedes-Benz wants you to endorse their G-Class off-road vehicle series.
However, this is just a preliminary invitation from Mercedes-Benz. If you are also interested, they hope to meet with you in person.
If the meeting and assessment go smoothly, and they are satisfied with you, then they will initiate formal negotiations with us."
She added, "Mercedes-Benz's popular high-end G-Class off-road vehicle is the best resource we can access for car advertising endorsements."
Linton understood that, let alone himself, even for Hollywood superstars, the Mercedes-Benz G-Class off-road vehicle was a top-tier resource for car endorsements.
Moreover, given Mercedes-Benz's consistent strategy, as long as Linton himself doesn't encounter any major issues, they generally won't easily replace him.
On the other hand, while Mercedes-Benz's brand effect may not be as great as Coca-Cola and Pepsi, it is still immense and can significantly boost the endorsing celebrity's own fame, perfectly aligning with his requirements.
Mira thought for a moment and then said, "Compared to Mercedes-Benz cars, you are a bit younger right now. Fortunately, this is geared towards the sporty G-Class, and its appearance, style, and aura are all a very good match for you."
The biggest disadvantage is that Linton's fans are primarily teenagers.
However, Linton's advantages are also very prominent.
The Mercedes-Benz G-Class off-road vehicle boasts powerful performance, a rugged design, a strong appearance, and a tough style, which perfectly aligns with Linton's handsome looks and strong demeanor.
Thinking of this, Linton still felt this endorsement was very important and deeply desired to secure it. "Okay, you can schedule a time with Mercedes-Benz. I'll be available after I finish the AMA. What do I need to do?"
"You don't need to do anything special. Just give your best performance at this AMA. Your album sales and extremely high popularity are our biggest bargaining chips.
Additionally, you should familiarize yourself with Mercedes-Benz's corporate culture and the style of the G-Class off-road vehicle, including the characteristics of its consumer base and its relevance to you. I will prepare these Materials for you and send them over in a couple of days."
"Okay, lastly, what's the situation with this Timex watch?"
"Actually, Timex watches are the most suitable endorsement for you right now. Timex watches are known for their outdoor lifestyle and reliable, precise timepieces, making them one of the best-selling sports and casual watch brands globally.
Its brand recognition is wide, but the price is moderate, and its main consumer group is young people, which largely overlaps with your fans. Your collaboration will definitely be a win-win."
"Do Coca-Cola and Pepsi have any interest in collaborating?" Linton couldn't forget the endorsements from the two cola companies. The boost in personal popularity for an endorser from these two companies is simply too significant.
"Currently, we're not quite there yet, but with your current popularity and the sales of your debut album, if you can win major awards at both the AMA and the Grammy, I think they will seriously consider you."
"Alright, let's go with these three. You should start negotiations with them as soon as possible, and we'll aim to finish shooting the endorsement advertisements in February."
"Linton, have you considered renewing your management contract?" Mira said, a little hesitantly.
Seeing Mira's expression, Linton knew what she was worried about. She was afraid he would succeed too quickly and drop her to sign directly with a major agent, as Mira's connections couldn't compare to those of established agents.
"Don't worry, Mira, you are the most suitable agent for me. As long as you don't make any fundamental mistakes, we will continue to work together.
After we finish shooting these advertising endorsements, I will go with you to WMA to renew my management contract, but please tell Logan that the company also needs to show its sincerity. The terms of the new contract, especially the commission percentage, must match my current status."
"Okay, that reassures me. I will definitely fight for the best contract terms for you with the company, and I will provide you with the best service," Mira said happily, having received Linton's promise.
Linton had never considered replacing Mira. Just as he said, Mira was currently the most suitable agent for him.
Compared to the big-name agents, although she lacked connections, she was extremely dedicated and responsible in her work, and she always prioritized his interests.
For example, with endorsements, the management company would certainly hope to secure more endorsements for the artist during the contract period to earn more commission, especially under short-term management contracts.
But as mentioned earlier, from an artist's perspective, choosing endorsements still requires careful consideration.
Linton was very relieved that Mira had always been on his side. In nearly a year of collaboration, the two had always worked together seamlessly, but with someone else, the situation might not be the same.
If he had to constantly scheme and contend with his agent, it would be too exhausting.
