Merch Made in Heaven: Acquisition Brings an Enhanced Experience for Talent and Fans to Connect through Cameo’s Platform
Today marks an incredible milestone in Cameo’s four year history as we announce the acquisition of Represent, an exceptional marketing and merchandising platform that builds direct-to-fan brands for the top celebrities and creators in the world. The acquisition will expand and diversify Cameo’s existing talent pool, introduce fun new ways for talent and fans to connect, establish new revenue opportunities for talent on the platform, and provide the entire Cameo community with a new way to fundraise for non-profit organizations.
Since its launch in 2014, Represent has shipped over 4 million products to customers in 165+ countries, created over $170 million in brand value for talent and partners, helped raise $30M+ for charity through client contributions, and become the go-to destination for customized merchandise from some of the world’s biggest names. They have established themselves as the leading merchandising partner for standout cultural moments including the recent Friends reunion, and have worked with talent ranging from acclaimed musicians Jennifer Lopez and Ed Sheeran, to Academy Award winners Leonardo DiCaprio and Matthew McConaughey, to model and 818 founder Kendall Jenner, actor, bodybuilder and former Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and even the US Women’s soccer team.
How fans can start sporting talent merch
Cameo was built to create the most personalized and authentic fan connections on earth, and integrating Represent’s robust talent roster and full-stack commerce offerings will enrich worldwide fan engagement and offer fans the chance to connect with even more of their favorite stars on Cameo. Further down the line, we envision an opportunity to let fans purchase gift bundles, including both a personalized Cameo and signature talent merch.
“We’re extremely excited to welcome Dan, Bobby, & the Represent team to the Cameo Fameo. The new capabilities greatly expand Cameo’s value proposition to fans and talent alike,” said Cameo Co-Founder and CEO Steven Galanis. “This acquisition brings us another step closer to realizing our mission and vision, and expands Cameo’s market leadership in direct to fan monetization.”
What this means for Cameo talent
Talent are in complete control of their Cameo experience, and can already choose how they engage with fans on Cameo — whether through personalized video messages, live Cameo Calls, direct messages (or all of the above). The acquisition and integration with Represent will offer talent a totally additive engagement experience that deepens fan relationships, a new passive revenue stream, and another memorable way to fundraise for causes and nonprofits around the world.
“We built our platform for the top talent & change-makers in the world to engage with their fans. Although we started with apparel, the goal has always been to figure out new & creative ways for fans to feel more connected,” said Represent CMO, Bobby Maylack.
“In Cameo, we’ve found aligned visions & passion. Day one, this combined entity will allow our wide range of talent to seamlessly create and sell products their fans will love,” said Represent COO, Dan Rosenberg.
Joining forces with Represent
In addition to the benefits for talent and fans, we’re thrilled to welcome Represent’s global team and world-class leaders, Daniel and Bobby, to the Cameo Fameo — and with them, their unique perspectives and industry expertise as we re-enter the world of merch and physical products.
With Daniel’s experience leading operational partnerships and business development as Represent’s President and COO, he will continue leading day-to-day operations as the President of Represent. Bobby, who has over a decade of experience acting as CMO for Represent and digital platform Prizeo, has been named Chief Creative Officer at Cameo. Additionally, the acquisition will double Cameo’s European headcount, which in turn, will help us sell and ship globally as we internationalize our product at the same time.
The future of merch on Cameo
In the near term, we’re focused on ensuring long-term growth and cultural alignment between Cameo and Represent; and thus, Represent will continue to operate as it does today. We expect to begin integrating Represent’s merch capabilities into the Cameo experience in 2022; at which point, merch will become a native part of Cameo for fans and talent alike. While the fan experience will be unchanged for the foreseeable future, we will quickly begin introducing Cameo talent to merch opportunities through Represent.
As part of the acquisition, we are excited to continue working with Represent’s former parent company, Custom Ink, to handle production, fulfillment, and logistics. Custom Ink, which acquired Represent in 2016, is a leader in customized apparel and other merch for groups and organizations of all kinds.
In four short years, Cameo has grown our talent roster to more than 40,000 actors, online personalities, comedians, musicians, athletes, and more, and facilitated more than 3 million magical Cameo moments. And days like today further prove we’re just getting started. We are so excited to expand our Cameo family, and even more thrilled to offer talent and fans a brand new way to connect!
For more information about Cameo, please check out https://www.cameo.com or email press@cameo.com. For more information about Represent, please visit https://represent.com. For additional information about Custom Ink, please visit https://www.customink.com.
