Editor's note: This story is part of a series called “Small Business, Big Mission,” which documents the struggles of small-business owners affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. This is the third installment of the project, which has involved all 44 of The Business Journals’ newsrooms across the country.
In a year that's brought uncertainty and challenges for so many businesses, Cameo has grown faster than ever.
Cameo, maker of a celebrity shoutout app that lets you request video messages from famous folks like Snoop Dogg and Mandy Moore, has skyrocketed in popularity as celebrities flock to the platform for additional income and to connect with fans.
And users are turning to Cameo to send messages to loved ones they can't visit in person.
Cameo CEO Steven Galanis said that the startup has been able to add talent to its platform faster than ever as many of the traditional ways entertainers connect with fans were not an option in 2020.
"Talent that hadn't come on Cameo previously were saying 'no' for one of two reasons. A, I make too much money, or B, I don't have enough time," Galanis said. "In a world where all live sports, all live entertainment, film production, concerts, everything stopped. Suddenly, people had time and they weren’t making money."
Not only was the supply side of Cameo's marketplace stronger than ever, so too was its demand side.
Celebrations like Mother's Day, birthdays, graduations and more turned into virtual affairs, and that meant more people opting to purchase a Cameo as a way to show their friends and family they cared.
"Those magical moments that are usually sealed with a hug or a kiss — they were sealed with a Cameo this year," Galanis said.
With business booming, Cameo hit its 2020 financial goal with 75 days to go before the end of the year, Galanis said. And its busiest season has yet to wrap up: The weeks from Thanksgiving to Christmas make up about 25% of Cameo's annual sales, he added.
"We’ve got really high hopes for the holiday season," Galanis said.
Not only is Cameo reaping the benefits of increased demand, so are its talent. Brian Baumgartner, the actor who played Kevin Malone on The Office, was the platform's top-grossing celebrity in 2020, Galanis said. Baumgartner will do over $1 million in bookings this year.
Non-traditional celebrities have also found success on the platform, especially during an election year. The 15 Donald Trump impersonators on Cameo collectively did $3.2 million in bookings by Election Day, Galanis said.
The biggest change for Cameo in 2020 was a shift to an entirely remote workforce. The company's previous office space was being torn down, and Galanis was one day away from signing a new lease at a space in Fulton Market before getting cold feet. Cameo's entire workforce is now remote, a move that Galanis said has allowed him to hire top employees from around the U.S., who previously would not have joined the company if they were required to move to Chicago.
"Cameo is still headquartered in Chicago. We are a Chicago company," he said. "But our employees can work from anywhere on Earth today."
