Actor Branding vs. Marketing VS. Typecasts
I see these 3 terms used incorrectly and interchangeably almost every day in the entertainment industry.
Typecasts, branding, and marketing. All three terms are very important for an actor’s career and they do work together for your benefit! But it’s important to know the key differences so that you can accurately and successfully maintain each.
All actors should start out with identifying their typecasts & personal brand and know the differences, and the crossover points between the two. From there, you can decide which marketing channels & strategies are best suited to help you create more opportunities for your acting career.
In this article, we’ll be breaking down what each term means and examples.
What are actor typecasts?
Typecasts are how the "industry sees you" and manifests as the characters you are commonly invited to audition for and likely to be cast to play in film and TV.
Yes, they are generalities or sometimes “stereotypes”, and NO, they are not the ONLY types you are capable of playing. I’ve seen some 20-year-olds give incredible performances in class playing parts written for 50-year-olds…but that doesn’t mean they have a shot at being cast to play that part in TV and film today. AND THAT’S OKAY! It’s part of the business. Your typecasts will shift and evolve with time, and some projects will play with flipping “type” on its head…but most of the industry still operates within the use of typecasts. I promise it’s for your benefit.
Your typecasts should be represented in your headshots as well as how you show up in auditions (energy and styling). Keep in mind, when representing your types in headshots we don’t want to see any full costumes…simply a nod at the types of characters that part of you represents. If figuring out your typecasts is a challenge for you, I highly suggest checking out The Actor’s Toolbox online program!
Examples of typecasts for actors
There are so many typecasts, but these are a few examples:
Kindergarten teacher
Military general
The quirky best friend
Trailer park mom
Slimy corporate guy
Earthy yoga teacher
Mean girl / queen bee in school
Reliable neighbor
And so many more!
What is actor branding?
The primary difference between branding and typecasting is that branding is PERSONAL. It’s about you, the human being and not you, the character in a film or TV show. Branding helps specify and articulate what makes you "you", and gives you the power to leverage those qualities for your career benefit.
The dirty little secret? Whether you choose to intentionally define your personal brand or not…you already have one! Each time you meet someone in real life, or someone clicks on your Instagram profile…they will develop a first impression of you. It might be good, it might be bad. Their first impression might be accurate to who you really are…or maybe it’s completely off base. When we choose to be intentional with our personal brand, we give ourselves the opportunity to share the full expression of who we are with both friends and strangers alike (that doesn’t mean the whole world will immediately “get you” or connect with you…but they will have a more accurate introduction to you and be able to choose if you’re right for them!).
Knowing the tangible and intangible elements that make up your personal brand will not only help people quickly recognize you, but it allows you to easily narrow down which marketing strategies are best for you (and will actually help those strategies be more successful!). If you want help crafting your personal brand, sign up for a 1-1 Consult with me! I’d love to help.
Examples of branding elements for actors
Personality Traits
Energy & Essence
Hobbies & Interests
Key Life Experiences
Thoughts & Feelings
Personal Style / Fashion (Wardrobe, Hair, Makeup)
Colors
Fonts
Design Elements
(and so much more)
What is actor marketing?
In the modern entertainment industry, marketing can be a powerful tool to open new doors for your acting career. Through marketing strategies you can network with key industry players (agents, managers, casting directors, producers, etc.), build a following that will support your career journey through sales leverage, or get you noticed for career opportunities via the original content you create. (and so many other opportunities!)
Marketing for actors is the work of leveraging your personal brand using specific channels & strategies to help reach your career goals. Marketing can encapsulate many different goals, but on a large scale, it’s intended to get your personal brand/project/name on the radar of more people…and convince them to take a specific desired action (i.e. follow you on social media, visit your website, email your agent about an opportunity, etc.).
A marketing channel is the outlet or platform where actors can interact with and create excitement around their personal brand and career. While actors do not have to utilize all the different marketing channels simultaneously (or ever), there are many options available to choose from. Some channels are better suited for reaching certain goals than others.
Marketing strategies are the specific tasks and choices made on each marketing channel to reach specific marketing goals. For example, if I want to get more followers on my Instagram account, I’m going to need to consider my audience demographics, interests, and personal brand
Without a clear personal brand and specific goals for your acting career in place, it is much harder to market your acting career successfully. It’s essentially the equivalent of trying to get to an audition without an address or a GPS.
Examples of marketing for actors
Social Media (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, etc.)
Personal Website
Networking (online and off)
PR & Publicity (online and off)
YouTube
Podcasts
Email
If you're ready to use branding & marketing as tools for your acting career - I’d love to support you!
There are three tiers to choose from:
Join the A-List Monthly Membership Club to dip your toes in or stay up to date on the trends (only $25/month!)
Get a customized branding & marketing strategy with 1-1 coaching with me!
Join one of my self-guided online courses.
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