Silvio Gutierrez has been a South Florida sports fan since he was 8 years old. A friend of his paid legendary South Florida sports writer and podcaster Greg Cote $30 to wish Guttierez a happy birthday.
“I couldn’t help but smile as it was a person I really enjoy listening to about the Dolphins and he’s a funny character,” said Gutierrez.
Gutierrez received a video via Cameo, a Chicago based video-sharing company where famous individuals charge a fee to film themselves delivering a message. The company was launched in 2017 by entrepreneur Steven Galanis. It has become very popular over the last few years.
The app has someone for any fan-base. From rappers like Ice-T ($450) to wrestling legends such as Mick Foley ($125). One of the most popular users is Brian Baumgartner -– or as most people recognize him, Kevin Malone from the NBC sitcom “The Office”.
Baumgartner charges $195 for a personalized message and has received over 4000 positive reviews.
Cameo offers a 75% / 25% split to the individuals available. This is why more celebrities continue to join Cameo. It can become a steady stream of revenue.
The company itself has been valued at $1 billion per CNBC. Galanis thought of the idea when a friend showed him a video of an NFL player congratulating a friend via video message for the birth of a child.
And now due to Cameo, it has never been easier for loved ones to get their favorite fanatic a personalized message from a famous Miami athlete.
Dolphins and Heat players are cashing in on the app. Chase Edmonds ($109), running back for the Miami Dolphins, and Heat forward Udonis Haslem ($449) are available on the app.
The app also makes available South Florida legends like Jason Taylor ($199) and Alonzo Mourning ($499).
The process of making a request is straightforward. When asked about getting a Cameo for someone else, Christopher Orta — who purchased the Cameo from Greg Cote for Guitierrez’s birthday — said: “\Cameo streamlines the process. They ask for the occasion or reason and it is sent out.”
Orta also noted you can ask for them to say something specific like an inside joke between you and your friends to make it more personal.
Gutierrez was so ecstatic about his Cameo that he said, “I actually wanted to return a Cameo to the person who gifted it to me because I wanted them to feel the same joy I felt.”
