Gwyneth Paltrow Promotes Goop Pop-Up Shop Grand Opening In San Francisco
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- A historic San Francisco building, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, was mobbed with fans eager to meet actress Gwyneth Paltrow and buy the products she says she herself uses.
Paltrow look-a-likes abound at her Goop pop-up store in San Francisco.
Featuring everything from cookbooks to face cream from Paltrow's lifestyle brand, Goop.
Paltrow's Goop is one of a growing number of celebrity lines, cashing in on, well celebrity.
Jessica Alba's Honest company is valued at $1.7 billion. Beats by Dre was so successful it was purchased by Apple.
And Kate Hudson's Fabletics brand reportedly raised $85 million in its pre-IPO round alone.
But not everyone makes it, Blake Lively's brand famously failed.
The secret to success?
Mike Heller's agency partners brands with celebrities and he said that unless a celebrity is super involved, its common to see failure.
Like Paltrow, his clients don't generally create products, they simply use and endorse them.
But Heller says in this age of social media, consumers can tell the difference between simple endorsements and celebrities who are their brand.
"We've seen many celebrity brands that didn't do so well because the celebrity wasn't supporting it," he said.
While Paltrow was out signing cookbooks at her pop-up store, she wasn't doing interviews.
In fact, when we even asked about her cooking expertise, her team told us they wanted to focus on the brand, not Paltrow.
"Let's just do Goop market questions, maybe, versus Gwyneth questions," one Goop team member in San Francisco said.
Heller said, that "as a marketing guy I would say that's poor judgement. If she's not willing to speak then I think it's going to be a poor execution."
He says talking about her brand, in the city where she's currently promoting it, is a no-brainer.
Though in Paltrow's defense, while she didn't speak to the media, she did spend time with many of her fans who seem to be hearing her brand message loud and clear.
Some said they love that she's all about organic foods while others said they appreciate her aesthetic know-how.
Paltrow's pop-up shop is in San Francisco though May 22nd.