Josiah Wedgwood was well connected. He used these connections to get one of his porcelain tea sets into the hands of Queen Charlotte, and once he did, he blasted it, #RoyalQuality, all over Twitter and Instagram. The year was 1765 and Wedgwood had just landed his first—likely the world's first—celebrity endorsement.

Ok. I made up some of that. Even so, many see Wedgwood's Queen's Ware as the birth of the celebrity endorsement. Today, it's the big part of many brands' marketing spend, along with lesser influencers in the blogosphere, digital ads and old school concerns, like print and radio. 

In a recent Nutrition Business Journal article, I discussed strategy with key supplement brands and an influencer marketing expert from Periscope Creative—one of the top five independent creative agencies in the country. A key focus in that discussion, was the importance of diversifying and of utilizing a variety of influencer types, from the micro to the macro. 

At Natural Products Expo West, I'll have the pleasure of taking the conversation to the top, looking at the possibilities of working with celebrity influencers to act not just as macro influencers in the social media realm, but as brand ambassadors across media platforms.

Join me and NBA star—former Detroit Piston's 'bad boy' turned respected health and wellness advocate—John Salley, as well as media/marketing mavens Anthoni Allen and January Neal, for a discussion about how to find, vet and make the most of key celebrity ambassadors in the marketplace.