LeBron James wants to endorse your business to promote ‘Cleveland Hustles’

12 Aug LeBron James wants to endorse your business to promote ‘Cleveland Hustles’

LeBron James is promoting his new CNBC TV show “Cleveland Hustles” by launching a new contest in which the winner gets his or her small business promoted by the Cavs superstar on social media.

The contest is called #PitchLeBronContest, and applicants are “are asked to submit videos that demonstrate why the social-media support from James would be especially meaningful for their business” – according to an announcement of the contest on CNBC’s website.

The videos, submitted via Twitter or Instagram, are to be 23-seconds long. If you don’t know why, then, well, maybe you’ve been working too hard on your small business. That’s James’ jersey number for the Cavs.

Applicants are limited to U.S. businesses with no more than 250 employees and cannot be a franchise. The winner gets a free endorsement from James on Twitter and Instagram, two social media sites where James has more than 55 million followers combined. The winner also gets a 15-second spot on CNBC.

James’ CNBC show, “Cleveland Hustles,” debuts Aug. 24. He’s an executive producer for the show and is only expected to make a cameo appearance in front of the camera.

In the show, created by James’ SpringHill Entertainment (run by “Cleveland Hustles” co-executive producer Maverick Carter) four local entrepreneurs will ultimately get a jump on building their businesses and also work to revitalize the Gordon Square Arts District of Cleveland.

The show will be hosted by B. Bonin Bough, a renowned marketing executive. The show’s panel of judges, which will choose four businesses in which to invest out of a possible eight, are: Kumar Arora, chief executive of Aroridex, Ltd; Kathy Futey, a certified private wealth adviser; Alan Glazen, founder of GlazenUrban, LLC; Jonathon Sawyer, a James Beard Award winning chef an owner of a chef training school.

The businesses competing for investment are, from CNBC’s website: Old City Soda; Randy’s Pickles; Styles of Success; The Cleveland Bagel Co. – Geoff Hardman & Dan Herbst; The Proper Pig; Groundswell: FOUNT: Akron Honey Co.

SOURCE