GENUINE
GENUINE is a women-owned, 30-year-old New York–based casting firm that finds, vets, and casts non-professional real people with authentic stories for multimedia advertising campaigns, serving global brands, advertising agencies, and healthcare/pharma clients through a project-based, quote-priced professional services model.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What GENUINE does
GENUINE (legal entity Strickman-Ripps Inc.) is a privately held, women-owned real people casting company headquartered in New York with a secondary office in Los Angeles, operating under the DBA "GENUINE: The Real People Company." Founded around 1992–1994, the firm specializes in identifying, vetting, and casting non-professional individuals with authentic personal stories for multimedia advertising campaigns on behalf of global consumer brands, advertising agencies, healthcare/pharmaceutical companies, and government organizations. Its service portfolio spans Consumer Ads, User Generated Content (UGC), Healthcare Videos & Testimonials, Patient Ambassador Programs, Influencer Casting, Traditional Actor Casting, and Global Casting. The firm does not operate a software platform, public API, or proprietary technology product; instead, its core capability is a human-driven, high-EQ casting methodology backed by three decades of accumulated participant relationships, a multi-pronged research process for sourcing individuals from niche communities (including rare disease patients), and compliance frameworks spanning HIPAA, GDPR, and FTC guidelines for healthcare and testimonial work.
GENUINE's technology footprint is essentially operational rather than productized: a casting and talent management database, secure participant data handling protocols, and a "Casting Opportunities" mailing list / recruitment funnel that continuously sources new real-people participants. There is no disclosed AI/ML capability, no public SDK, no patents, and no app; competitive differentiation rests on proprietary research methodology, regulatory expertise, and relationship capital rather than software. Client logos referenced across source materials include Dove, Walmart, Healthcare.gov, Michelob ULTRA, American Express, Nissan, Mercedes, Pepsi, Coinbase, LEGO, USAA, Cricket Wireless, Panera, Goodnites, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, and the Dove CROWN Coalition.
The business model is project-based professional services billing on a quote basis, with no publicly disclosed price list. Cast-member compensation ranges cited publicly run from roughly $500 to $5,000+ per project (e.g., healthcare conditions $4,000–$5,000 for filming plus usage; food intolerances $500/filming day plus $2,500 usage), implying total campaign engagement fees are multiples higher. The go-to-market is sales-led and channel-led: direct outreach to enterprise brand clients, consultation bookings, custom educational presentations, and — most importantly — preferred-vendor relationships with major advertising agencies including Ogilvy UK, Saatchi & Saatchi, Weber Shandwick, and Argonaut that repeatedly bring GENUINE in on behalf of their brand clients. The firm holds New York City and State M/WBE (Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprise) certification and is a founder-controlled business with no disclosed institutional investment or parent company.
GENUINE firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- GENUINE
- Legal name
- Strickman-Ripps Inc.
- Website
- https://genuinerealpeople.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- GENUINE is a women-owned, 30-year-old New York–based casting firm that finds, vets, and casts non-professional real people with authentic stories for multimedia advertising campaigns, serving global brands, advertising agencies, and healthcare/pharma clients through a project-based, quote-priced professional services model.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
GENUINE industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Advertising Casting Services
- NAICS
- Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (7114), Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (71141), Advertising Agencies (54181)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Employment Agencies (7361)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Production & Talent Services (Casting, Crew, Production Management) (MPAAAMAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Talent Casting & Auditions (Casting Directors, Open Calls) (HSACAHAL), Brand Ambassadors, Models & Promotional Talent Staffing (HSACAHAJ), Casting & Talent Services (Casting, Background, Talent Holding) (MPADAFAI)
Keywords
Where GENUINE is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
GENUINE business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Professional Casting Services: Project-based fees for casting real people in multimedia campaigns, consumer ads, healthcare videos, and user-generated content. Services include research, recruitment, interviewing, and production management for brand campaigns.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Project-based casting services |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
GENUINE product offering
Product offeringCore offering
GENUINE searches, vets, and casts real (non-professional) people with authentic stories for multimedia advertising campaigns across television, digital, social, and print. Beyond core real-people casting, the firm delivers specialized offerings including consumer-ad casting, user-generated content (UGC) participant recruitment, healthcare video testimonials, patient ambassador program development, influencer casting, traditional actor casting, and global casting through partner teams. Services are sold on a project-by-project basis to global brands, advertising agencies, and government organizations.
Product overview
GENUINE is a woman-owned real people casting company with 30 years of experience, providing a comprehensive suite of casting services for the world's biggest brands. The core offering centers on Real People Casting—finding and managing non-professional individuals with authentic stories for multimedia campaigns. This core service is complemented by specialized offerings including User Generated Content (UGC) production guidance, Healthcare Videos & Testimonials, Patient Ambassador Programs, Influencer Casting, Traditional Actor Casting, and Global Casting capabilities. The company serves major global brands across consumer, healthcare, and pharmaceutical sectors, with a focus on emotional storytelling that builds consumer trust and engagement.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Real People Casting Searches, vets, and casts non-professional real people with compelling personal stories for multimedia advertising campaigns across television, digital, and social media. Sold to global brands, advertising agencies, and government organizations.
- Consumer Ads Authentic consumer advertising casting that connects brands with everyday individuals whose real stories create emotional connections in brand campaigns across TV, digital, and social media.
- User Generated Content (UGC) Recruits and guides real people to create video content using their own devices, producing relatable, authentic content for digital ads and social-media brand campaigns.
- Healthcare Videos & Testimonials Healthcare video testimonial casting featuring real patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals sharing authentic experiences for pharmaceutical and medical brand campaigns.
- Patient Ambassador Programs Recruitment, program development, implementation, and support services for patient ambassadors who humanize healthcare brands through authentic storytelling.
- Influencer Casting Sources influencers, experts, and content creators at various levels to promote campaigns on social media and beyond.
- Traditional Actor Casting One-stop shop for traditional role casting of professional actors, offered alongside the firm's real-people casting services.
- Global Casting Partnership with casting teams around the globe for major brand campaigns, serving multinational clients like Dove, Microsoft, and American Express.
Quantifiable outcome
- Dove Cost of Beauty campaign achieved 19M+ views and 90K+ signatures on 2023 KOSA Bill
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use GENUINE
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
GENUINE technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
GENUINE partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- Ogilvy UKcoreLong-standing agency partnership where GENUINE provides real people casting services for Ogilvy's brand clients including Dove Men+Care campaigns. Multiple successful project collaborations documented with producer testimonials.
- Saatchi & SaatchicoreAgency partner for Degree 'Not Done Yet' marathon campaign and Walmart holiday campaigns. GENUINE provides casting services through agency creative direction.
- Weber ShandwickcoreHired by Weber Shandwick to support Healthcare.gov enrollment campaigns for three consecutive years (2021-2023). Agency manages overall campaign while GENUINE provides casting services.
- ArgonautcoreAgency partner for Cricket Wireless 'People Who Come To Cricket Stay With Cricket' campaign. Head of Production provided testimonial praising GENUINE's work.
- Dove CROWN CoalitionmajorGENUINE partnered with Dove on the CROWN Coalition to advance anti-hair discrimination legislation. Cast for 'As Early As Five' campaign and 'CROWN Act' initiatives with LinkedIn to push for legislation in all 50 states.
- ParentsTogether FoundationmajorPartnership with Dove and ParentsTogether Foundation for the Cost of Beauty campaign supporting the Kids Online Safety Act. Campaign contributed to 90K+ signatures on 2023 KOSA Bill.
- Common Sense MediamajorPartnership supporting Dove's Cost of Beauty campaign to address social media's impact on youth mental health. Collaborative effort for Kids Online Safety Act advocacy.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
GENUINE competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Grin: Creator marketing platform enabling brands to run authentic UGC and influencer campaigns at scale. Comparable as an alternative to traditional real-people casting for digital/social brand work.
- Aspire (formerly AspireIQ): Influencer marketing and UGC platform used by brands to source and manage creators for authentic content. Comparable because it competes for the same 'authentic content' budget that GENUINE's real-people casting serves, but with a tech-platform model rather than bespoke services.
- Patient Authentic: Specialized patient storytelling and testimonial production firm for healthcare and pharma brands. Comparable as a healthcare-vertical real-people participant vendor, directly intersecting with GENUINE's HIPAA-compliant patient testimonial business.
Broad incumbents
- William Morris Endeavor (WME): Major global talent agency representing performers, creators, and brands across entertainment. Comparable as a top-tier casting/representation incumbent, but competing across many verticals rather than specializing in real-people casting.
- Creative Artists Agency (CAA): Global talent and entertainment agency representing actors, athletes, and public figures. Comparable at the casting/talent representation layer, though operating at vastly larger scale and across a much broader portfolio than GENUINE's niche.
Direct peers
- Casting Networks: Largest dedicated casting services platform for actors and real people across advertising, film, and television. Comparable because it offers end-to-end casting workflow (research, vetting, submission) and serves the same advertising-agency and brand buyer base as GENUINE.
- Backstage: Long-standing casting marketplace and services platform serving actors, models, and real people for advertising and entertainment. Comparable to GENUINE in casting-vendor role for ad agencies and brands, with overlap in casting-call management and talent sourcing.
- Stewart/Whaley Casting: Commercial and real-people casting boutique serving agencies and brands in New York. Directly comparable in service offering, customer segment, and creative-industry positioning to GENUINE's real-people casting core.
- Telsey + Company: New York-based casting firm spanning theater, film, television, and commercials. Comparable as a competing casting vendor pursuing advertising briefs from the same major agencies and brands.
- One on One Casting: Boutique casting firm handling commercial, print, and real-people casting for ad agencies and brands in New York and Los Angeles. Comparable headcount profile and direct competitor for the same brand-casting briefs GENUINE pursues.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
GENUINE social profiles
Digital presenceGENUINE compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
GENUINE financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
GENUINE leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
GENUINE funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
GENUINE M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about GENUINE
What does GENUINE do?
GENUINE searches, vets, and casts real (non-professional) people with authentic stories for multimedia advertising campaigns across television, digital, social, and print. Beyond core real-people casting, the firm delivers specialized offerings including consumer-ad casting, user-generated content (UGC) participant recruitment, healthcare video testimonials, patient ambassador program development, influencer casting, traditional actor casting, and global casting through partner teams. Services are sold on a project-by-project basis to global brands, advertising agencies, and government organizations.
Is GENUINE a public or private company?
GENUINE is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was GENUINE founded?
GENUINE was founded in 1994. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is GENUINE based?
GENUINE is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does GENUINE make money?
One revenue line is on record: professional Casting Services.
Who are GENUINE's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Grin, Aspire (formerly AspireIQ) and Patient Authentic. Broad incumbents are William Morris Endeavor (WME) and Creative Artists Agency (CAA). Direct peers are Casting Networks, Backstage, Stewart/Whaley Casting, Telsey + Company and One on One Casting.
Does GENUINE have an API?
No public API is recorded for GENUINE.
What industry is GENUINE in?
GENUINE's product category is Advertising Casting Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAAAMAF, Production & Talent Services (Casting, Crew, Production Management), with a secondary code of HSACAHAL, Talent Casting & Auditions (Casting Directors, Open Calls). Its NAICS code is 7114 and its SIC code is 7311.