GENUINE

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.

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

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

• Real people casting
• Talent casting services
• Advertising casting agency
• Patient testimonial casting
• User generated content casting

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. 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

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core 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

Named customers15 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Ogilvy UKcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLong-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 & SaatchicoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAgency partner for Degree 'Not Done Yet' marathon campaign and Walmart holiday campaigns. GENUINE provides casting services through agency creative direction.
• Weber ShandwickcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHired by Weber Shandwick to support Healthcare.gov enrollment campaigns for three consecutive years (2021-2023). Agency manages overall campaign while GENUINE provides casting services.
• ArgonautcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAgency partner for Cricket Wireless 'People Who Come To Cricket Stay With Cricket' campaign. Head of Production provided testimonial praising GENUINE's work.
• Dove CROWN CoalitionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGENUINE 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 FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership 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 MediamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership 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

Emerging 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

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/genuinerealpeople
• Facebookfacebook.com/genuinerealpeople
• Instagraminstagram.com/genuinerealpeople
• Xx.com/genuinerealppl

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about GENUINE