CEO Adam Swart Discusses his Controversial Firm, Crowds on Demand
Adam Swart got the idea for Crowds on Demand (COD) when he noticed crowds could attract interest.
“Living in Los Angeles, you see so many people with paparazzi. I started asking myself, who are these people?” Swart said.
He realized the people surrounded by cameras seemed important, so he started Crowds on Demand (COD) while studying political science at UCLA in 2012 at age 21.
“When we started it was mostly a paparazzi business,” said Swart. “But we got more of a demand for protests, and it fit so well with my political and journalism experience.”
COD started with hired paparazzi, using off-duty TMZ photographers, and the business ideas grew from there.
Crowds on Demand, operational in every American city and internationally, is commonly known for flash mobs, rallies and protests. Large groups of talent are paid to support advocacy groups and causes, or to act as supporters for high-tech business launches. The list for scenarios involving crowds is endless.
“We’re the catalyst in many cases,” said Swart. “We get the ball rolling. So many businesses die just because no one’s ever heard of them.”
COD has been called controversial by certain media groups and by professor Elizabeth Currid-Halkett at USC, who claimed they are deceiving the public. Swart won’t name who or what groups he has worked with due to client confidentiality, but he said COD is bipartisan.
“We’re not a Democrat or Republican firm,” said Swart. “In fact, most of what we do has nothing to do with politics.”
Swart emphasized COD focuses more on business startups and advocacy rather than political people.
“Issues are a lot purer than people,” he explained.
Swart typically wakes very early to stay informed and check his emails for inquiries. Clients call him as early as 5 a.m. when he’s working on a campaign because they’re either on the East Coast or international. If he’s in charge of a large event of 500 or more people, he likes to keep informed and work throughout the day. For PR stunts, he’ll check that flyers have clear, concise language.
“A big part of my job is trying to understand who we’re talking to and what those peoples’ incentives are,” Swart said.
COD declines client inquiries for gigs that involve breaking the law or hate groups. He also declined recent inquiries from groups who want to show support for Carole Baskin or Joe Exotic from the Netflix docuseries, “Tiger King.”
Due to the pandemic, COD works virtual and social media campaigns, avoiding in-person gigs. And one big change Swart wants the company to make is an expansion in Phoenix.
“I’m a big Arizona person,” said Swart. “Phoenix just has a great workforce. It’s a beautiful city and it’s in the center of everything. There’s a great talent pool that’s very flexible and can be used for many of our operations.”
Swart hopes to employ people affected by the drastic changes in the U.S. economy looking for job opportunities. He expressed he wants to make a positive impact in the world.
“In the future, I really look forward to working with good causes, good business, and awesome people,” said Swart. “We’d love to work with Kim Kardashian on social justice reform.”
