| BEST OF 2008 11.24.08 8:00 AM |
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Scripting Reality
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In television, like fashion, you’re either in or you’re out, and staying relevant in the still-evolving medium is not as easy as it once was. Internal marketers need to approach their existing and potential audiences from every direction, and for Bravo director of digital marketing and events Valerie Brown, that task hinges on creating signature moments to herald the premieres of new and existing series.
First in a Series: Brown joined the network in 2004, on the eve of an extensive rebranding initiative. That effort included the launch of Project Runway, the first series she worked on closely, collaborating with producers Magical Elves and IMG Fashion to run the front of the house for the contestants’ Bryant Park fashion shows. In the four years since, Bravo has grown each year, posting record ratings in 2007 and then again in the second quarter of 2008.
Expanding Lineup: Brown became team director in 2006, working with Bravo senior vice president of marketing Ellen Stone. She recently produced a competition to find a new cast member for gym reality show Work Out, a dating advice seminar with the star of The Millionaire Matchmaker, and dance classes at Crunch gyms nationwide to promote Step It Up and Dance. “As you grow, budgets become more accessible, but at the same time, you have to maintain profitability,” says Brown. “We pick anchor events to invest in and to put on a large platform. When you have the breadth of programming we have, you have to make strategic decisions.”
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RELATED TOPICS
Bravo, Project Runway, Work Out, Millionaire Matchmaker, Step It Up and Dance, Shear Genius, Top Chef |
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| EVENT REPORT 06.25.08 11:49 AM |
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Bravo Show Gives Blow-Outs in Times Square in Artsy Salon Chairs
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 | Shear Genius stylists at work
Photo: Jessica Torossian for BizBash |
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To promote the second season of its hairstyling competition show Shear Genius, Bravo put on a publicity stunt that could easily serve as the premise for a new program. The cable network enlisted students at New York’s School of Visual Arts to design extravagant chairs for a pop-up salon in Times Square’s Military Island designed by their mentor, SVA chair Kevin O’Callahan. Contestants from the series used the salon to give free blow-outs to fans and passersby for two hours on Tuesday afternoon.
“We used the ad campaign as our inspiration for the event,” said Bravo's director of marketing and events, Valerie Brown, of the image that features a pair of scissors stabbed into the back of a salon chair. “I thought of the cow parade and all the different sculptures spread across the city, but if we wanted to do a salon, we’d obviously need all of the chairs in one place. Times Square seemed like the perfect high-traffic spot.”
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RELATED TOPICS
Bravo, Shear Genius, S.V.A., Pop-Ups |
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