Carrie Byrne Putelo, Vice President and Group Publisher of OK! Magazine, with Kendra Wilkinson enjoying the night at a high-profile event.Carrie Byrne Putelo, Vice President and Group Publisher of OK! Magazine, sheds some light on the power of events marketing to help build your brand. Spoiler alert: Not all big events are expensive, nor are they limited to big-name brands! Contact Women’s Marketing partners to find out how we can help your brand integrate high-impact events into your media strategy.
Carrie, we get lots of interest from brands looking to participate in high-profile celebrity-studded events. We’d love to get your take on how events marketing can help brands grow.
What role do brand sponsored events play for the media properties you work with at AMI?
OK!’s signature events are an integral part of our partners 360 marketing programs, as they provide brand exposure to celebs, VIPs and consumers. We developed our event series to highlight the biggest red carpet moments (Pre-Grammys & Pre-Oscars), the appeal of Hollywood celebs (So Sexy), the never-ending fascination with looking and feeling great (Body & Soul) and the hottest in celebrity fashion (Fall Fashion Week).
How can events marketing help brands grow?
OK!’s events provide marketers with the ability to get product into the hands of highly influential celebrities. These celebrity gifting events, combined with the incredible press exposure the events receive, make these events highly sought-after by many brands. Last year, OK!’s Pre-Grammys Event (which featured a performance by Jason DeRulo) delivered over 490+ million press impressions.
What are some questions to ask when deciding whether participating in a big event is right for your brand?
Clients should determine what they’re looking to achieve when organizing a brand sponsored event. Activations can be customized to suit any brand objective. Some clients participate via sampling to attendees, while other clients request full scale activations that include Step & Repeat exposure, interior activations, on-site custom video content or segments on our ½ show, OK! TV.
Those big events look expensive. Is participation limited to the big-name brands?
Event activations can be scaled to fit most budget levels and we offer category exclusivity within each signature event.
On a personal note, what is your favorite part of red carpet events? Any great stories?
When you attend one of OK!’s signature events, you’ll see that there are no velvet ropes inside. Celebs, influencers and tastemakers all mingle together and are integrated with sponsor activations. You may see your favorite star from VanderPump Rules getting a touch up at a hair styling station, while Adrian Grenier and his Entourage party indulge in the latest cocktail. On a personal note, my favorite moment was when I got pulled on stage to dance with Flo Rida – his energy was incredible!
What event are you looking forward to most?
OK!’s Pre-Grammys event is definitely my favorite. And, this year, this not-to-be-missed event will feature a live performance by Nico & Vinz. Their single “Am I Wrong” was certified double platinum, they performed on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve and they will be starting a World Tour with Usher in February. It’s sure to be a blast!
We’re anticipating a successful Pre-Grammy’s event with OK! magazine. Be sure to check back with us after the event for behind-the-scenes snaps and a recap of the star-studded night, and how it worked for brands that participated.
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