Celebrity Endorsements: How to Land and Leverage Celebrity Press for Your Product or Services

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Join SMARTY for this illuminating panel on the topic of getting celebrity attention for your brand and then utilizing that press to further your sales goals, visibility and overall platform. This panel will feature key insiders - from celebrity managers, publicists and press who tell the truth on what celebs respond to, pet peeves to avoid and how to get attention in a sea of competition. This panel will be packed so RSVP early!

Tuesday, April 20, 2010
7-9pm
Temple Emanuel Beverly Hills
8844 Burton Way
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
Members: Free
Non-Members: $35

Members, email eschuber@yahoo.com for Member code.

Celebrity Endorsements: How to Land and Leverage Celebrity Press for Your Product or Service Discover How You Can Get FREE Celebrity “Endorsements,” Testimonials and Press Coverage That Will Celebritize Your Business and Skyrocket Your Sales

How To Land A Celebrity Client, Build Your Buzz and Your Biz!

The Real Secret To Celebrity Outreach is Perception Not Persuasion. You Aren’t Actually Seeking An Endorsement, It’s The Perception of an Endorsement That is Created in the Media

Today’s consumer has a voracious appetite for everything having to do with celebrities – what they are wearing, what products they are using, where they are eating and traveling, etc. The success of magazines such as People, USWeekly, Life & Style and InStyle have put celebrities at the forefront of our popular culture and almost always guarantee they set the trends. When you put your product directly into the hands of a celebrity, you are positioning your brand to be the next big thing. In order to stand out in today’s overcrowded marketplace and rise above your competition, it is essential to “celebritize” your business.

The bottom line: celebrities sell products and services. Celebrity association is one of the most powerful marketing tactics you can use to gain credibility, build name recognition and get free publicity.

DID YOU KNOW…

-It’s EASY to get your product or service to a celebrity if you follow the right steps;
-There are certain things you can do to make sure a publicist or manager returns your call;
-Editors will sit up and take notice if you have celebrity clients;
-It’s possible to make an extra $50,000 in sales in just one weekend if a celebrity is photographed wearing or using your product (yes, this happened to one of our clients!);
-You can waste A LOT of time and money sending products and services to celebrities if you don’t do your research first;
-A celebrity is MUCH more likely to respond to your gift if you include the right information in your package;
-Celebrities are people too – they have favorite products and services, and they’re usually happy to let you use their name if you follow certain steps;
-Having celebrity clients gives you MAJOR credibility with stores, buyers, consumers and the media;
-Celebrities grab attention-getting headlines more than anything else today;
-Celebrities have a tremendous influence on how people buy today.

YOU WILL LEAVE WITH…

-A clear understanding of HOW to get your product or service into the hands of top Hollywood celebrities;
-How to do your due diligence and research BEFORE you send to a celebrity to heighten your chances of making a connection;
-The Do’s and Don’ts of working with celebrity handlers/representatives;
-The Do’s and Don’ts of working with celebrity media;
-The #1 thing you MUST do before sending a gift to a celebrity;
-Information on what to include in your package to a celebrity;
-How to communicate with a celebrity and their entourage;
-Tips on how to leverage a celebrity fan to get major press coverage and boost your sales;
-Ideas on how to put eye-catching and attention-getting packages together;
-Tips for how to promote your celebrity clientele.

Our Panelists:

Carrie Wick, West Coast Features Editor Life & Style Weekly

Hollywood power publicist turned national magazine features editor Carrie Wick is a true Southern belle, born and raised.  Carrie graduated from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, with a bachelor’s degree majoring in finance and accounting and minors in corporate communications and public affairs. Displaying a talent for being simultaneously creative, social and business oriented and with the dream to make it big in Los Angeles, Carrie moved to the West Coast to pursue her endeavors.

Carrie got her start in Hollywood working for famed director Quentin Tarantino and producer Lawrence Bender’s production company, A Band Apart.  There she honed her PR skills before being offered a position at BWR Public Relations where she worked on accounts like Reese Witherspoon’s Type A Films and Jennifer Lopez’s Nuyorican Productions.  Shortly thereafter she was scooped up by international talent agency ICM to take their publicity department to the next level. Carrie was then poached by publicity powerhouse Wolf-Kasteler and Associates and worked with everyone from Ralph Fiennes to Cate Blanchett before accepting a position as senior account director at PR agency Fingerprint Communications. Hosting the top tinseltown soirees and representing some of the world’s most prestigious fashion and lifestyle brands, Carrie once again made her mark in the media industry when she was offered the esteemed West Coast Features Editor position for national weekly magazine Life & Style.

With her sparkling personality, style savvy and little black book of media and talent contacts that is second to none, Carrie now regularly appears on CBS, NBC, ABC and Fox Affiliates as a celebrity, PR and events guru. She resides in Santa Monica, California.

Molly Schoneveld, Co-Founder, S/W PR Shop

Molly started S/W PR Shop with Jennifer Shoucair Weaver in 2008 after years of working in entertainment and lifestyle PR.  After helping launch her sister-in-law’s maternity line, Schone Maternity, the first seasonal eco-friendly maternity line, she went on to become a senior publicist at mml pr, a boutique lifestyle pr agency. There, she handled a broad range of clients including ms. & mrs., Lily Holt, FineStationery.com, and Lily’s of Beverly Hills.

Prior to mml, she worked at mega entertainment firm, PMK/HBH where she developed publicity campaigns for clients including Eric McCormack, Olivia Wilde, Tony Scott, Kevin Bacon, Constance Marie, David Duchovny and Women in Film. In addition, she worked on the Oscar campaigns for Bennett Miller, who was nominated for Best Director for “Capote” and Graham King who won Best Film for “The Departed.” She also served on the Sundance team for two years overseeing the day-to-day schedules of six films, as well as escorting talent during the festival in Park City.

Molly began her career as an assistant to Academy Award-winning producer, Brian Grazer at Imagine Entertainment, the year he won Best Film for “A Beautiful Mind.” This rare opportunity gave her an inside look into many different aspects of the entertainment industry and led to three years at Tapestry Films, where she assisted in all areas of development and production on such films as “Wedding Crashers” and “Underclassman.”

Liz Dennery Sanders, Founder, SheBrand and Dennery Marks Inc.

Liz Dennery Sanders is a dynamic combination of brand strategist, marketing coach and celebrity outreach consultant. She is the founder of Dennery Marks Inc., a nationally acclaimed creative brand strategy and celebrity outreach firm and SheBrand, a consultancy dedicated to helping female entrepreneurs build powerful personal brands to attract more clients. 

Liz has successfully increased visibility for her clients’ products and services by building relationships for them with major Hollywood celebrities such as Angelina Jolie, Halle Berry, Sharon Stone, Jessica Alba, Jennifer Garner, Brooke Shields, Cindy Crawford, Katherine Heigl, Kate Bosworth, Eva Longoria Parker and Salma Hayek. In the past decade she has effectively established direct celebrity access for her clients and earned the respect of celebrities who know they can count on her to understand their personal tastes and introduce them to the newest trends. She has leveraged these celebrity associations for extensive media coverage for her clients that have resulted in millions of dollars in sales.

It is her passion for serving women and girls that also inspires her philanthropic activities. As the past Chair of the Los Angeles Board of Directors for Step Up Women’s Network and a founding member of the organization’s Luminary Circle, she teaches classes in goal setting, self-esteem and networking success to underserved teen girls and serves as a mentor in the Professional Mentorship and Development program. She also pens a monthly column, “Step Up To Success,” for Step Up’s national newsletter.

Recognized for her grace, professionalism and style, Liz is a member of the Vogue 100, a hand-selected group by Vogue Magazine of 100 influential decision makers and opinion leaders across the country known for their distinctive taste in fashion and culture. Born and raised in New Orleans, Liz has lived in London, Paris and New York, and currently resides in Los Angeles.

Marley Majcher, Founder, The Party Goddess www.thepartygoddess.com

Recognized as one of LA’s top celebrity party planners, Marley Majcher has a business degree from Georgetown University, went to cooking school in France and travels all over the world seeking inspiration for her L.A. based, full service catering and event planning company, The Party Goddess! Inc.

Just a few of Marley’s celebrity clients include Britney Spears, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Pierce Brosnan, Katherine Heigl, Snoop Dogg, Nick Lachey, Vanessa Minnillo, Kelly Rutherford, Ali Landry and Tisha Campbell.  In addition, Marley has produced notable events for the Hollywood Bowl and Critics' Choice Awards, luxury car manufacturers Porsche and Rolls Royce’s Bentley brand and has been featured in People, UsWeekly, OK!, InStyle, The Wall Street Journal, and Entrepreneur Magazine. As a regular on air contributor to the nationally televised Fox and Friends program and with appearances on Entertainment Tonight, CBS Morning News in Los Angeles, HGTV, Lifetime, KABC - Los Angeles, E!, The Wedding Channel and MTV, Majcher is the expert that people turn to for all things entertaining.

Majcher currently spends any free time she might have, usually between 10:45pm and 11:15pm on Tuesdays planning her own annual blowout party every November. As a mother of three, Marley doesn't actually sleep, which makes her even more of a super hero!

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* Please arrive early to grab a seat and address day of questions to Megan at Megan@smartypeople.com.