David Bowen was recently tapped to lead the newly created Lifestyle Marketing group at New York-based Lisa Lori Communications, a full service marketing communications agency.
Bowen, who was previously events marketing director for Hearst Magazines, will be responsible for supervising the agency's beauty, fashion and luxury clients. PR NEWS chatted with
him about PR trends for jet set clients:
Q. Lift your arm up in New York City or L.A. and you're liable to hit a PR event. How can PR pros who either work, or rep, for luxe clients distinguish their events with the
media?
A. A good event always has a surprise. In terms of celebrity, I counsel clients that celebrity matters, but it matters most when it is connected to the brand in a real way.
[Events] should provide an opportunity for everyone involved. If it's well run, the surprise will be unusual and not like what anyone is expecting. That way, the client can have a
lot of fun, the celebrity can be shown in a positive light and the brand gets maximum exposure.
Q. Where is the scale tipping for event management, production and publicity? Is the competition for exposure so fierce these days that almost any new message from a luxury
client requires some type of event?
A. People are doing fewer events, but want more out of the events they are doing. They want maximum ROI and they want it to be a good time for everyone, including the media,
which is gained by spending money wisely but spending it less often. Still, events are absolutely necessary for brand exposure. If you do them well, you can really benefit. But if
you do them poorly, it's doesn't do anybody any good. I cover all the bases [before the event] so I'm prepared for anything that might happen.
Q. What are your goals for the new entertainment division at Lisa Lori?
A. Growth, but not too much growth. We're a small agency that wants to get bigger. We want to think like a big agency and act like a small agency. You do that with planning,
teamwork and internal preparation in terms of who is handling what for the client.
Contact: David Bowen, [email protected]