TV host Andy Cohen, greater than 150 “Bravolebrities” and tens of 1000’s of reality TV obsessives are headed to the desert this weekend (Nov. 14-16) for the fourth edition of fan convention BravoCon. The gathering, going down at Caesars Forum in Las Vegas, may even be a chance for major marketers to connect with consumers around culture, each in person and via Bravo parent NBCUniversal’s digital channels.
BravoCon launched in 2019 and serves as a fan convention focused on the cable network’s reality programming, which incorporates “Vanderpump Rules,” “Southern Charm,” “Summer House” and the “Real Housewives” franchise. Bravo stays a rankings powerhouse and is a serious component of NBCUniversal’s Peacock streaming service.
“There’s an insatiable appetite for BravoCon, each from the fan perspective and the advertiser perspective,” said Karen Kovacs, president of promoting sales and partnerships at NBCUniversal (NBCU).
At the 2023 BravoCon, brands saw double-digit lifts in brand recall, purchase intent, emotional engagement and other metrics, according to NBCU. After skipping last 12 months, the event is back with 22 recent and returning brand sponsors — including State Farm, T-Mobile, Carnival Cruise Line, Hilton, Lexus, Wayfair, Wendy’s, Clorox, TJ Maxx and five Unilever brands.
BravoCon can be indicative of how NBCUniversal focuses on the fandoms to which its core viewers belong — especially because it prepares for a February 2026 sports lineup that features Super Bowl 60, the Winter Olympics and the NBA All-Star Game.
“Whether you are a sports fan or whether you are a Bravo fan, we try to create these immersive, 360-degree experiences, and we give attention to the storytelling and really constructing that deep connection,” Kovacs said. “We are very much about making big events greater, and a part of that’s tapping into this deep fandom and anticipation that we all know the fans are really feeling as they gear up for the massive moments.”
A ‘culture to cart’ approach
Unilever may have a serious presence at BravoCon, with five brands — Dove, Nexxus, Shea Moisture, Tresemmé and Vaseline — activating on the event. The partnership speaks to the CPG giant’s “culture to cart” approach, explained Chanté Waters, the pinnacle of media strategy, partnerships and measurement for Unilever’s beauty and wellbeing division.
“We’ve evolved our marketing model to be sure that we’re constructing brands and culture, and that actually grounds ourselves in having an eye fixed on frictionless commerce,” the manager said. “It’s all about understanding the rhythms that we are able to connect with our communities and the cohorts that our brands serve, in addition to knowing what’s capturing their attention and understanding where our brands can connect to drive our business.”
Along with operating on-site activations inclusive of hair styling stations, Unilever’s BravoCon brands appear in a shoppable hero spot that features Bravolebrities. In a 60-second ad, the five Bravo stars run out of their favorite Unilever products on the road to BravoCon, but bump into a mirage-like oasis that lets them refresh their hair and makeup before taking a helicopter to Vegas.
“We know brands that are relevant in culture grow much faster,” Waters said. “Consumers really benefit from the content created around their fandom.”
The hero spot can be shoppable, and comes after Unilever tested a few of NBCU’s shopping efforts for greater than a 12 months. The marketer reports seeing strong ROI when it prompts beauty partnerships rooted in commerce, but needed to set the table for its BravoCon efforts with strong creative rooted in fandom.
“It’s the balance of the will of the hero asset itself, and ensuring — for people who we all know are interested and wish to convert — that it’s really frictionless for them to have the ability to purchase our brands,” Waters aid.
The effort also speaks to a renewed commitment to social-first marketing from Unilever, which earlier this 12 months pledged to shift half of its ad spend to social and dramatically boost its influencer work. With its BravoCon campaign, Unilever brought together influencers in a wide range of channels, including the Bravo celebs that appear within the spot.
“When we take a look at social first, it’s more of a mindset in a really direct channel allocation, or how we’re deploying our spend,” Waters said. “It’s that agility and skill to know what are the rhythms during which we are able to connect with consumers in relevant ways.”
Like a very good neighbor
At BravoCon, State Farm will return as a presenting sponsor for the fourth time. The insurance marketer will again activate a “Bravohood” experience, recreating the homes of three of the celebs of “Southern Charm,” hosting livestreams and sponsoring panels and a Peacock recap show.
“We’ve seen a variety of value in that and with our relationship with NBC overall,” said Alyson Griffin, head of promoting at State Farm. “BravoCon has been a very excellent partnership.”
Activating at BravoCon is a way for State Farm to “punch above its weight” and break through with consumers despite being in a category that is just not all the time top of mind. Teaming with “Southern Charm,” which has been airing since 2014, allows the brand to tap into interest across the life events of its stars, from marriages and babies to home ownership and renovations.
“They are doing things that tie very closely to the life stages that State Farm thinks about in markets,” Griffin said. “It’s a way for individuals who are very, very invested in something to then make the connections with our brand in a way that feels natural and real.”
As it does for NBCU and Unilever, activating around consumer fandoms allows State Farm to forge stronger bonds with its target market. The insurance marketer has done similar work around sports and gaming. While gaming helps the brand make connections with future consumers, BravoCon — with an older, higher income audience — serves its current demand needs.
“We’re there not just for awareness and consideration, but additionally to be top of mind and show that across life insurance, automobile, home, retirement planning, now we have a very broad portfolio of over 100 products,” Griffin said. “This Bravo goal is a very vital segment for us.”
How State Farm prompts at BravoCon differs from the way it appeared finally month’s TwitchCon, but its core learnings about fandom remain the identical providing a blueprint for the way brands can engage with different fandoms. Plus, brand character Jake plays in each scenarios.
“What we do at each changes,” Griffin said. “That’s really vital for brands: to understand your personal brand story and values, so that you would be able to connect properly within the places you choose to show up.”
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