How do I go about pitching my products to celebrities, TV shows and movies? (Without using a gifting suite service.)

The honest answer is that it's not hard IF you have a great (remarkable) and cool product. I've placed our products such as DNA11 on csi:NY (entire episode centered around our art), The Amazing Spiderman, Today show and many more. For the most part they contacted us with interest. The way I got us on CSI is by doing something really outside the box. I literally wrote a letter (yes on paper) to the show's creator Anthony Zucker. I simply offered him a free portrait and told him I was a fan. 2 months later the producers contacted me and told me they had written an episode that would feature us. It was amazing to see our idea featured on one of the most watched shows on earth! This was more luck than anything but I had to put myself out there to get the opportunity. The worst thing that can happen is you get a no. Don't be afraid of rejection because 9 out of 10 times you will get rejected. All you need is one yes.

Ok. Real tips:

1. Get on LinkedIn. Get a pro account. Many producers are on there and you can simply InMail them. You just have to make sure your pitch is solid.

2. Send free samples. Use research and hustle to find the names and addresses you need. There's no real easy way to get this info but there are several web sites that offer lists.

3. Never pay for placement. Ever.

4. Get on popular product blogs and get traditional PR on top tier blogs. Product researchers are often on these sites looking for the next big / cool thing. Again, you must have a really cool product for this to work.

Once you get some momentum on these fronts you will magically begin to get lots of inbound Opportunties. That's when things start to get easy. However there's a reason they call it "earned media"

HUSTLE!

If anyone wants to brainstorm more or talk about tactics in detail contact me on Clarity.

This is a tricky business. Celebrity is hard to reach but it depends on what you are gifting and whether or not that particular celebrity organically is into it. If you find the right gifting suite they can work wonders. I have over 15 years of experience helping get products in front of celebrities.
Here are my suggestions.
1) Use IMDB to look up agents/managers contacts and reach out that way to suggest that your product is a 'perfect fit' for that particular talent and explain why
2) Go the route of the stylist. Celebrity stylists have a lot of power when it comes to deciding what certain talents will wear. If your product is clothing, accessories, shoes, fashion or beauty related then the stylist is your best bet in.
Be prepared to send them a load of samples and begin massaging those relationships from early on. Start a database of key stylists for future outreach. Make sure your brand has a good lookbook and online photo gallery for the stylists ease and convenience.
3) Is the brand you're working with open to business collaborations with the talent/celebrity? If that's the case then you can position an 'offer' to their manager or agent which will get a reply faster than just saying ' i have something cool for X celeb, please get it to them.'
4) Events and festivals can be great opportunities to connect with celebrities. You can often find what hotel they are staying at and send packages directly to their room through the concierge or using other methods.
5) The gifting lounges can be useful or useless. Depends on what lounge where and who is running it along with the track record of attendance from previous years. I once connected a celebrity to the a winter coat company right before his trip to Iceland to shoot his next film. The celebrity was extremely grateful as the timing was perfect. The gifting lounge was thrilled the celebrity took the coat and put it to good use.
6) Be thoughtful in which celebrities you target. Just like when we're pitching magazines and producers, editors our pitches are targeted. Choose celebrities who you truly think are a match and would actually enjoy the product. Take a look at what appears to be their current commitments. They may have sponsorship deals in place with company XYZ which is a direct competitor to your product.

Hope these tips help. Happy to chat anytime if you have more questions.

blue skies,
Daniela

If the goal of getting your products in the hands of celebrities or on TV shows is to generate awareness of those products there may be other much more cost effective marketing approaches to reach your audience. If its your dream to work with Hollywood types then you need to be prepared to try several different approaches. We have had the most success in this arena by finding a surrogate to the personality. Their trainer, their PA, their chef, their driver etc. Get them excited about your product and they will tell their Hollywood connections. Our experience is that it can be a long, expensive and demoralizing road before one hits. Good luck. We can help you identify the right folks to target should you want some help.