The Social Angle, Episode 57: How to Use Influencer Marketing to Build Buzz for Your Brand

Advertising Specialty Institute

Bill Petrie very likely has a screw loose. How else can you explain starting a business smack dab in the middle of a pandemic? But that’s exactly what he and co-owner Kelsey Cunningham did when they launched Brandivate just four months after lockdowns went into effect and #QuarantineLife became a thing. “We were dumb enough to think we knew what we were doing,” jokes Petrie. “Let’s start a company during a pandemic… because why not?” But don’t be fooled by Petrie’s naivete. The 21-year veteran of the promotional products industry knew exactly what he was doing, and he had an ambitious plan that included social media, industry influencers and promotional products! In this audacious episode of the Social Angle, Vinnie Driscoll and Melissa Newman pick Petrie’s brain about the campaign that put Brandivate on the map, how he and Kelsey conceived the plan and chose influencers, the products they used for promotion, and much more. And since Petrie’s a big Van Halen fan, they also discuss David Lee Roth vs. Sammy Hagar, as well as favorite albums and songs. This episode rocks so you might as well “Jump” in “Right Now”!