Ellen Stone ’87 Whips Up Buzz for Popular Shows on Bravo, Oxygen and Universal Kids

By Jodi Duckett

From an office in the heart of Manhattan, on the 12th floor of 30 Rockefeller Plaza overlooking the famous ice skating rink, Ellen Stone ’87 and her staff develop strategies to whip up buzz for the popular television shows created by the networks Bravo, Oxygen and Universal Kids.

Bravo unleashed the singular and sensational “Real Housewives” onto the world and has other reality TV hits such as “Below Deck” and “Top Chef.” True crime buffs flock to Oxygen, with shows such as “License to Kill” and the new “Injustice with Nancy Grace.” And kids love shows like “Where’s Waldo?” and “American Ninja Warrior Junior” on Universal Kids.

As executive vice president of marketing, Stone thinks in terms of multi-platform and multi-format—TV, print, social media, games, events and advertising.

Her team created a frozen food line partnering “Top Chef” and Healthy Choice, a custom float featuring more than a dozen Bravo stars such as Andy Cohen in the New York City Pride March and BravoCon, an immersive fan experience to bring Bravoholics together with their favorite Bravolebrities (November 2019).

“My job is to get as many people invested in these shows as possible,” Stone says. “I have to understand who our audience is and what they care about most in order to marry their interests with our brand and original series. The opportunities, technologies and platforms in the marketing landscape are changing constantly, and I have to always look for new opportunities that allow me to reach a large yet targeted audience with our messaging.”

Stone has loved television since she was a youngster growing up in a big family in Westchester County, New York, glued to shows such as “Friends” and “Seinfeld.” Back then she liked all the popular stuff, nothing too highbrow, to the disappointment of her more discriminating, book-loving parents. Stone was fascinated by the commercials. One in particular she will never forget—Apple’s powerful Orwellian commercial introducing the Macintosh computer, which aired during the Super Bowl in 1984 and was ultimately ordained the best Super Bowl ad ever.

“I loved the idea of being able to entertain someone in 30 seconds or seeing a print ad that could motivate someone to action,” says Stone, who majored in marketing at Lehigh and minored in French. “I really like the psychology and strategy behind marketing.”

Stone began her career at major ad agencies, first as a media buyer and then an account executive. Clients included familiar products such as Remy Martin, Lipton Iced Tea and Marie’s salad dressing. Remember the “Got Milk?” campaign in which celebrities donned milk moustaches in support of drinking dairy? Stone’s team made that a hit.

“[Ad agencies] really prepare you for the unknown,” says Stone. “You need to be able to pivot quickly and figure out solutions to challenges on a dime.”