At the start of yesterday’s post, I wondered if I’d regret speaking my mind. I’m happy to say that I am SO glad that I posted: the comments I received were amazing – pertinent, supportive and fascinating. More though, it seems I am not the only blogger by a long way to experience issues like this. Now that I am in a more philosophical state of mind, I really do feel that patience is all. It’s a fact that widely read blog posts convert to sales (thinking of Rouge Bunny Rouge as one example) more tangibly than many other forms of media, and those who don’t understand that are losing out. It’s not us that is losing. One issue shouted loudly through the comments: the fact that we are turning to blogs and not magazines for beauty advice, with many saying they never buy magazines at all any more. I see this as a trend that will continue and if brands aren’t on it, then its their mistake, in more ways than one. We’re lucky in many ways that so many brands are reaching out and trying to learn about our way of working and they are the ones that will get more of our time and attention.
The brand at the root of yesterday’s gloom-laden post (sorry about that folks – mojo 100% restored!) is one that is slowly being lost in a vast area of similar products and whose sales figures certainly aren’t anything to shout about. As they say, you do the maths.
Finally, the brand is question have done all they possibly can to make amends, but the damage is done and there’s nothing more to say on the matter.
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8 comments
Only just caught up on all of this. Sorry to hear this has happened.
I seem to be on a lot of “press release” lists, and it seems PRs sometimes just don’t get that we are not advertising sites sometimes. I occasionally get peed off by this, and send a reply offering to review a product for the blog. Vast majority of the time, I never hear from those companies again, but sometimes, just sometimes, you get a nice surprise, and a PR will respond in a positive manner.
As you have often advised me in the past, cream rises, and online media has yet to have its heyday.
I firmly believe that this is this companies loss – the cynical part of me says name and shame so we can all boycott lol!
I love your blog so much! All I can say is there are plenty more PR’s in the sea….
Sorry to hear you’ve had bad experience, if its any consolation PR’s do experience the same i.e. once you no longer PR for a big player/big advertiser, suddenly a select number of journalists become like the Scarlet Pimpernel, never answer their phone and certainly never respond to invites. And again, once the PR moves positions or gains a ‘big’ brand, its verrrry interesting to see how suddenly the communication channels open once again. Hard not to take it personally, but the ‘good’ people simply don’t behave like that, so my take on it, is no loss although sadly on occasion it can mean a loss in business, which, we just have to swallow.
Like I say plenty more PR’s and products in the sea
Hi BBB, love your blog! We (consumers) have given on magazines because we’re not interested in “advertorials” for products from the firms that buy ad space in the magazine. Waste of time and money. Some of the beauty and fashion blogs are just as bad, or were before the FCC took a hard look at the field, but many, like yours, are fantastic. Just as an example, I bought the Chanel les minis brush set after you featured it. And it’s really good/ worth the money. Please continue to be funny and honest about beauty products – the PRs will catch up, or not, depending on their intelligence. (signed) a fan in the US
I used to be a PR and it always surprised me that although every year the ABC results highlighted the waning interest in print, it was still the magazine tears that received the nod from the boss when filing the monthly reports. Online coverage was just seen as a bulk-up bonus.
You are right though, any PR consultant who doesn’t recognise the emergence of the online power, and how to harness it will be out of a job. I think the problem at the moment is that even forward thinking PRs are stuck between pleasing old school bosses who don’t understand this revolution (especially the French companies) and a willingness to move with the times.
Your blog is one of the best around so I am rather surprised you are having these difficulties. I am sure, however, that will change over the next year.
Were any blogger invited to the event? Probably none were because the said product launches in April and it was for monthly press? I think it is easy as a blogger to become self indulgent. PR’s have to do what their client ask, I could not invite bloggers to a press event with long lead time. It is unprofessional of you surely?
The point here Anon is that I’m not only a blogger…it’s not even from the blogging angle that it stung..I still write for other publications, on-line and print.
The point here Anon is that I’m not only a blogger…it’s not even from the blogging angle that it stung..I still write for other publications, on-line and print.
Shame to hear that but unfortunately it does happen the other round far too often. Plenty of journalists stop taking your calls when a client changes.
ultimately bloggers could become “bullies” and
“name and shame” whenever they don’t get what they want.