All sorts of things happen behind the scenes in beauty world – some of them awesome and some of them awful as I guess you would expect in any industry. I don’t share as much of them as I used to – reader feedback errs to just wanting to hear about beauty news in a happy environment and I get that, but this one I am sharing because it’s the best possible example of lack of perspective that I can think of and is damaging to all parties involved. It’s not a naming names exercise at the moment, but a bigger picture story.
I was at a Christmas in July event yesterday (for those readers who don’t know, it’s an annual event where brands show their Christmas wares… it’s mainly for long-lead press who are planning their festive issues right now, but with the advent of digital has become a sneak peek, early view for beauty fans who want to keep up with beauty news). On display at this event were lots of beautiful forthcoming products (you have to fight your way through baubles and Christmas trees to see them!). Anyone on social is there to report on the event, products and all – brands actively hashtag these events and seek to encourage coverage.
I took some pictures of a couple of products and popped them on Instagram. Thought no more of it and came home to get my blog posts up for the day. At the very end of the day I got a call from the brand PR requesting that I take down the Instagram pictures. Apparently, due to a communication breakdown between brand and event, the products weren’t supposed to be there. I checked my Instagram and Twitter and saw that the two pictures had been regrammed and re-tweeted multiple times – globally – so I asked if we could take a look at how realistic it was to remove all of the images, because removing the images from my Instagram while leaving my images all over everyone else’s channels didn’t seem to make any sense. It’s not like they can be ‘unseen’. The PR said (ungraciously) she would look at it and ring me back. Instead, she called the event PR and pressured her into pressuring me to take them down and handed over the problem, leaving everyone else with a pile of stress and a huge amount of upset. It’s make-up, and I’m not about to see anyone break or be hauled over the coals over a palette, so I did the right thing for the wellbeing of the event PR and took them down.
However, my images are still everywhere but my own channels. Because, social is an unstoppable force and there’s no lid that contain it. I accidentally broke an embargo that nobody at the event knew existed; it came from a chain of simple mistakes and that’s just being human – it happens. The fury and hysteria that followed is symptomatic of the inward looking nature of the brand. The other way to deal with it might have been to accept what’s happened, embrace the huge surge of positivity that came from the on-line community (and this palette has had nothing but praise from the thousands of beauty lovers who have already seen it), realise that it’s not a disaster that two products from a 24 piece collection were released accidentally and to be rather more gracious and dignified. They could see it as the first wave of excitement and interest and hold it with both hands as a precursor to more coverage down the line and when they’re more ready. As it is, my perception of the brand now (which wasn’t great to start with as we have had ‘dealings’ before) is one of lack of perspective, enormous arrogance and an immense lack of dignity. I wouldn’t mind any of this nearly as much if the cold-hearted lack of proportion from all aspects of the actual brand hadn’t caused so much genuine upset arising from a simple error.
The bigger picture here is that brands that are so stuck in a rigid way of doing things are those that will eventually fall behind the brands that really embrace social media. Bloggers, vloggers and Instagrammers are the life force behind exposure (and subsequently, sales) in this extremely busy and noisy beauty environment. I can see brands fading before my eyes because there is just so much choice for the beauty consumer now and the very last thing a brand should do in the digital age is be arrogant. I will add that at any point, the brand could have been in touch directly instead of sending furious orders behind the scenes leading to everyone involved having a very bad taste in their mouths. What a mess from something that could have been flipped on its head with everyone coming out smiling instead.
Transparency Disclosure
All products are sent to me as samples from brands and agencies unless otherwise stated. Affiliate links may be used. Posts are not affiliate driven.
28 comments
Meanwhile in the real world horrible things are happening and a brand is worried about customers seeing some eyeshadows too early. How you don’t punch people in the face when they pull this crap is anyone’s guess! I also love the fact that their mistake is now your problem??? These brands who don’t engage with social media correctly will disappear. We are magpies and always looking for next newest shiny thing!
I know.. it was the complete over-reaction that shocked me I have to say.
What a sad way to conduct their business. Whoever they are they don’t deserve my attention, just hope it isn’t one of my favourite brands. Meanwhile back in the real world there are real tragedies occurring on a daily basis!
How absurd! It sounds like just another case of someone (brand) making a mistake and then trying to deflect THEIR error to someone else to take the heat off! This sort of thing happens in other disciplines and is always ugly when it raises it’s unprofessional, mean-spirited head. Brands like this need to take stock of who really keeps their name out there in social media before they are deleted permanently from the consumers’ eye! Hang in there sweetie and have a lovely weekend!
How petty and unprofessional of that company. Now I just have a burning desire to know who they are so I can boycott them.
Yes i had the exact same thought when i read this article!!
Ah come on, name & shame. Though I’m guessing you’ve got enough out there for the rest of the beauty PR world to work out which individual it is. Every pro in journalist land knows why embargoes exist and abides by them – but if there is literally NO statement, NO visible embargo and it’s an entirely imaginary embargo in Patsy or Eddy’s head, then surely it is everyone’s duty to point and laugh at the perpetrator.
lol.. the Patsy and Eddy thing.. it was truly an Ab Fab kinda day. There were multiple brands at that particular event (and multiple events on that day) so I hope it’s not obvious..naming and shaming on this site just isn’t appropriate – its more to illustrate the .. as you put it so well.. the Ab Fab-ness of it all!
It’s still not clear where the miscommunication happened but it doesn’t really matter I don’t think.. mistakes happen.
Can only concur with what everyone else has said. On the other hand it wasn’t a private viewing and you can’t have been the only person who snapped pics, so the fact tht they targeted you, shows what clout you have in the industry whether respect is paid or not. I knw you’ll frown on guessing in the comment section (I understand why) but if I can avoid brands that behave badly I’d like to 🙂 My money is on Nars :p
They should embrace Social media. Some brands push products to the limit (looking at you Too Faced..) and it can get pretty annoying (looking at you Sweet Peach palette…!) but it works and Brands that are active on social media and support bloggers, bloggers and Instagrammers are on top of their games right now! I think times of secretive and mysterious releases are over. Sneak peaks and sharing are the way to go now.
Also can i say that it’s pretty ridiculous they made their mistake your problem?!
Happy weekend xoxo
Why even bring a product to the party if they don’t want it shown? It’s just asking for trouble. Their team need to grow the hell up its embarrassing for such a prestigious brand to be run by ditsy teenagers.
I think that this incident has just proved that this particular brand are not actually really special at all – I personally won’t be buying from them again, whoever they are 😉
It’s a shame: I generally like some of that brand’s products, and think that they could be something really special. However, clearly not as special as they think they are. All of your pics are still up on Specktra. One would think they would enjoy the publicity – whet the appetite for the holiday season, when there are so many things to choose from…
I completely agree with you Jane. Here in Italy I see many brands, not only in the beauty industry, small and huge, that haven’t embrace social media, at all. They are really falling behind others, and it’s quite astonishing sometimes. -.-‘
https://pineapplemakeup.wordpress.com/
Incredible. Just beyond belief. How unprofessional! I’d be interested to know if the brand ‘owners’ are aware of their shitty PR?
Your response has been dignified and fair.
Still longing yo know who this is. Thank you for also telling us about the crap that can go on behind the scenes Jane
Jane
Please continue with your behind the scenes news. I find them so fascinating. It must be so irritating to see your photos on the web when some idiot has stopped you using them yourself.
I don’t agree that influencers are the be all and end all. But I do agree that the brand should have made the most of the situation, and many brands would give their right arm for the buzz that you have inadvertently created. As someone else has said “IT’S ONLY EYESHADOW’
I agree with everyone who says it’s just eyeshadow- total over-reaction. And if it’s the brand I think it is, while it looks nice it’s not as though it wasn’t a predictable range of products. They haven’t created a completely new eyeshadow colour or anything and don’t want it stolen by other brands!
Embargoes are archaic in a digital, borderless world. I understand why they exist when someone’s been given an exclusive, but more and more these days it’s because the brand itself wants to make the splash and build their own social-media presence.
Embargoes are worse when you’re told about them when it’s too late.
And they’re the worst when the product has already been all over the Internet for months and we’re told in Canada that we have to hold until two weeks before it hits counter here because “people get upset that they can’t buy it right away.” (Really? Which customers? How old are they?) And the local PR does nothing to push back against the brand’s foolishness, so we have to make a decision about whether we care to receive samples.
Sheesh. Silly, really.
Well, holding everyone at bay until the brand is ‘ready’ is really silly especially when it’s already in other countries. As I understand it this particular embargo was in place because the brand had committed to an exclusive in print which shows that they still value print above all else – which is rather a short term strategy given that print is so quickly being replaced by on-line. The thing that I find difficult is that brands are telling us when we can help them sell their product – I’ve been asked to prove my ‘selling’ ability by brands before now (selling product via affiliate links is an incidental for me – it’s absolutely not a focus) in order to be considered. But, in this competitive world, sales are everything. I don’t push products unless I feel it’s something very much worth having and I’ll give a very good reason why – but brands are starting to see it as a blogger’s duty to promote them which is an uncomfortable feeling. I will say though, that this brand and the agency (although I suspect the agency had rather more to do with it than the brand who remain absolutely silent) sent an apology and flowers yesterday.
The selling business is getting out of hand – affiliate links have turned bloggers into an unsalaried sales force. It’s direct sales 2.0. And some brands make no attempt to disguise their perception of bloggers as their minions, as cogs in their massive marketing wheels. (I feel as though it really started with hashtags.)
Bravo for writing about this, Jane – you have a knack for shining a clear light on disturbing issues most of us haven’t the courage to write about.
Glad the agency sent an apology and flowers; that’s something.
I get so many emails from affiliates pressuring to promote – I use affiliates sometimes, but use them my way and not because I’m ‘predicted to be 48% down this month’… I really don’t care about them..they’re a happy bonus but I see them as a non essential. Brands have just come to assume that it’s a blogger’s job to write about them and promote them regardles. I was once told by the head of PR for a huge brand that I didn’t get to choose what I wrote about, I should write about what they send. So, I’ve literally never, ever worked with that corporation again. And not missed them even a tiny bit.
Gobsmacked about your being told by PR that you don’t get to choose what to write about. Not that I haven’t occasionally sensed something like that when I’ve received a new release then replied with a request related to an older product. I’m fully aware the usual business mandate is to promote the latest and greatest result of the brand’s most recent spend. But no-one’s actually ever said that outright to me.
Wow. Just wow.
I’m glad they sent an apology! How silly! Hopefully they will be clearer from now on re what to photo and what not to photo. Storm in a tea cup and a classic case of passing the buck.
ARSEHOLES.
I know this is an ancient post (was trawling through the archives) but…Caroline’s comment is hilarious.