I have a generally good relationship with most PRs – not always, but mostly. It’s a very tricky balance sometimes because a good PR protects their brand like a tigress while making you feel you’re getting the good end of the deal, which you only ever are if it suits the brand. So, sometimes I’m absolutely amazed at how little brands actually listen to the people who are so protective of them. Often, I’ll say, ‘I wish they’d done so and so to make X product better’, and many times, the brand has already been given that suggestion by their PR. These are the people who work day in and day out with the products; they trail it round to the press, they get the feedback face to face (not always easy) and they are surrounded by beauty products on the front line of the beauty industry. But, the number of times that these constructive ideas aren’t listened to I can’t count. I hear it all the time. Brands, if you wonder why you product isn’t selling or being well received, go find a wall and then bang your head against it, avoiding your PR who is probably doing the same thing.
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4 comments
Often wonder this myself – I’ve given loads of feedback and stuff to PR’s or even directly to brands… with little result!
I watching a series on BBC4 about the modern perfume industry and I think a critic on the program summed it up nicely. He said that brands are throwing more and more product out there, faster and faster. Nothing sticks. The consumer has no time to become familiar with a product or even the brand, therefore they aren’t developing any loyalty. Instead it’s a mad rush onto the next flavour of the month.
I wonder if that’s why they don’t listen. Both the brand and the consumer are stuck in this vicious cycle of product here today, product gone tomorrow. I think this is especially so of consumers in the 18-30 year old age range.
Totally agree – last night’s programme on perfume showed classic example. A middle aged french lady, pulled in as expert to Tommy Hilfiger, realising the young people don’t like things over marketed and then going on to create something that could not have been more over marketed and lecturing their young ‘ambassadors’ hired to promote ‘Loud’ on what young people liked – hilarious
@Valerie; glad someone else saw that too. Very informative and I’m looking forward to next week’s episode.
I laughed at the statement that the next “overnight sensation” had to be pimped out months in advance to the right media. And for the record, that particular Hilfiger fragrance absolutely pongs.