We recently ran a media event for beauty journalists, bloggers and digital sites, in order to launch a new product to the Australian beauty market. Here is a list of findings that might surprise you.

• Media are more time-poor than ever, more than often working on 2 or more titles or working an extra job on the side
  
  
• Venue is key. It needs to be central but can’t please all, as most work from home these days.
  
  
• Offer multiple hooks to entice your guests. These can include entertainment, goodies bags or an original experience. A new product is not enough to get them there!
  
  
• Timing is really tricky. Most journalists do not like early starts, so breakfasts can be hit and miss. Lunch is positively old school - gone are the days for these girls to have the luxury of a few hours off, in the middle of a day. So cocktails or late afternoon tea seems to be the go. Remember though, you are intruding on their “private” time, so be modest with your demands.
  
  
• Dropouts. Factor in about a 10% drop out rate on the day, and a few cancellations before that. If an editor gets a better offer she will take it.
  
  
• Even if you manage to book a seemingly free date, beware of last minute events that seem to spring up from nowhere. Sydney has often anywhere between 5 and 10 media events going on each night, depending on time of the year.
  
  
• Keep the message short and clear. Do not bore guests with lengthy PowerPoint – oh-so-nineties – presentations. They will only take home 1 or 2 messages from your talk anyway.
  

On a last note, it might be worth considering other options for new product introductions. The less time-consuming, more original and memorable a launch is, the better. Effective PR and publicity is gaining maximum coverage while keeping the investment as low as possible. Remember to weigh up the possible ROI and study alternatives, before locking into what can be an expensive exercise.

In the PR world, clarity of message often results in the success or failure of a launch or brand’s success. Believe it or not, there are still so many conflicting brand identities being reposted and re-tweeted in the cyber sphere, all-resounding loudly, from brands both large and small.

With a multitude of available media outlets and ever-growing ways to deliver a message, we truly are spoilt for choice. Do we advertise, post, blog, tweet, insti or share? How do we know what is going to be best for a brand and how can we possibly keep up with it? And even more importantly, how does this all translate into the sales of a product?  From personal experience, these questions seem to be the on the lips of most brand managers.

Marketing has been completely redefined since the explosion of social media. Brands are discovering that a 1-page ad in a leading women’s magazine now often represents an extravagant waste of money, while weighing up the extensive choices out there. But then again, ads have traditionally been more quantifiable, PR never so, and now social media PR – well that’s a completely new ball game when it comes to ROI; Measurable results being the ever elusive Holy Grail.

One thing remains true, a good old-fashioned dose of consistency continues to work. Don’t overthink the brand or its delivery. A clear, concise message still will cut through the clutter. Choose maybe one or two delivery methods, without being everything to everyone.

While the Internet has offered us no limits, we as human beings need boundaries and that’s where brands can win. In summary, an effective campaign means:

·      Define your market, shelve those that are not relevant,

·      Clarify your position by polishing up your USP and

·      Choose your media carefully. 

5 Ways to a Successful Product Mail-out

Not many lay people out there realise that beauty writers, journalists, editors, bloggers, vloggers and so on, receive between 8 and 15 packages a day containing new beauty product.  Be it a serum or a scrunchie, from nail polish to lip-gloss, these girls are spoilt – with a capital S!  So how can you cut through the clutter, be original and win their discerning attention?

Here are some useful tips that I have picked up along the beauty-land path….

1. If you are doing a general mail-out make sure the contents arrive in a pristine state. The packaging – a bag, a box or anything different to the norm, must reflect the image of the brand, look appealing, beg “OPEN ME” and arrive at the correct address. Do not forget to include a concise press release with the launch date positioned at the top.
   
   
2. You can never overdo it with a ribbon, after all, you will be sending to girls (well mostly) and what girl can resist a crisp, pretty ribbon? If a ribbon is not right for the brand, use a tassel, or a flower or a hanging ornament. Just embellish!
   
   
3. Never underestimate the power of humour. If you can add a touch of wit to your offering and get a laugh to punctuate a serious day in the office, you are onto a winner.
   
   
4. Larger companies have been known to send their goodies in via a mach-o-gram or a hunk-o-gram! Sex has traditionally always been a secret to sales, and there’s no harm in adding a little naughtiness to your bundle. Again it could well brighten up an otherwise dull day. A word of caution though, this approach must only be done at the discretion of the brand identity.
   
   
5. Think outside the box but keep it relevant. If for example, you are sending out a new night cream, it might be nice to add a little something, such as a silk pillowcase or a cosy bedtime read or a personal hot chocolate mug. A pot of fresh cream with some strawberries might be seen to have an association, but may not be quite so relevant! Always consider your overall message and what the end user will remember from your gift.
   

Can creating a new brand possibly be that easy? Well, recently we proved that from a nameless product, we launched a full-fledged brand with identity, website, endorsement and a market for it!

1. Naming a new product is crucial to branding. Check all the abbreviations, connotations and associations, before registering a name.

2. The importance of graphics cannot be stressed enough and are key to good branding. Nobody wants to buy a product that doesn’t visually appeal to them; let alone a beauty or health item. Graphics need to be consistent and reflect your product’s image on every piece of material.

3. Create a website. This will be the heart for your brand, a go-to place for anyone needing information, pricing, availability and shipping details. The style of website will be consistent with the brand’s identity and graphics.

4. Social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter and Facebook need to feed back to the website and again must reflect the identity of your brand. The content posted needs to be relevant, informative and interesting to your market.

5. If you can find a personality to endorse the brand or if you can align with a cause or organisation, your brand will receive greater integrity and kudos. If this is not possible, try to find a specific marketplace where you can promote your product. This could be via an event, through sponsorship, or at an expo or trade fair.

I recently went to a Soul Sessions afternoon that got me thinking about how to apply the newly referenced 2014 business paradigm, to PR.  Entitled Planet, People, Profit, we looked at how smart business models were evolving and how they became successful in the first place. And with the help of business guru Simon Sinek light bulbs flicked on among an enlightened, converted audience.

One resounding message the group took from the Session, was that success comes from the heart and not from the bottom line. It is not about dealing with a headcount that matters, but rather the heart-count. In other words, we must make our businesses and workplace a place of support, a family or community where we nurture and trust each other; not a battle-field where staff feel constantly threatened and insecure. Think back to the ‘50’s and ‘60’s when working for one company for more than 25 years was the norm, where a retirement speech and carriage clock presentation was de rigour! Enviable! Somewhere in between, it would seem we have lost these basic values that great companies were built on – trust, loyalty and passion.

PR is of course, built on trust. Without it, there is no goodwill, no belief, no loyalty. Trust has to exist between the Client and the PR, with the PR and their Media contacts and with the PR and the End customer. Without this circle of trust (sorry for the cliché, wasn’t that in a movie?) we cannot build a brand – never mind promote it!

Lead with the heart, not with the analytics and the results will flow.

When I first got a taste for beauty PR back in the nineties, launches were lavish, beauty editors were treated like spoilt princesses and client budgets extended to the last minute detail.  Well. Times have changed… to an extent.

Now let me introduce you to “The beauty editors” a private club, a separate breed to other mainstream media. Usually the most envied position on the editorial team, a beauty editor is coveted for “swanning off to launches”, or being wined and dined and for receiving anything between 10 to 20 product releases every day, each more creatively packaged than the last, in an attempt to take prime place in their toppling in-trays.

They are a talented crew, always finding a new spin on how to improve our looks, and preserving youthful complexions. They have an enormous appreciation for all things beautiful and aesthetic, with a sharp eye on the finer details, noticing an imaginative place setting or an unusual flower that depicts a product’s unique ingredient.

Treatment of the beauty media requires kid gloves. They are of a sensitive nature (many being Pisceans!) and like to be treated accordingly. They need to be able to trust you, they need you to talk their talk, enjoy their tastes – think lite food, champagne and pampering gifts – and be there efficiently whenever they need you. These basic needs being met, they will reward you with loyalty, friendship and a vast knowledge on the best lip gloss available. It takes many years to develop these relationships, as they have to be nurtured, loved and genuinely enjoyed to afford lasting benefit.

Worth noting is that “the beauty editors” are all really “nice” and they all “get on”. The bitchiness and back-stabbing thatis so often associated with the fashion industry is frowned upon, as it is the preservation of keeping life beautiful in every sense of the word that must prevail.

Yesterday I was fortunate enough to indulge in a 9 hour lunch! Yes, I said 9 hours -  not a typo!

This was greatly assisted due to the fact that my friend who had been to a recent PR launch, had been exposed to a wonderful new strain of Moet – the White Moet which, of course, she had to introduce me to.

Needless to say one bottle became 2 and then even 3! Each lunching lady at that table is now a total convert to those bubbles, and all because Moet decided to sponsor that targeted PR event. Brilliant!

Word-Of-Mouth is undoubtedly the jewel in PR, and continues to be the most influential and valuable form of marketing, carrying with it that coveted authenticity. The beauty of this encounter however, lay in the immaculate execution and delivery. Perfect.

Finding and retaining a suitable ambassador for your brand can also be invaluable. Recently we have been working with Sara Leonardi-McGrath, the gorgeous new wife of cricket legend Glenn. She is a very accomplished and talented person in her own right and after discovering Suigo hair care, was delighted to be associated with us. This partnership can work on a number of levels, from in-store events, to interviews and endorsements.  Here’s a picture of Sara after experiencing the Suigo Natural Hair Spa. Glowing!
When you consider partnering with another, remember to think of outcomes first. Where do you want your brand featured? With what demographic and how can you create synergy?  It’s a bit like a marriage really – pick out the commonality, work out the value –

Here’s the formula:
1 + 1 = much more than 2!

A big launch event, with requisite themed venue, exquisite canapés, French champagne and opulent press gifts, is now beginning to appear distinctly ‘90’s, for most companies now, when it comes to ROI.

With hundreds of new beauty brands entering the market every year, beauty PR investment was bound to take its toll; many new entrepreneurs believing that a facebook page and the odd tweet, to tick the PR box - Wrong!

Creating awareness for a new brand or re-kindling a tired one, takes expertise, time, contacts and experience. Knowing your target audience is vital and understanding the relevant media is probably even more so, if you are to gain cut-through and earn invaluable editorial. It’s amazing how the seemingly most insignificant detail, such as not returning a phone call or a simple typo, can sometimes be detrimental to a brand.

Whereas an event and some product placement seemed to suffice 10 years ago, we are now faced with so many more options, thanks to social media. By the way, there’s nothing social about it! The necessary skill sets are quite different to the ones PR professionals have been known for, a decade ago. However, often lonely and very time-consuming, posting, tweeting and pinning have earned an essential place, when it comes to getting your product “out there”.

That’s why PR and marketing are now more inseparable than ever, you could say that PR is the intangible part of a marketing campaign that it needs to infiltrate every touch point, of that elusive consumer.