To Event or Not To Event? How to make it Work

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.