As seen in BD’s recent article about successful beauty events, how PR companies and brands liaise with the media can hugely impact a number of important things – from mentions and coverage to future prospects.
This time, we spoke to five top beauty journalists – across print, online and broadcast – to help provide PRs and brands with some insight into the minds of the media. At their request, comments and opinions have been kept anonymous.
Product pitches
When it comes to pitching new and existing products, each respondent agreed that a clear and concise email that includes all relevant information is the way to go. According to most, product samples are also useful, but over the top pitches are unnecessary and waste the already limited time of everyone involved.
Here’s what they had to say:
“Keep it simple – list the pros/ingredients/its unique selling point. Don't pitch me story ideas – that's my job. Just tell me what I need to know about the product, why it works and what's special about it compared to others on the market.”
“A clear, concise email that details the top line information on the product and has the relevant press release attached with on counter dates, prices and further information. If it’s too long and wordy, I won’t read it.”
“Don’t ever telephone media to pitch a beauty product or story idea, as it’s the quickest way to throw us offside. Most of us are stretched thin and need our desk time to produce content. An email with everything is far more efficient, and if we require more information, we know where to contact you.”
“An innovative press kit is always great, but nothing that is over the top with wasteful packaging that can’t be reused. A great example would be a new product launch with something that relates.”
Product launches
And while events are still useful ways to introduce new products, media are aware that not all PRs and brands continue to follow that path. Instead, many are switching them out for emails and media send-ins, as well as one-on-one meetings and other catch-up variations.
Our beauty journos said they don’t mind the occasional transition from events, as long as they’re still being provided with everything they need. Others agreed, but admit they lean more towards a simple email. The fact that many beauty journalists are now working across multiple platforms means workloads have increased and people are more time-poor than ever – making desk-time essential. Others, however, expressed enthusiasm for one-on-one meetings, so perhaps it’s best to discuss availability before booking in a client for all-day meetings.
“If you’re launching a new product, media send-ins are ideal because I can trial the product, easily feature it in any upcoming videos and post about it on social. If I’ve already got your product on hand, It's more likely to be considered for any upcoming editorial.”
“As we don’t have a lot of time in the day, a coffee catch-up can be tricky to schedule in, but I am open to it from time to time. But not for every launch.”
“If no event, then we love products to be sent in with an email sent before the arrival of the press kit. This email should include a press release, launch date, pricing and images. We’re always having to email for high res imagery.”
“Emails and media send-ins are my preferred method as I then have everything I need, without needing to leave my desk. Unfortunately, one-on-one meetings are a luxury that most media can no longer afford, especially if the brand aren’t advertisers.”
“A one-on-one would be ideal. If it's a new launch, I'll likely have questions, want to know the story behind it and try the product. I also find meeting the faces behind a brand and hearing their story is what can set it apart from the rest of the products I get sent on a daily basis.”
PR follow-ups
Everyone we spoke to said they believe product follow-ups are essentially a waste of time. In fact, a common theme saw each person following the same process: Once they receive information about a product via email and/or a media-send in, they respond if (and only if) the product is of interest. If not, it gets filed away with the potential to be re-visited later.
Meanwhile, others agreed that follow-ups for things such as RSVPs or treatment offers are perfectly fine, as long as they’re in the form of an email with all the required information, effectively eliminating the need to reach out for further details.
“If I don’t respond, it means I have read it and filed it in my ‘Beauty’ folder in my email or saved on our servers for reference when we are compiling pages or doing callouts. If we don’t reply, it doesn’t mean we don’t care – it just means we have read it and believe it doesn’t need a response right then and there.”
“I don’t have time to reply to everything that ends up in my inbox, so follow-ups on media alerts and new product releases can be frustrating. If the product fits in with what I’m working on, I’ll reply. If not, sending multiple follow-ups isn’t going to change my editorial schedule.”
“Sending multiple follow-ups is annoying and quite frankly, it makes me less likely to include the product or want to work with the brand or PR in the future.”
“I rarely have time to respond to PR follow-ups. If I haven’t been in touch about a product or pitch, it’s either not relevant to my audience or not currently of interest.”
Final tips
Finally, our beauty journos have a few extra tips to help everyone successfully navigate the world of beauty media.
“In the current climate within which media work, we need everything to have a purpose. PRs should formulate every email or send-in with media convenience in mind.”
“Email blasts are only useful when they’re announcing a new product – media don’t need to be sent emails about ‘essential products’ or Q&As with experts when there’s nothing new or noteworthy about the content.”
“For product inclusions for TV segments, usually things are very last minute. The sooner you can reply and get the product across to me the better. Because TV is so visual, I’ll always require two of every product so that I can use one of them for display.”
“Know your audience. Influencers and bloggers will react differently to certain products/pitches and events. Beauty journalists need different information, and have different time constraints and schedules.”
“Please consider the publication you’re emailing – does the product actually fit the title’s audience? If it doesn’t, don’t waste your time or ours.”