Brands and PR dish all on product etiquette

It’s undeniably a perk of the job for media but equally so, getting product into the hands of media is of huge value for brands and PR. It’s a great way to boost brand awareness and increase the chances of securing coverage. 

But, like anything, there’s a right and a wrong way to behave when it comes to product etiquette. So this time around, we’ve asked PR and brand experts from a range of both in-house and agencies about what is de rigueur for media:

In your eyes, what are the intentions of a product send out?

“To generate hype and awareness around a product by sharing it with targeted and influential people”

“Excite, delight and introduce something NEW to the media.”

“For social media coverage, to get the media excited about the brand, and to launch a new product in a statement way when it’s not big enough to warrant the time and budget of an event.”

“To get the product in the hands of the media and make sure the product is top of mind for any stories they might be writing. When we invest in a big creative send-out, we do try and get some social media love but if the product strikes a chord then the job is done.”

What are your expectations following a send out?

“Social media on the day is appreciated, a feature inclusion is a bonus and a HUGE one is a thank you email.”

“My only expectations are that if print media have any further questions to get in touch via email/phone.”

“Of course I would love if every single product that I send to print media is featured in their beauty pages although I know this isn’t always possible.”

“You always ‘hope’ for coverage of some means, whether this is a post or coverage.”

What is appropriate when it comes to media/bloggers/influencers requesting product?

“Don't ask for every product in a collection – be aware that stock comes out of PR budget – so anything you don't want or need to be featured is a bit of a waste.”

“If you love something please let us know! If we have some in the PR stock cupboard I am more than happy to send out and our client will love hearing this feedback!”

 “I’m always happy to do this, as someone that is genuinely using and trying out the products is far more likely to cover your products, at some point, there’s never a timing expectation. But openness is always good!”

Can they re-sell or gift product?

“I don’t have any issues with gifitng – I’d rather our PR samples go to a happy home rather than to waste. But of course, please don’t call in extra products purely for your friends…(we know).”

 “Ideally not re-sell as this goes against our brands authenticity, they can gift to friends, family or charities.”

“For print media, the product is always sent to the title care of the beauty editor so I think it would be very poor form for someone to individually profit from that. At the same time we totally understand that cupboards get full and I think a beauty sale within the office with proceeds going to charity is a lovely idea. It gets a bit harder with influencers because the product is sent directly to them but still, if I saw someone selling products I would be quick to remove them from our lists. We have to protect our brands.”

“Selling PR samples is definitely not cool. However, I understand that beauty cupboards get very crowded and I know that many publications have regular beauty sales with proceeds given to charity, which is a wonderful idea!”

“Given the volume of products media would receive on a daily/weekly and monthly basis I would say it’s totally ok to re-gift these items to others in the office or friends and family. We are not expecting you to love everything that comes across your desk and would rather someone enjoy it than not.”

“Re-selling I’m not overly comfortable with – unless all the funds raised could go to charity? There are plenty of worthy charities you could donate any unwanted beauty products – this would be a great initiative.”

If recipients don’t like a product they are sent, what is the ideal outcome?

“Honesty is always best - it helps ensure a more targeted approach in future and usually strengthens the relationship!”

“We totally understand if you receive something you don’t like and appreciate that honest reviews help you maintain your authenticity. If you feel a brand or product isn’t relevant for your title, please feel free to let us know!”

“Definitely let us know. It is disappointing how many bloggers and influencers don’t even bother to send an email explaining their reason for not covering a product and so we keep sending none the wiser!”

​”TELL US! We are the middleman between you and the brand manager – so if the product is not good, or missed your deadline, or not right for your publication, or gave you hives – tell us so we can tell them. We get assessed on the coverage we achieve from EACH send-out and call-out. If we don't get the coverage (e.g. for the above reasons), we need to tell them why.”

“Please let us know if you have any feedback – what you liked, and or didn’t like so we can take this on board and share with our client if necessary! I love feedback – good or bad!”