The dos and don’ts of holding beauty PR events

Pulling off the kind of PR event that sends guests home buzzing can be a hard feat, especially in the beauty world where competition is rife. BEAUTYDIRECTORY spoke with a range of beauty media from New Zealand’s top print and online publications to discover the definitive dos and don’ts when it comes to events.

Do communicate the event structure

“If it’s a long event, clear communication about when things will happen is key. If there is a time the speech will take place, let us know.”

Do provide food at breakfast/lunch/dinner scheduled events

“If the event is at 1pm or 6:30pm when we’d usually be having a meal, it’s a presumption that the event will be catered. If budget doesn’t permit, hold the event late morning or afternoon.”

“We’re easily pleased. Some pretty nibbles and refreshments and it’s a stellar event in my books!”

Do think outside the box

“I love a practical event (blow waves, mini treatments etc.). I’d much prefer this than a long lunch.”

Do personalise

“While it’s not essential, an event that feels tailored or a bit more personal really makes an impact.”

Do provide product

“Sending us away with product there and then means we can get straight onto it. We all work differently but I’m pretty pedantic with filing product and scheduling it into my themes.”

Do follow up

“I love it when brands follow up that day with soft copies of the press release and links to imagery. That is amazing.”

"There's one agency that regularly follows up and asks for my feedback on their event, which is so refreshing and surprise surprise they always do the best events!"

Do consider photos

“I recently went to an event for a new range where the lighting was so bad I couldn’t use any of the photos I took!”

“Beauty media can be pretty basic! A good photo wall never goes amiss ;)”

“Always have product on show that is easily accessible for photos.”

Don’t drag it out

“I love an event that has a reasonable time frame, ideally 1.5hrs max.”

“Whilst I’d love to spend my day just going to events, I do actually need to do work. An unnecessarily long event is a real bugbear of mine.”

Don’t do long speeches and presentations

“Presentations shouldn’t exceed 15-20mins max – especially if they're science-heavy.”

“I went to an event with inadequate seating and a 30 minute presentation recently. I’ll think twice before going to their next one now…”

“If a long presentation is a must, serve the meal during it to save time.”

Don’t surprise us

“I hate to sound spoilt but my absolute pet peeve is no warning when an event involves doing something to me. Letting me know that my make-up will be removed or my hair will be washed is essential.”

You don’t need to blow the budget

“Sometimes the lower budget events can be more impactful.”

Evening events

Events outside of work hours are nice every now and then but unfortunately don’t accommodate everyone. A large majority of beauty media have families and commitments, which often means they can’t make these.

Keep it informal!

“After work our brains have pretty much checked out so it’s hard to absorb lengthy presentations and facts. The key for me with evening events is to make it fun, informal and more social.”

“Presentations can be quite draining in the evening. Some brief chit-chat about the product or range, photo opportunities and socialising is what I love.”

Timing

“Timing is everything. An evening event at an awkward time is a pet peeve of mine. The best time to host one is before 6:30pm. Otherwise we have to go home and then come back out again, which is sometimes a bit much.”

Food

“If you’re serving alcohol – food is a must!”

Other tips

We received a lot of feedback from media regarding individual catch-ups as opposed to events:

“I absolutely love one on one or even small group catch-ups. You have more opportunity to engage with the brand and ask questions.”

“My favourite type of ‘event’ is a simple breakfast catch-up to discuss a new range or product. It’s low cost and I walk away with usually more than I do from a big launch.”

“Brands that come to you and do coffee or breakfast are amazing! So often it’s hard to get away from my desk so popping out for 45 minutes or so is really efficient and effective.”