What is Public Relations?

At a time when people live behind their phones and knee-deep in social media, it’s easy to see why public relations and its meaning is blurry and confusing. Public relations as its core is building mutually beneficial relationships between a brand or person and the public. Another way of defining PR, in a similar vein, is building and maintaining a positive image of a brand or organization to the public. These are simply broad explanations of public relations. Of course, there are micro definitions and different ways of going about maintaining a brand in the public eye. However, for clarity’s sake, we will use our broad definition of PR.

Once a public relations agency or individual works with a new brand, there are multiple layers of representation depending on the size of the brand, organization, or person. A large consumer goods brand requires different beauty public relations than a new, niche upstart skincare brand with very few SKUs. Many big beauty and fashion brands produce hundreds of products across different categories. Often, each of those categories requires their own public relations. Take a large corporation like Unilever as an example: They own and produce several different beauty lines. Each of those different brands require their own public relations. A bath line requires different positioning in the public compared to a skincare brand. All brands under a large umbrella need their own strategic PR to present them in the best possible light to the public.

Social media adds another layer to public relations. Social apps such as Instagram put brands and their founders directly in front of the public. Think of all of the beauty brands and influencers that were called out in 2018. Vox media refers to the drama and fallout as callout culture. This year saw many beauty brands air their dirty laundry online. As various brands’ drama unfolded, consumers were quick to leave comments on their Instagram accounts. Many beauty brand founders found themselves in hot water after trying to protect what they created by not responding from a place of clarity. Often their retorts were rude, judgmental, and overall not professional. Public relations is a must in the world of social media. The beauty public relations industry must be proactive in schooling brand founders they represent in the finer points of PR. If a brand founder has a public, personal account on Instagram, they must post and comment with the public and consumers in mind. It doesn’t bode well when a beauty brand founder goes off the rails on Instagram. It’s a sign to the public that there isn’t a professional behind the brand. Remember, public relations positions a brand in a favorable manner to the public.

Public relations in today’s age must guide brands and their founders and teach them how to present themselves and their products in the best light possible. The public is always listening and reading. When something negative happens surrounding a brand, many of the public never forget. In this digital world of social media, public relations agencies and freelancers have their a lot on their plate. Instagram alone is nearly a full time job for PR. Public relations is always evolving, yet it is still fundamentally about relating a product or brand favorably to the public. PR is simply much harder now because the public is everywhere - offline, online, etc.

How to Select the Right Beauty Public Relations Agency

As the founder of a new beauty brand, the thought of public relations is daunting. It’s hard enough to get a brand off the ground- from the original idea, to ingredient creation, packaging, working with off-site production, it’s exhausting and mentally draining. Most public relations agencies have no idea what it’s like to create a brand from scratch. Edith Press is one of the few boutique PR firms co-founded by a brand founder. We have experience what a brand founder goes through before researching beauty public relations.

Not all public relations agencies are created equally. Many are large where publicists work on several different accounts at one time. These have a time and a place, but for small and growing beauty brands, we recommend boutique PR firms. Also, not all publicists are the same. Because your brand is new, doesn’t mean you don’t need PR- you deserve for your new line to be recognized. We hope to shed insight into what to look for when searching for a beauty public relations agency.

1.) Boutique Agency

As a new beauty brand, Edith Press recommends searching for smaller, boutique agencies. Boutique PR firms are smaller than their counterparts and often cater to niche and growing brands. Many publicists working for boutique public relations firms have fewer accounts to manage which means they can dedicate more time to each client. There are many boutique agencies which specialize in beauty.

2.) Ask Questions

Public relations is expensive and many new brands end up working with several different firms before they find the right fit. Before working with an agency for the first time, it’s important to understand what you are looking for. Via Google search, you will undoubtably come across many boutique public relations firms. Reach out via email to ask if they work via month to month retainer or if they make you sign a 3 or 6 month contract. Also ask about the monthly retainer fee. Don’t be scared to ask if they have startup packages which differ from monthly retainers. Sometimes public relations firms use a concept similar to pay-per-placement. The client pays them a small pitching fee and then if the agency lands them press, they pay another bonus.

Figure out your budget and when you hear back from a boutique PR agency, ask if they can work with that. The worse they can say is no.

3.) Print and Digital

Another important aspect in selecting the right beauty public relations agency is knowing how they pitch media. As you probably know, print magazines are downsizing with some even closing. Newsstand sales have been in a slump for a while, but that’s nothing new. We still believe print media is incredibly important. We believe it’s never safe to put all of your media eggs in one basket - such as digital. When you find a boutique agency you like, find out if they pitch to both print and online. What no one is telling you is that readership on many online sites is also down. Eyeballs are important offline and online.

4.) Client Base

When our co-founder worked with public relations, she found many had attitudes towards brands and founders who weren’t based in NYC or LA. Judgmental, right? So many talented business owners are spread across the United States; it’s incredibly closed minded to think only top tiered talent exists in certain large cities. If you are close to signing with a new boutique beauty public relations agency, ask if they have clients throughout the country.

If you would like more guidance how to select a beauty PR agency, simply get in touch and Edith Press will help you as much as we can.

What’s your PR Plan?

Public Relations is often the last box small and growing brands check off their list. More often then not, there aren’t enough funds to even hire a freelance publicist or a public relations firm. We understand. We know what it’s like to be on the brand side as one of our co-founders also designs and manufactures a fashion brand. Our in-depth knowledge of both sides gives us a very unique perspective and it’s one most PR people don’t have.

Even if you have no money left after producing a new line of products, you still need to think about PR and come up with a plan; even if it’s DIY. After all, what good is a newly created product if no one knows about it? You can easily start implementing small fashion PR steps that ultimately help the bottom line.

1.) Make sure your website is up-to-date and has excellent on-page SEO. That means your meta tags, site title, and description need to be concise and informative. Don’t forget to use one of your top keywords in the site title and one to two keywords in its meta description. You can do all of this for free on your own.

2.) If you are e-commerce, set up a separate blog on your site. Though most big SEO’s now say an additional blog won’t help as far as search results, we still recommend one. Your blog is a great area to go into greater detail about your products and/or new collections. And, it’s content. Google still loves content. Obviously content off your site with a backlink to your URL is the best, content connected to your site is still fine. Your blog is also a way to be your own spokesperson and if you are a halfway decent writer, it’s free.

3.) Photograph your products and create line sheets. If your products are easy to photograph and you are fine handling a camera, be your brand’s own photographer. You can rent a good camera and lens online, make a white backdrop, and shoot away. I like to shoot my products outside, but of course away from the sun. After shooting your products, you may need to knockout the background and add various shadows. Hire a freelancer on freelancer to do this. Next, create your own line sheets; we use Illustrator or PS. Line sheets are used to show case each product with size and price. The canvas of a line sheet can be the size of a sheet of paper and all background must be white. Line sheets need to be simple and to the point- no fancy fonts, no over embellished images.

4.) Start reaching out to influencers and editors. Most email contacts are easy to track down, so don’t think you can’t do this part on your own. Make each email personable, address them by their name, and never send mass emails. Each email should have an upbeat tone, introduce yourself and your brand, but keep it as short as possible. Attach line sheets to each email.

These are just a few of many DIY public relations steps you can do yourself without hiring a fashion public relations firm. When your budget increases the next step is to look into hiring a PR specialist. Many public relations firms have differently priced packages. Ask a lot of questions before signing a contract; you don’t want to be stuck paying several thousand dollars a month if sales are down. Look into a PR firm that bills by the month.

PLIA Designs: Cornering the Market on Designer Handbags and Designer iPhone Cases

Every now and then a fashion brand comes along that knocks your socks off. The sort of brand that makes you take not one, three or four more glances. Consumers are inundated with so many brands, it’s often difficult to navigate the fashion waters of which designers are creating quality products and who is not. Over saturation is currently a massive problem in the world of fashion and designs. There are so many established and up-and-coming brands competing for the consumers pocket book. Nearly every brand wants shoppers to be mesmerized by their wares and hope you will purchase, sometimes regardless of quality or craftsmanship. Consumers are savvy and many make educated purchases- they aren’t always influenced by brands’ advertising or media campaigns.

The Internet, especially social media, gives consumers a chance to explore brands on their own terms. Shoppers like the act of discovery. When you discover a brand, it seems more authentic than when it’s forced upon you through ads, etc. Smaller brands are thriving because they are using social media as a platform to not only promote their designs, but also give shoppers a glimpse behind the scenes. These brands aren’t using bold tactics to try and lure shoppers to purchase items. Instead, they are using social media platforms such as Instagram to present their image in an authentic means. Instead of being a hard sell, brands utilize social media for soft sells. Smart designers know shoppers want to discover brands, learn the inspiration behind products, and to generally educate themselves without outside noise. It’s this outside noise of marketers and advertisers that has turned off many shoppers in recent years. No one wants to feel forced or talked into purchasing products; especially not in the designer fashion category.

A brand gaining legions of fans without overselling themselves is PLIA Designs. They have carved a niche for themselves in accessories; specifically designer handbags and designer iPhone cases. PLIA Designs excels by creating incredibly distinct accessories that women are instantly drawn to. There handbags are not covered in logos nor are they made in large quantities. Each of the brands designer handbags is crafted by hand by a highly skilled artisan. Leathers are imported from Italy and every illustration on the back of their iPhone cases is created first on a traditional artists canvas. PLIA Designs is a modern brand with old-world traditions as the backbone to its products. They do not try to sell a product, rather they let the product sell itself. There is no annoying advertising or overly promoted posts on social media. It’s a transparent brand centered around craftsmanship while at times allowing consumers to see behind the scenes.

In the category of designer handbags, PLIA Designs’ Reid satchel is a true classic. Even though the bag has been in the marketplace just a few years, it’s a design that feels timeless. The Reid satchel is a do-it-all handbag. Whether you use it for a work bag or for a weekend away, it’s a handbag designed for a busy life. What I love most about PLIA’s iconic satchel is that it’s not an intimidating designer bag. As of now there is a wait list for the larger size and it’s easy to see why it’s so popular. Style stars of social media are also fans of PLIA Designs and their Reid satchels. Instagram updates show fashion mavens carrying the brands handbags and they are endorsed by all of the top editors. In the crowded fashion market, PLIA Designs has created a niche all of their own by designing and producing clean and concise collections of designer handbags and designer iPhone cases.

Style Shakeup

Every now and then we need a style shakeup.  Seasons change and fashion is always progressing.  It doesn't feel good to be in a rut; especially a fashion rut.  The thought seems daunting to have to revamp your wardrobe, but it doesn't have to be complicated.  Truly.  When I hear that someone wants a style shakeup, I tell them to take it slowly and make only a few changes at a time.  A style shakeup is a long distance run, not a sprint.  And it doesn't mean you have to rush out and purchase all new clothes, shoes, and accessories.  Often even a small change will result in a whole different look in the way you put together outfits.  Style is based on what what and how we perceive it and what we think we need.  Style has many different layers.  Personal style varies greatly from person to person and it should.  Wouldn't it be boring if we all work the same outfits?  For some personal style is fast and one knows exactly what she likes and wants to wear.  There are others, like myself, who had to experiment with different looks in order to arrive at a personal style.

Once I began experimenting with different looks, I easily knew what sort of style I favored.  My style is minimal and then when I want to shake it up, I add little pops of color.  Once you have a base style established, that's when I say you can experiment more.  Is most of your closet filled with monochromatic colors?  If so, then you can always add a bright accent color into the mix.  On a snowy winter day if you are dressed in head to toe grey and black, think about an accent color in winter white.  The light accent color will really make your look stand out.  In the summer, I tend to favor a bit more color for my personal style.  On a hot July day at home, you can find me in a pair of cutoff shorts and a colorful cotton blouse.  I find blouses the perfect way to add color to your wardrobe.  I'm very particular about my tops in the summer.  Just because a design is short sleeved doesn't mean it is cool.  I'm also choosy about the sort of cotton I like.  It's so cheap when you can see through a cotton blouse.  You shouldn't have to wear a camisole under a shirt.

For a good style shakeup, I recommend adding a new handbag to your arsenal.  With just one new purchase you can add a lot of spice to your wardrobe.  Handbags I consider a neutral territory.  You may choose a new handbag made of colorful leather and it's the perfect accent color, but it's not overbearing the way maybe a bright pink blazer would be.  There are so many different options when shopping designer luxury bags.  And now designers are creating bags in various sizes.  From micro to large, there is a handbag size for everyone. Don't ignore famous designer handbags during a style shakeup, they are invaluable because they are smaller than clothing, but they provide just enough change to make a difference.

Leather Handbags

I recently started thinking about the difference between fabric and leather handbags.  What started this brainstorm is I wondered how a fabric bag would fit into my life.  I’ve always owned mostly leather handbags because they seem the most practical.  You can’t lug your laptop and various essentials to work everyday in a fabric creation.  One, it wouldn’t protect your electronics.  Two, fabric handbags are usually lightweight and lose their shape easily.  The same with thin leather.  When you put things into a fabric bag or one made of thin leather you can see the outline of everything from the outside.  This doesn’t bother some people, but I don’t like it.  It looks saggy and sloppy from my perspective.

I do think a fabric handbag could make its way into my wardrobe as a clutch.  A small clutch bag in a heavy weight fabric would fit in well with many of my outfits and jewelry.  On a smaller scale, a fabric handbag can be a great fit.  And with clutches, you don’t really need a lot of interior room.  That’s the beauty of a clutch.  It’s small enough to hold in the palm of your hand or clutch under your arm, and it holds only a few select items.  Clutch bags are normally used for evenings such as dinner and cocktail parties.  However, I’m very partial to clutch bags during the day while I’m on holiday.  When I vacation in the Caribbean, I often use a clutch during the day.  I put a clutch in my large beach bag.  When I’m on the beach, I use the clutch to go back to my room or to go to the hotel and purchase drinks.  It perfectly holds my ID, money, and room key.  So if someone steals my beach bag, I have everything valuable with me in the clutch.  I plan to purchase a few fabric clutches in colorful prints.  They will be well used on my upcoming holiday by the sea.

For larger work bags, however, I do believe one should stick to leather.  I own several designer handbags and they are all crafted of the most amazing leather.  What’s great about leather handbags is they retain their shape much better than their fabric counterparts.  Leather handbags also look more polished and sophisticated.  If you are debating what sort of new handbag to buy, I would definitely lean more towards a leather bag.  I’ve owned several of my leather handbags for over twenty years.  They accompany me to work, shopping trips during the weekend, and even to multi-task as carry-on bags whilst traveling.  When I’m caught in the rain, I always know my leather handbags will hold up well.  Larger fabric handbags are not suitable for outdoor elements such as rain and snow.  Believe me, you do not want to be carrying a large fabric handbag while be pelted with rain.  Talk about a saggy mess.  And if you don’t use leather, there are many faux leather handbag options as well.  If you are starting to add more ultra-luxe designer handbags to your wardrobe, I high suggest you lean towards leather.  

The Long Haul: Youtube Handbag Reviews and Reveals

My latest addiction online is watching Youtube haul videos.  I've explained in a previous article all about haul videos.  If you didn't read it, a haul video is basically where a consumer talks about what they recently bought.  Many of these videos give you an insiders view into products such as handbags and makeup.  Most of these videos give you a close up look of the products and you can see details that often websites do not show.  For example, the vlogger will show an extreme close-up of a handbag's interior and small things such as pockets and the leather.  Vloggers often review their new products giving both positive and negative thoughts.  For instance if a sales clerk was rude to them during their shopping spree, vloggers will let you know.  Hopefully boutiques and department stores watch these videos to gain better knowledge of their products and how to treat customers.  Not only are these videos fun to watch, but they provide a wealth of insider information.  Usually vloggers review popular brands and products that everyone is dying to get their hands on.  Beauty and fashion vloggers are especially popular and their videos are often watched hundreds of thousands of times.

Why have these Youtube videos become so popular?  My theory is that consumers relate better to an honest review from someone they identify with.  For example if an editor at a famous fashion magazine talks about a product, chances are they receive a kick back.  However, that is changing in the online world as well.  Popular vloggers now receive a hefty payment for "reviewing" a product.  They receive the product and they also accept payment to discuss it with their followers.  But if you click around enough, you can still find vloggers that are honest in their reveals and reviews and many of them our normal consumers like ourselves and they do not receive payment for making their videos.  These are the Youtubers I prefer, the ones that do not receive any sort of compensation from companies.  They give really honest reviews and I thoroughly enjoy watching what they bought.  And I think other consumers are like me as well, they want to hear honestly what someone thinks of a product, because let's face it, who gives a negative review when they receive payment for said product?

Some of my favorite haul videos include handbags.  I'm a handbag addict and I love watching all of the many videos related to them.  The haul reveals really give you an insiders view about a new handbag on your wish list.  I've had one of the most amazing designer handbags on my radar for a while and yesterday I watched a handbag reveal video on Youtube.  It looked even better than I'd imagined.  The vlogger showed several close ups of the exterior, bottom, and interior.  I sort of wish I hadn't watched it as I now want this handbag even more.  In fact, I now want more than one of this brands designer handbags.  I can think this vlogger for fueling my handbag addiction.  Do you like to watch Youtube reviews?  Which ones are your favorites?