This is a topic I’ve been contemplating since ABBW 2011 but have been waiting for the right time to do it, partly because I wanted to get back to doing a few more beauty product posts before I jump into another event report/article style post and partly because I’m too lazy/disorganised to post on consecutive days

However seeing the latest posts from Beautyholicsanonymous’ Bloggie Wednesday and You’ve Got Nail’s Open Mic have compelled me to write this today.

The topic of debate is on how bloggers interact with brands, and vice versa.  Should bloggers approach brands and if so, how?  Are the bloggers who work with brands sell-outs?  Are there right or wrong motivations on being a blogger? Can brands dictate when and what the bloggers write on their products?  What do brands actually think of bloggers?

I am a beauty blogger (albeit a newbie at it) AND I am the Brand Manager for a cosmetic company who deals with bloggers.  I am passionate about both and want to share my point of view on this debate, from both sides.

From a Blogger’s POV

Personally speaking, I really don’t care what someone’s motivation is in starting a beauty blog.  For passion?  Great.  For personal development?  Fantastic.  For money?  Good for you, just make sure you write a business plan and don’t quit your day job yet.  For events and freebies?  That’s fine, but be aware that some beauty/fashion events are quite dull and to me, the time and effort that goes in to putting together a good blog far outweigh the amount of goodies you’d receive.

The very wise Tine from Beautyholicsanonymous has said: “Content is King”, and I couldn’t agree more.

So why did I start blogging?

I love everything about beauty and love talking about it.  I have been a product junkie since my teens and have spent an obscene amount of money and hours of research on makeup, skincare and now cosmetic procedures.  One of my year 11 VCE articles was on Alpha-Hydroxy-Acids and my first assignment in my university Marketing course was on L’Oreal.  I also love to talk, and telling people what to do.  After years of preaching to a mostly disinterested audience, I discovered a crazy bunch of people that is the Melbourne Beauty Bloggers through my current job, who finally gave me the push that I needed to start my own beauty blog.

I need a creative outlet.  Fortunately or unfortunately, I’ve been born with a scientific brain.  In school, I excelled at all the subjects that the general population find boring: maths, physics, chemistry, economics and have drawn on those skills for a majority of my working life.  I still love all that: put a graph in front of me and I’ll happily disseminate and decipher it. But deep down I would have loved being an artist, and through running a beauty blog I get to do creative writing, photography, digital editing and crazy makeup looks.

I love marketing but am IT challenged.  I fell into Marketing after a failed attempt at completing the Bachelor of Physiotherapy, but am so thankful for it cos I freaking love Marketing!  When Social Media Marketing came about I was somewhat intimidated, because I’m such an idiot with technology I don’t even know how to use an Ipod.  So how do I choose to rectify that conundrum?  Why of course it’s to throw myself in the deep end, and become a blogger myself!

BUT, regardless of the marketer side of me this blog is for myself.  Hence I have set myself some ground rules even before I started: I will only talk about my brand in the list of products I use rather than review them, and will not review products in a similar positioning (currently bridge price cosmetics available readily in Australia).  These are rules I will abide by for as long as I carry on being a blogger and beauty marketer.

From a Brand’s POV

This is my personal opinion and how I work, so PLEASE don’t take it as the industry standard or use this to preach to other brands/PRs.

Working with bloggers is a mutually beneficial relationship, especially for smaller brands.  As an avid blog reader (and I have been for many years) I’d like the blogs I read to be as well rounded as possible, covering all sorts of brands and products.  But the personal nature of blog means that if the blogger has to pay for all the products she reviews/uses on her blog it would most likely be limited to a handful of brands purely because let’s face it, we all only have one set of body/face/fingers.  So getting free samples from brands expose the blogger to a brand that may be out of her usual repertoire, but is interesting for her readers.  And for smaller brands like the one I work for currently, working with bloggers is the best way to drive trial where both distribution and $$$ for traditional advertising are limited.

But what about negative reviews?  I count myself lucky that I am a Brand Manager who is also in control of product development.  I have used every single item in my brand portfolio but to varying degrees as of course, there are products that suit me more and I will use those more frequently.  As much of a makeup junkie that I am, I have not used every single product in the marketplace and I have my own specific skin type/condition.  So I welcome any feedback as they are invaluable in making my brand the best that it possibly can be.  And I WOULD NEVER ASK YOU TO HAND OVER YOUR EDITORIAL CONTROL.  I do ask, that you express the negative opinion in a courteous and constructive manner.  Because it’s nice and because it’s nice to be nice. Plus it takes an enormous amount of money and effort to launch a product to the market so anything you have in your hand has been launched with a reason, be it the type of product, the packaging or the formula.  So bear in mind that just because some products do not work for you, it may not necessary mean that it would not work for your readers, and it’s important to express that.  There are products in my brand that don’t work for me that are winners in lots of people’s eyes.  And as a frequent user, there are plenty more cult products that break me out but are perfectly fine for others.

I don’t mind bloggers contacting me for samples.  Most of the bloggers I work with have been hand picked by me through research.  I try to know every beauty blogger in Australia but I am only one person so I can miss some.  For that reason (and the “only one face” rule) I am totally happy to receive emails from bloggers requesting samples. But again, please be nice when you do so.  Give me a tailored request that includes key info about your blog (with a link to it, for the love of God) and why you are interested in my brand.  I read every single request and when I do, I would spend time reading your blog, the comments you get, and look for you on Twitter.  So you need to show me that you have spent just as much time on writing to me; I can spot a Copy-and-Paste sample request from a mile away.

Who do I love more?  Bloggers or Magazine editors?  Honestly, I hate this debate. Going back to my analyst root, I see the marketing mix as a pie graph: there are more slices to it now but the pie remains in its entirety.  Social media marketing complements traditional marketing, either one will ever replace the other.  Sure, more people absorb information through the Internet now, but will TV, magazines, movies and billboards become extinct?  I don’t think so.  I simply don’t dedicate any energy in picking between the two sides but rather, do so to recognise the similarities and differences between the them.  I would not send press releases without product samples to magazine editors, and neither would I do that to bloggers; I would invite magazine editors to a lunch event, but would plan weekend/after-hour ones for bloggers unless I have given plenty of notice.

Follow Up.  This is the biggest disagreement I have to what was presented at ABBW 2011.  Probably because I am a Brand Manager who only looks after 3 brands and focuses mainly on one, and that my role crosses over to many other departments other than PR.  I know every single post on my brands that get posted within 48 hours because it’s my job to know.  It’s nice to get an email with a link to the post (because it’s nice to be nice ), but for me not a necessity.  I do appreciate a tweet as it makes it easier for me to retweet, and does not add to my already unmanageable email inbox.  And as a personal plead don’t send me a thank you card – I know this sounds weird cos like I said, I think it’s nice to be nice, but if you have seen the state of my desk at work you would understand why I just can’t deal with any more incoming materials, no matter how nice it is (unless you’re sending me a Chanel bag, in which case feel free to do so).

No matter which side you’re on, the key for bloggers and brands is to treat each other with courtesy and respect.  You can be who you are but it’s just nice to be nice.

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