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Branding in a Fishbowl: Makeup artists step up

This article, It's Your Makeup Artist's Autograph I Want, in the New York Times caught my eye.

The story, about the growing celebrity of makeup artists, demonstrates that we're long past Andy Warhol's maxim of everyone having 15 minutes of personal fame... (it's up to at least a half an hour at this point).  This is the era of the personal brand, where the personalities of the people behind the products are just as integral to the marketing of a brand as the product itself. 

Now, it's unclear whether the trend discussed in this story is really a New York and Los Angeles phenomenon, and if women in Kansas and Ohio are also focused in on the doings of Pat McGrath (shown here with a model), but it does further the notion of promoting personality.  With all the blogs, websites, pod-casts and video stations devoted to the minutia of every market segment (cosmetics being carefully documented with each product roll-out and spokes-model hiring) it's easy to see the wave of things to come.   

As a publicist working with consumer brands like beauty, and baby, I have always felt that product comes first.  Package design, market positioning, and product performance are keys to successful branding - however in this day and age a charismatic CEO helps the effort immensely.   Blame it on the paparazzi and our fascination with the doings of celebrities when they're off the clock.  It's gotten to the point that even snaps of Jennifer Aniston at the grocery store have grown tedious.  We now want insight into everyone's personal lives ... there's more and more swimmers inside the fishbowl and fewer of us benignly watching from a safe distance.  Fantastic looks aren't a requirement as they were some years ago for getting ink and airtime.  Being knowledgeable, speaking well on camera, and the ability to tell a joke go just as far these days.

Call it hyper-market-democratization, Fishbowl Marketing, or Deep Branding....it sure livens things up!   

mid-life chocohologie

I've been musing over this NYT's Modern Love essay for the past couple days.

The article, entitled "A Valley of Misery between peaks of Joy" discusses the happiness arc of people around the world.

To paraphrase the article:

"...researchers had compiled data on two million people from around the world and determined that the average earthling’s happiness chart was in the shape of a U, with the trough representing the decades-long downer of middle age and the narrow tips being twin emotional highs of youth and old age.......when it comes to tales from my fellow mid-lifers, I most often find myself reading about regret and claustrophobia, fantasies surreptitiously indulged, old flames cyberstalked...."

Come on now, really?  My Mother always told me that life begins at 40, but I believe it doesn't get going these days till 50.  Personally, my 20's were a continuous scramble to come up with rent money while trying to get through college, internships, and an insatiable appetite for going to clubs.  (My excuse is the scientific fact that human brains aren't fully developed until late 20's). That was no happiness peak for me...

So who are these miserable mid-lifers?  Oh, naturally, the ones trapped in bad, or at least boring, marriages the article goes on.  Which leads me to a point I'd like to make, tomorrow being Valentine's Day and all.   When the temptation to stay in a bad relationship gnaws at you, with the rationale that being alone on Valentine's Day is somehow worse than being with someone that's really not right for you, shake yourself out of it.  Think of the day as a celebration of avoiding regret and claustrophobia....

A lovely box of chocolates from the world famous Knipschildt Chocolatier and a copy of the visually indulgent Marie Antoinette is a great way to enjoy V-day, with or without a significant other. 

BTW, this Fritz Knipschildt Chocolatier fellow makes his chocolates much as they do in the film Chocolat, (another great V-day film) with spices, ginger, chile peppers, and if you want to spend the big bucks, real truffles (those are a $250 a bite treat that topped Forbes most expensive chocolate list recently).

His little works of art can be found at Dean & Deluca, Whole Foods, Balducci's and online.

Knipschildt also operates Chocopologie, a chocolate cafe (!!!!) and retail store in Norwalk, Connecticut.  Are you serious???  Sounds like my new second home and a place that will be very busy tomorrow.

BTW - the New York Times Modern Love is hosting a college essay contest that looks exciting.  All you 20 something kids working your way through your first happiness peak should get your 2000 words in before your decades long mid-life crisis sets in. 

New York Times: Beauty Bloggers are a hit!

The New York Times ran a really interesting article a couple days ago about the influence of bloggers. There's a few of them pictured above with Lancome spokesmodel Daria Werbowy.

The article honed in on the beauty industry and the many perks the top beauty bloggers enjoy.

This story, which came out shortly after a similar WWD Beauty Biz list was published, underscores the shift of influence in the media.

After 14 years of doing publicity for a good variety of lifestyle categories, beauty being one of them, the PR industry has transformed dramatically (as it always does). 

In the olden days (of the roaring '90's) we had a handful of magazines to work with and a few network TV shows.  We designed clever press kits and shipped them via fedex to not more than 100 (300 if also focusing regionally) recipients.  Websites were considered irrelevant to most of our clients back then, since many of them were (and still are) small and trendleading startups who can only dole out samples of their products very sparingly.

Today we work with thousands of writers through every sector of our business.  Websites, blogs, YouTubers, Facebookers, socialnetworkers, anything celebrity focused, reality shows, film and tv, cable shows, the sectors go on and on. 

And the way we work with them has changed as well - videos and online press kits are a must!  Getting useable info to writers within minutes is mandatory.  And the evolution will go on and on as technology gives us more opportunities. And maybe that's what I love about PR the most!

Stevie Nicks and her love of Illume

It's clear that singer Stevie Nicks (shown here with Mick Jagger) really loves our client Illume Candles.

A few years back the singer wrote a song called Illume - the opening lyrics are below:

Illume
Says the candle that I burn
A reflection in the window
All the way to point Dune
Illume, like it dances
I am a cliff dweller from the old school-

And now we've come to find out that Stevie has a racehorse named Illume...a video from a recent race is below. 

I think the only fair thing, since Stevie wrote a song  for the candles, is for a candle to be named after Stevie!  Stay tuned...it just might happen.  In the meantime Illume's new collection, Modern Naturals, has a scent called Earth Rose that would certainly do the singer justice.   

What draws Stevie to the line?  Obviously she loves the name.  Also the essential oil blended scents are truly an inspiration.  No one does home fragrance better.  And the singer's favorite scents?  Gardenia, Coconut Milk Mango, and Violet Rose (shown here).

Branding: When good publicity goes bad

This is the age of the personal brand.  Dr Phil, one who promotes no nonsense therapy and works hard to curtail ridiculous behavior, certainly has gotten himself jammed between a pop star and the wrong end of the media gun. 

Negative publicity for the Doc has spanned the airwaves since his visit to Britney's hospital room a few weeks ago. Releasing a statement post visit was clearly not the thing to do, and calls into question Phil's creditability.  This on the heels of a string of bad business moves puts his career into crisis...(his stock dropped for me when he started doing match.com commercials and promising users they would find the loves of their lives online).

From a PR perspective, Phil has no moves left on the subject but to apologize and say he misspoke, which he sort of did this morning on the Today Show.  Stating "if he had to do it over, he wouldn't do it again" can be construed as an apology, but his tone still sounds defensive and little arrogant. 

In my opinion Dr. Phil needs to throw himself on his sword and just say he made an error in judgment.  History tells us that it's not so much the crime, as the cover up that snarls the legacy of public figures.  People are much more willing to forgive and offer a second chance to someone who is remorseful and willing to come clean, than someone who stubbornly stands by their mistakes.      

The Dr Phil brand needs to get moving past the Britney bump and get on to a new campaign of public outreach of some sort.  A project conceived in the true spirit of charity would help the good doctor's image right now immensely - they're certainly enough causes out there these days that could use his hand.  For someone who is equated with doing good, Phil should take a page from Bill Clinton, Brad Pitt, the Kennedy's, and Angelina Jolie...he doesn't need to make a profit from every personal project.   

get those catalogs out of your mailbox!

I'm sure the catalogchoice.org website practically crashed this morning after this story ran on NBC's Today Show. 

The package details how to cancel unwanted catalogs using catalogchoice.org...a great service for the individual, that hopefully, will translate into a boon for the environment.  I'll bet it'll take a fair amount of time for the companies that produce these catalogs to actually reduce the number that they print each year. But this is a push in the right direction - hand it to school children to do what parents are too busy for. 

In the meantime, for my office, just getting smaller bundles of bizarre mail each day will be fantastic.  Since we do PR we subscribe to a myriad of magazines that pertain to a range of subjects.  These magazines in turn, sell our address to relevant marketing sources, making for a strange array of catalogs coming in.

I understand all the infant clothing catalogs, and the many home furnishings mailers.  But how I got on the Pyramid Collection's mailing list is a mystery to me - I do confess that I enjoy reading Tarot cards (for fun only) but The Pyramid name cullers couldn't possibly know that.  The only real connection I can make to the Wiccan jewelry and dragon statuettes (see image at right) they offer is a visit to the Renaissance Faire a few years back.  It is an amusing book to look through, but I can look over the website just as easily.   

Then there's the FarmTek catalogs that come in with regularity.  While I do own horses, I think the chicken warmers and cattle guards they offer are a little more than I need for my place. 

Other titles, like Neiman Marcus (I get at least one catalog from NM every day), Pottery Barn, Williams Sonoma, Victoria Secret, are fabulous but come far too often for comfort. 

Since catalogs tend to cater to the more passive shopper - those who aren't searching for goods so much as are tempted by items that land at their doorstep - it's my view that marketing managers need to get more instep with their online outreach, retail presence, and agressive PR efforts in order to stop the gap that sending out fewer catalogs will create.          

and the nominee for best picture...Juno!...and best diaper bag...Petunia!

When they announced the Oscar nominees this morning we were thrilled to see Juno among the Best Picture contenders.  And while Ellen Page, Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman did a great job in their roles, we wanted to point out the contribution of our client, Petunia Pickle Bottom's, Tutu Roll Boxy Backpack. 

While it didn't have a speaking part, we want to think that its role in the scene with Jenn Garner and Jason Bateman having a disagreement was an important one. While they are arguing in the front hallway of their home, the Tutu Roll Boxy Backpack sits quietly, taking in the conflict...it's beautiful green and petal pink flowers promising a future of happier times.  We can imagine excursions with the expectant baby as Jen joyously straps the bag on her back, stuffed with all the things she needs for taking care of the little one, hands free so she can hold the baby or stroll her with the greatest of ease. 

We can see by the choice of design that Jen's character is creative and has a flair for the whimsical, while still holding to her practical side. 

Kudos to Petunia Pickle Bottom for creating such a dynamic bag.  Congratulations to Ellen Page for her nomination, and to the producers of Juno for such a great film!   

Forbes predicts little growth for journalists in coming years...

Here's an interesting (and very sad) prediction from our friends over at Forbes.

Journalists (you know, those good old fashioned gum snapping reporters with a pencil behind one ear and a writing pad in hand at all times) are said to be on the endangered species list of great jobs to aspire to in years to come.  This according to the US Labor Department, journalism will see just 5% growth, with pay decreasing incrementally. 

If you believe the forecast, I suppose paparazzi style jobs will increase, as actual investigative reporting and researching declines. 

Also on the decline according to the Forbes article are Radio Announcer jobs, jewelers, and Federal Government Employees (this according to the government!).  Not surprisingly travel agents, farmers, fishermen, insurance agents, and computer programmers. 

Make no bones about it - the CFDA has more or less spoken.

It's good that the Council of Fashion Designers America has addressed the spiraling issue of runway model body weight. If they don't, their critics will keep at them with increasing volume. Also in the mix is the subject of age - another hot button topic that's certain to rage on for some time.

When I was doing runway, way back in the go-go '80's, super skinny was the new skinny. At 5'11 and 136 lbs I was never thin enough to suit the fashion powers that be. It was a culture that encouraged self loathing with every glance in the mirror. After a few years of angst and a fierce tug of war with the bathroom scale, I gave up and went to college - all that restraint and suffering just wasn't for me.

I suppose you could blame this all on Twiggy (shown above) - whose rail-like persona became the face of the '60's - but while she was shockingly chic and waiflike in a way like no one before her, she never stunned audiences with chest bones protruding through skin as she strutted down the runway.

The thinness factor has only progressed from decade to decade since then. It's not uncommon to watch girls with skeletal arms and spines so visible that they look like a study for anatomy class wearing top designs. Even swimsuit models, who at one time could be counted on for a few curves, have gone boyish.

Ironically, where designers want anonymous hangers for their garments, it's gotten to where some of the obscene thinness actually obscures the beauty of the clothes themselves.

I understand and applaud the self-discipline of thin models. It's certainly a goal I was never able to manage. Also not every designer wants to compete with J.Lo like curves during Fashion Week, and that's understandable. However when some of the girls look like recent holocaust survivors, the ick factor far outweighs any image of chic that a fashion brand is hoping to cultivate.

I think common sense and a little objectivity will help to make the image of the way too skinny runway girl start to seem passé.

G'Bye Goodie!

In PR we love swag - we love giving it that is. There's always endless discussions with clients around award show season about which celebrities and what shows to target. We've hosted celebrity hospitality suites, and we've managed client products into many an award show presenter basket.

I was amused to see that the big award shows are now cancelling their gift baskets because the IRS sees them as payment in kind for services rendered. (E!Online Story)

The reality is that the baskets were solely a PR center for these shows. The Golden Globes never actually paid for anything - it's the product manufacturers that appeared in their basket that bore the large financial burden for the promotion.  Furthermore, it's hard to imagine a celebrity turning down a chance to present at the Golden Globes, or not turning up to accept when nominated, due to lack of payment.

The reasons for celeb gifting are clear - get a shot with a product or a useable quote from a celebrity about a company and sales will soar. That's the theory anyway. Back in the late 1990's to early 2000's this practice reached its apex. Since it was a relatively new practice being in an event gift basket did make news for entertainment stories and was an efficient method of celebrity outreach. (E! Online Story)

As a result gift bag companies cropped up like corn stalks in Iowa throughout NY and LA - every event had to have the obligatory gift bag - in exchange of course for all this fantastic PR. Then it no longer was good enough to donate thousands of dollars worth of product to an organization, large fees started being charged to have product gifted in an event bag or basket.

From our standpoint it evolved into an awkward situation finally - there was no guarantee which celebrities would receive a client's product and the financial burden was smothering for the startups and indie companies we represent. For an annual magazine party for example - a client of ours was tapped to offer gift certificates for luxury services. The certificates were to be placed in a "celebrity gift bag" which was to be presented exclusively to VIP's attending the event. A long list of luminous a-listers was offered as expected attendees.  Our client dutifully sent their gifts along, hoping at least a celebrity or two would redeem them. What ensued was a string of mysterious recipients showing up at our client's place of business to redeem certificates with no clear attachment to anyone we had been informed would attend the party. Where the certificates actually went and to whom was never made clear. Luckily since they were just basically pieces of paper our client wasn't injured, but for those who send product it's a crap-shoot to say the least.

Amidst all this, a fantastic and loyal celebrity following doesn't mean what it did just a few years ago.  Every product now has a long list of celebrities using it so the distinction has diminished substantially over the past year. Only a handful of celebrities are of interest and usually only if they can be photographed by paparazzi with the product will the connection get ink.

For years now our email inbox has received daily solicitations for product for every event conceivable and for quite a long time now we've consulted our clients to pass on everything but the big shows.

For marketers and publicists the era of the celebrity "fan" is ebbing. While celebrity outreach is still part of the mix, it's time for new hooks and more expansive concepts. Here comes one now.... (Yahoo Story: Green Party for Golden Globes)

photos above © HFPA -- 64th Golden Globe® Awards

Eco-chic HG style

One thing that really bugs me these days is the insane number of plastic shopping bags the checkers at grocery, drug, and other consumer stores happily dole out with each customer.

For example, while I love shopping Target for office supplies and household good type products, their checkers literally seem to pack only one or two items per bag - the end result being that I take home at least a couple dozen plastic bags for each trek through the store. I always stop them and ask to pack the bags more fully - thereby decreasing the total number of plastic bags I leave the store with, but there's still a lot of them clumped up under my sink waiting to be reused somehow. Eventually they'll overflow and I'll pack them into the garbage can - from there they'll be transported to a landfill.

This is a little funny, if you consider that for years now I've been trotting through Whole Foods http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/ with my reusable Green Bags http://www.greenbag.info/ dutifully in tow. At checkout I gloriously bask in the nickel credit per bag they offer like a Girl Scout being awarded a new merit pin. So, why then don't I take shopping bags with me on all my regular errands?

This is why I love the Eco-Chic article in the current issue of Home & Garden www.homeandgarden.com. Number 14 on their tip list outlines the reasons I hate these plastic bags the most: there's enough petroleum in 14 of these plastic bags (one average shopping trip to Target) to drive a car one mile. One Bag at a Time (www.1bagatatime.com) sells reusable, recyclable bags to grocery stores, 75,000 so far - and they're the featured company on the tip list.

What I love best about this is that obviously these horrible plastic bags bug other people too - and if they bug enough people, they'll disappear. I don't love taxes but would happily support a plastic bag tax.

All this is old news to the folks over at Treehugger.com who've been writing about the subject and its many facets for years: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/01/new_years_resol_2.php

Also idealbite.com has the subject covered very well: http://www.idealbite.com/tiplibrary/archives/byob

It's time the re-useable tote becomes a must have accessory. To the ladies at the open air markets in Paris with their Chanel suits with their cloth totes - it's been a very stylish concept for decades.