Publicists and Bloggers Talk about their Roles

The fashion/beauty industry bloggers of New York met with publicists yesterday to talk about expectations, roles and schwag.

Pierce Mattie Public Relations hosted the event, probably partly in response to a recent criticism of its blogger relations.

Video of a discussion between Pierce Mattie and blogging network Coutorture Media's Julie Fredrickson is on the Pierce Mattie site. More audio and transcripts are coming.

Said Fredrickson:

"... I think that there’s so much value to what bloggers do. They’re very authentic, very passionate about what products they choose to talk about. And their audiences know that. And having a chance to really interact with publicists so that they can get information about products and then transfer that knowledge and information on to the audiences who are very much the consumers and love products, just as the bloggers, is an incredibly wonderful opportunity. I can’t imagine a more exciting time really for publicists, because the industry is changing, and for bloggers, because now they have a chance to really get all of the information they deserve."

Fashion or beauty bloggers aren't always sure whether to trust publicists, even though they may want help getting product information, photos and other background materials, she said.

Fredrickson says a lot of beauty bloggers get free samples.  Some mention the source, others don't.  Since most mainstream media editors don't disclose the extent to which they receive freebies, Fredrickson believes it's up to the blogger to disclose or not disclose.

Interestingly, she often won't mention a product if she doesn't have something positive to say about it. She says that, if she has a problem with a product, she reports the problem to the company, but not to her readers.  One reason she cites is the different effect a beauty product can have on an individual (looks great on one person, not great on another person).

Fredrickson's blog Almost Girl.

Tags: fashion, beauty, pierce mattie, bloggers, blogs, blog relations, publicists

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