Favorite Executed Events From Fashion Week

One of my favorite characteristics that I’ve found to be true in the PR industry is the genuine appreciation for a well-executed PR campaign, whether it is your firm executing it or another. There is a respect for fresh and creative ideas from all areas of the industry.

I recently had the opportunity to meet an influential; blogger in the Fashion and Beauty industry. As we were taught in PR 101 having the right face of a brand is important, hence “love you, love your product”. I have to admit that I was left with such an astounding impression from this young professional (who is almost my height as I’m 4’9) that I continue to keep up with her postings and internally cheer her on.Being a member of the media in her own right, she was invited to attend some very envy worthy press events during NYC Fashion Week, that caused the fashionista in me drool a little.  

Taking a step back to view these events with a PR eye, I found myself reveling in appreciation on the execution of a couple companies’ events to activate their brands.

My favorite event showcase was created by Jack Wills to display their new summer collection. The company was on a whole new playing field, literally, as the press was invited to preview the summer collection on the water. What say’s summer more than a day out on the boat. With sea food appetizers and drinks, guests were invited to tour each room as it was styled with unique apparel items in the closet or open drawers while rooms showcased décor and bedding selections.

For more information visit: http://www.kdhamptons.com/jack-wills-sets-sail-with-new-hamptons-summer-collection/

Another well executed campaign on land was demonstrated by Birch Box .The company returned for this season of New York Fashion Week, opening the event to media/influencers from September 7th-10th and then opened to the public as a pop-up Consumer Retail Shop from September 12th-16^th.  The company also provided makeovers, hair styling, brow shaping and manicures between shows. Lining the showcase was samples walls of products and guests were invited to create their own Birch box from selected beauty products.

For more details and photos please visit the source: http://www.fashionablypetite.com/2013/09/birchbox-local-during-new-york-fashion.html

What events, showcases or campaigns do you admire? Older or newer, I would like to hear some of the tips and tricks, or inspirational campaigns that you’ve come across. 

 Tweet me at vee_fusco and let me know!

It took me 20 years to perfect note taking!

A friend of mine was out celebrating last night with all of us after receiving her first A in Law School.  With three months left she will then graduate and take the bar and hopefully become my future lawyer, (hopefully her services won’t be needed). She said something that was very interesting: "It took me 20 years to get this A" noting that we are conditioned and trained until that moment our entire educational careers we reach our goal. That’s what I took with me today to work.  The majority of the successes we achieve, goal we reach or even ones which we are after all stem from the conditioning we endure as a student.

Today I realized note taking is one of those things.  I think each person has to tweak it for their own but the foundation is always the same. For the most part, we learn how to take them in high school, then shorten them or learning to write much faster in college and then take these acquired skills to the work force to be used particularly in meetings. Why does all this matter? 

I’ll give you a setting. My boss and colleges gathered for a small meeting. In which we would delegate tasks for an upcoming event.  As he  separated each task out to each person, he remarked on attendance, things we weren’t  sure about yet, times and etc. This had nothing to do with my particular task as I was just given a list of people to contact.  Most beginner students start off with the mentality, “ I only need to write down what is going to be on the test” or in my case I would only need to note what is delegated to me- here are the people, here are their emails. The experienced student knows "I need to take notes of the “core” of this conversation, but also jot down and highlight the contributing factors." It is usually these little facts that turn up  later in a discussion question. The meeting then ended and we went to our desks. I then realized that part of my task did in fact entail some of those contributing factors. I was given the task I communicating with the rest of our team the logistics of the event. If I had only jotted down only the names and emails of who I had been instructed to contact and disregarded time, place, flights, who from the press would be attending etc.  I would not have been able to communicate these logistics very well to the team. My major is communications so not being able to communicate is something that I look at as a very serious fail personally. It would have also made me look quite inadequate if I needed contact my boss  to have him repeat the majority of the information he just went over.

There is also the type of beginner student also takes notes viciously.  Everything and anything is in their notebook and so much that they often don’t’ have time to look up. This is an problem later in life if you cannot find the time to participate in class discussions and God forbid you take this habit into the work place and have no contribution to your meetings. There is no growth in this and even more so it makes the employee perhaps appear less interested, less of a contributing team member and so forth.  This is where those note taking skills you took from college come in handy. All or us college kids have learned to jot down the highlights and let these trigger the specifics. Granted sometimes the specifics are necessary. After all you can't just jot down the word time. You need to put 3:30-6:00pm. But this allows  the employee to  take what is needed from the meeting, go back  to reflect and elaborate while still having the time to engage the team and ask questions.

It’s funny how something that  as far as I know, people are not tested on, is such a big part of the workforce. Such a vital skill to take from your education… it took me 20 years to perfect the skill of note taking. Maybe I’ll go out and celebrate tonight J.

Ps. Don't be afraid of 2012. There's more ways to take notes than just on paper....
http://www.yourlifestyledesigner.net/articles/7-apps-note

Keep Your Friends Close and Your Enemies Closer

Competition is seen as the enemy. At the same time though they are a healthy motivation to a growing business. The push to be innovative, faster and of course more profitable. We look at what they are doing and then think how can we do it better? Different?

Today at work  I was reminded that there are two key players when you’re in business. Your partners  and your competition.  Since the partners are not a threat they are sometimes over looked. The problem lies when there is a lack of communication  or neglect in keeping up with the partners agenda.  It is important to practice a similar strategy with competition.  Although you would not share your ideas with them as you would partners, in both scenarios it is vital to be aware of what they are doing.  Is your partner coming up with something that could benefit your company? Are they announcing something else that you could perhaps be tied in with? Even more important when is your completion releasing their products for sale? What events are they holding?

In a prior blog I talked about how timing is everything.  All the lessons come full circle in PR it seems.  If you are planning an event at the same time as your partners why not collaborate? Its more cost efficient and more than likely you will have the same demographics, allowing you to reach out to even more people.

The same works with competition.  It is inevitable that you and your competition will virtually have similar clients. At the vey least similar demographics. If you hold an event around the same time of your competition you are forcing your public to choose. Instead of allowing them to be educated separately. This is a big risk even if you have the upper hand.  Even worse, you are forcing the media to choose and risk losing potential coverage, which in the PR world is unthinkable. Sure you can get a reporter but is it the one you want. Remeber each journalist has their own beats, columns and niche. 

I’m thinking that perhaps an hour or so of the day should be dedicated to researching the competition. Knowing information before it happens and strategically planning accordingly. Having a good relationship with your partners through constant communication can ease some of the work load in having to monitor their actions aswell. Keeping informed will build a relationship instead of seeming uninterested in what they are doing by relaying on solely the partner to communicate their actions. Perhaps this is where newsletters come in handy?  We inform the partner and request they do the same.  As for our "enemy", that work falls on our shoulders alone. Although there are many channels of information to keep updated on their actions as well.  Our friend the media is the neutral party in which we should continually lend our eyes and ears to regularly in this field.  This isn't looking too time consuming after all....simple tasks with enromous rewards. Why can't everything be this way :) ?

Timing is Everything- Taking a Three Tier Approach

Through all of history if there is news our first instinct is to spread it. The only difference in yesterday and today is that we do so even faster through even more channels. “So five seconds ago” is an Iphone reality as we post status updates, tweet, stream video and text. As public relations professionals it is somewhere innately ingrained in us to “spread the word” . But today at work I was reminded that timing is everything.

Taking a Three Tier Approach allows an introduction then a climatic event and as all good things must come to, an end. In this case and end result meaning product knowledge , sales and brand recognition. The three tier approach could perhaps flows as this: Step One a press release or an announcement. This lets the world know that there is a new product through the 5 W’s. Who is making this product, What it is, Why, Where and When you can purchase or view it. This is the preface to the event.

The climax or step two is the event. First you send out the invitations to the party via press releases, social media, word of mouth etc. Then you throw the party. You want to allow enough time for your guests to receive the invites, give yourself time to prepare and allow excitement to brew. Of course you have to make sure you have all the logistics in line, which make no mistake is no small feat. The Quixote Group in Greensboro, NC was the internship that lead to my love for the PR industry. The company motto “ Thinking in the Corners of the Box” is something that I held on to in both my personal and professional life. (I’m getting to the connection here, just bear with me… ). The concept is not to think out side of the box because you veer too far from your clients/demographics values and interests, but to go just far enough away from the expected to WOW. This is how I believe an event should be planned. The core and heart of your message is there but it isn't just a black and white statement, it becomes a living breathing body…an event. *Don’t forget to send out the thank you’s and feedback opportunities after the event!*

The End. This is where the timing is the most relevant. If the event was to promote a product that will be available for purchase, making the purchase date too far from the event renders all your work pointless. Make sure that there is the anticipation perhaps a week or two out but no more! Timing is everything.Seems like common sense 101 but far too often companies make the mistake of holding a promotion for a product that isn’t available for purchase till much much later…by then the excitement has faded, something new has caught their attention or even worse all your efforts were forgotten and your product is “so five seconds ago.”