Pierce Mattie Public Relations New York

Fragrance Marketing: Pierce Mattie Interviews Perfumer Francis Kurkdjian

2009-06-22T10:44:29Z

Francis Kirkdjian is known in the fragrance industry for his ability to create and launch memorable perfumes. At only the age of 25, he created his first perfume--"Le Male" for Jean Paul Gaultier. Since then he has crafted recognizable and memorable fragrances for Dior, Christian Lacroix, Escada, Lancome and Lanvin (to name a few!) With his forthcoming launch of his own line in France this September (which I predict will be enormously successful), Francis Kurkdjian graciously took the time for a Q & A with me.

Pierce Mattie: Tell us a little bit about your custom-made business, what is the process for a customer to have a fragrance created for them?

Francis Kurkdjian: The process starts with a telephone rendezvous, which helps me to understand my client, his needs and wishes. Then, there is a face-to-face meeting when I present my first ideas and we smell together some materials and fragrance accords. Three or four weeks later, I present the fragrances I have envisioned for my client. It can take up to six months to finalize and come up with the right fragrance.

]]> Pierce Mattie: Do you actually wear your own fragrances? If so, which ones and when? My all-time personal favorite is Lancome’s Miracle Homme L’Aquatonic that you created in 2003. Very few fragrances blend Rhubarb Leaf as you have done. The only one that I can think of is YSL’s Live Jazz made by Pierre Bourdon. Another reason why Rhubarb Leaf is so rarely used?

Francis Kurkdjian: Before I became a perfumer, I was wearing fragrances. Since then, the only fragrances I wear are the ones I work on. Rhubarb is not a common ingredient. Maybe its tartness and the bitterness do not attract many perfumers.

Pierce Mattie: What is your next fragrance that is coming to market?

Francis Kurkdjian: Eau de Fleur de Pruniers by Kenzo and a few other fragrances I have created for some luxury brands that I cannot tell you about right now. But the most important project is the launch and opening of my own fragrance house marketed under the name Maison Francis Kurkdjian. It will be sold first in my own boutique in Paris this fall and then in London and New York before the end of this year.

Pierce Mattie: What are some of the trends you are seeing for the Fall 2009 season for fragrances?

Francis Kurkdjian: I will use a line from Coco Chanel, who once said in an interview to a French journalist, “I do not know what the trend will be and if I would have known I would not tell you!” Without being trendy, the opening of my house of perfumes defines what new luxury should stand for in this new century: A sense of details, legitimacy and story-telling.

Pierce Mattie: If you could only wear one perfume for the rest of your life, which would it be?

Francis Kurkdjian: The scent of the person I love.

To learn more about Francis Kurkdjian and to keep up to date with his latest fragrances, please visit www.FrancisKurkdjian.com

Pierce Mattie Talks Beauty PR with Borghese

2009-06-15T09:23:34Z

Borghese's publicity and social media strategies have really caught my eye lately. As a big fan of their skin care products, I wanted to get the inside scoop from their communications and publicity team on what they have been up to and what products we can expect to see this fall.

Pierce Mattie: Borghese sure has caught on to the develops of social media. You have a Facebook fan page, a twitter profile and a flickr page. How has online communication been working for the Borghese team?

Borghese: The social media has been amazing for us. We are connecting with customers from all over the US. We recently launched our Community Page; our customers are sharing stories with each other on when they first discovered Borghese, their favorite Borghese product, etc.

Pierce Mattie: I actually get announcements when to head over to Lord & Taylor for facials, has Facebook announcements like this in the past helped fill the chairs at the department store?

Borghese: It certainly has helped in the past although social media has made it easier for us. Instead of sending out invitations (whether a bounce-back card or email which may be forgotten) to our events by city and state, we are now able to just list all our events and have our customers see it all at once when they log onto their pages with reminders, a list of who else is going, notifications to their friends, etc.

Pierce Mattie: Borghese is doing something quite special because you are remaining true to your loyalty of retail but actually helping the department stores to garner more consumer demand by stimulating customers with your social media strategies, what other ways have you been exciting the shopper?

Borghese: We try to connect with our customers in different ways; a good example is the shopping event, Shecky’s Girls Night Out. We alternate between having a physical presence at this shopping event and just a gift bag presence. With the physical presence, we get to speak one on one, not just with existing customers but new customers and customers who we may have lost. Our R&D is always working on developing new products which use the latest technologies. Also, we sometimes include an invitation back to our retailers for a complimentary facial or makeover in the event gift bags.

]]> Pierce Mattie: My two favorite products with Borghese are both actually cleansers; Crema Saponetta and Bagno Di Vita. Both of them have quite the cult following. What other products would you say at Borghese have stood the test of time in the collection?

Borghese: Our Fango Active Mud for Face and Body has the cult following to end all cult followings. It has been our #1 seller since we launched it in the late 70’s. Mothers have passed it on to their daughters and they in turn pass it on to their daughters. So we have three generations of women using the same product. It’s amazing and our customers are quite passionate about it. There’s even a growing cult following with men as well. Coming at a close second is our Superiore State-of –the-Art Mascara, which launched in 1993, again, a huge seller then and it continues to be today. By the way, did you know Crema Saponetta also makes an excellent shaving Cream?

Pierce Mattie: What new things are you launching for this fall season?

Borghese: Look for a new technologically advanced lip color formula in exciting new shades. We are also expanding our Vitamin-C Skincare collection. We are now marrying more replenishing botanicals with the antioxidants and regenerative benefits of Vitamin C.

Be sure to keep up with what's new at www.Borghese.com.

Brooke Shields The Lifestyle Spokesmodel

2009-06-12T11:27:33Z

I have loved Brooke Shields since her first Calvin Klein ad and its makes sense that she remains the dominating spokesperson on TV during commercial breaks. I would love to get your opinion on this one – is it Brooke Shields overkill? Should celebrities limit their endorsement deals to one or two brands per year? Or should they take on whatever they can get?

Currently Brooke is running commercials for Coppertone, Latisse, Volkswagen, Colgate Total and Tupperware. Sure Brooke’s trademark is her brows – so it sort of makes sense that she would do the Latisse commercial. Being a SPF advocate for Coppertone revealing the damage the UV rays can do, again, is another good move. Especially since she recently found a precancerous spot on her face. But is the number of endorsement deals just too much? What do you think?

Photo Credit: Latisse

Pet Marketing – Luxury Stationary Communications with The Pet Set

2009-06-09T20:20:49Z

I recently had the opportunity to interview Kim Banks, the owner of The Pet Set, a luxury card and stationary company featuring the beauty of dogs. As a dog owner myself to a beautiful Shitzu named Toby, I absolutely love the look of The Pet Set social stationary.

Pierce Mattie: How did you start The Pet Set?

Kim Banks: After considerable research of the stationery market and the multi-million dollar pet industry, I determined that there were no high-end greeting card and stationery products. The Pet Set was initially started by modeling our business strategy modestly on Tiffany's.

Pierce Mattie: Who are some of your biggest clients?

Kim Banks: Our clients are predominantly high-end stationery and pet boutiques across the U.S. and Canada, now also reaching the U.K.

Pierce Mattie: What are some of your most popular breeds?

Kim Banks: While the entire line is very popular, we advise 1st-time clients to begin stocking their stores with the retriever varieties, as they follow the AKC registration list.

]]> Pierce Mattie: I love that your paper comes from Mohawk Fine Papers, what have they been like as your partner to work with?

Kim Banks: We believe that Mohawk is the apex of fine paper--they have been an excellent partner, and publicize The Pet Set for many of their own marketing initiatives.

Pierce Mattie: How did your relationship with Colleen M. Madden develop?

Kim Banks: I found Colleen's work through The Society of Illustrators and other Artists Guilds. Our relationship developed, as a result of her enthusiasm and devotion to The Pet Set and her resolute work ethic. I initiate the design, mood, tone, copy, etc. she then refines the images with her illustrative talents.

Pierce Mattie: Do you have any pet charities that you are currently working with for 2009?

Kim Banks: The Pet Set fondly supports The National Disaster Search Dog Foundation, ASPA and Puppies Behind Bars, as well as The Humane Society of New York.

Pierce Mattie: What do you have in-store for publicity for the fall season?

Kim Banks: We are planning, print advertising in select pet, stationery and gift publications, appropriate gift shows and perhaps an upscale pet exhibit. We primarily focus on one-to-one mailings and continue to incorporate and leverage the social sites, such as Twitter, Facebook, FriendFeed, and the like -- as well as making the most of The-PetSet.com.

Pierce Mattie: Consumers may purchase your cards online but can they also find you in any stores, if so which ones?

Kim Banks: Dulles Designs, in Charleston SC, Zoomies in NYC, LaPaperie in Savannah, GA - The Quill in Pacific Grove, CA, FineStationery.com, Walton Street in Alexandria VA, Three Dog Bakery Commpany, Country Clubs and fine hotels such as The Ritz at Bachelors Gulf, and many other locations across the country.

You can learn more about Kim and The Pet Set at www.The-PetSet.com.

Pierce Mattie Interviews Anti-aging and Skin Care Guru Wendy Lewis

2009-06-08T11:11:18Z

Wendy Lewis is an international insider to the world of anti-aging, skin care, beauty and cosmetic surgery. She is also the author of 10 consumer health and beauty books, including two editions of America’s Cosmetic Doctors & Dentists and her newest title, Plastic Makes Perfect; The Complete Cosmetic Beauty Guide. Her contributions to the beauty industry are vast, of which you can learn more on her website www.wlbeauty.com.

Pierce Mattie: In a recent article on Health News Digest you raved about Lumixyl. Would you say that it even works better than Tri-Luma? What do you see as the biggest difference between the two?

Wendy Lewis: Lumixyl is a newly launched peptide based skin brightening/lightening cream that will sell for around $120 US for 1 ounce pump. I love Tri-Luma, which is a prescription drug from Galderma that is modeled from Kligman's Formula and contatins 4% Hydroquinone, retinoid and a mild steroid. Lumixyl is a hydroquinone alternative, and the results of studies conducted at Stanford showed great results, and it is gentle for all skin types. Lumixyl is an OTC product sold through professional channels, whereas Triluma is an Rx and requires a prescription from an MD. I foresee that some dermatologists may put patients on a regimen that contains both of these formulations in some cases.

Pierce Mattie: There are many aesthetic consultants in Manhattan, Palm Beach and Beverly Hills but no one who executes it as well as you. I have always said it’s your skill to really match up your clients with the right physician. What kind of research goes into your work?

Wendy Lewis: I am flattered Pierce, especially coming from someone who is a guru in the beauty biz. I take my "Knife Coach" brand very seriously and care about my clients and the recommendations I give them. I do a ton of research, attend conferences in the US and Europe, routinely interview and visit doctors in all specialties and read trade journals online so I am up to speed on all the latest developments. I have never altered from my original business model, which differs greatly from other me too "consultants" I have come across; my independence and impartiality is paramount, I treat all clients with total confidentiality, and I am not in anyone's pocket.

When I suggest a product or practitioner for a client, it comes from the heart and from my personal knowledge and expertise. I am doing more phone and webcam consultations today with private clients than face to face, both from an economical point and for convenience for the clients who are busy, active, and international. It's not perfect, but it's pretty close, and I have been at it now for over a dozen years.

]]> Pierce Mattie: Do you have one or two doctors that you just adore to pieces, that no matter how big the aesthetic challenge they seem to always come out on top? Care to drop a name or two on who they are?

Wendy Lewis: Not just a few - I have many! Some of the surgeons I am impressed with are Sam Rizk, Alan Matarasso, and Paul Lorenc in New York, Tim Marten in San Francisco, and Foad Nahai in Atlanta. Bryan Forley, who is the Medical Direct at Red Door Spas, does my injections brilliantly. I am always on the hunt for great dermatologists too. When it comes to lasers, David Goldberg in NY, Michael Kaminer in Boston, and Jill Waibel in Palm Beach are terrific. When I want to know what is coming next, I go to Neil Sadick to find out what he is working on. And the list goes on and on...

Pierce Mattie: In the 1980’s it was all about the address of the East 60’s off or on Park Ave, wife being the docent in the office, beauty editors in the lobby, etc. That was a sign of a good Manhattan cosmetic surgeon, but times have changed. Today, what do you view as a successful aesthetic practice rather than one that is so focused on the bells and whistles?

Wendy Lewis: Great question - you are spot on. Times have definitely changed especially post the collapse of the financial markets. Old school facelifts and browlifts are so yesterday. No one wants the overoperated look anymore; sophisticated clients want a natural appearance without any telltale signs of surgery and radiant skin. They want to look younger, better, prettier, more refreshed, but NOT distorted.

The sign of successful practice is also not a waiting room that is overflowing. I look for quality over quantity - a discreet, well run, professional practice. The staff needs to be switched on and highly service oriented, and the doctor should be well versed in trends, continually committed to improving his skills, and up to date on advancements yet selective so that he or she doesn't just bring on every new technology just for its marketing value. A posh address is nice to have but not if the inside doesn't match the outside, and if you havent got great hands and don't treat your clientele well, you will have to rely heavily on PR and guerilla marketing tactics to staying busy today.

Pierce Mattie: At Pierce Mattie PR we get several cosmetic surgeons wanting to hire us to provide their PR council and secure beauty press. But when we visit their practice, review their list of services and work we unfortunately see nothing that is really story worthy, per say for Vogue, Allure, Elle, etc. If you have a doctor that is hungry for that kind of press what would you suggest they do with their practice to stand out? Any examples come to mind?

Wendy Lewis: Only established, experienced cosmetic surgeons who are truly doing something innovative can really reap the rewards of a firm like Pierce Mattie. It has become increasingly difficult for publicists to generate big stories in this space, especially in light of the economic climate. If the doctor is not located in a major media outlet, his changes of being covered drop considerably. Ditto if he is not telegenic. Non-surgical trends are far more popular with media outlets and there is more of an opportunity for placements about the new Botox, the latest skin tightening laser and novel uses for fillers.

Someone who is doing great neck lifts or is a master at breast augmentation will have fewer chances to be included in major news features. This is a hard lesson for doctors to learn. I routinely explain to them that they should not expect to get on Oprah or have a feature in Vogue or the Times even if they have a top PR firm in placeo; there are just too many of them and not enough media ops to go around.

Far too often doctors hire good PRs, but don't give them what they need to represent them, in terms of stories, case studies, data, before/after photos, etc. The best bang for the buck, so to speak, for younger physicians is undoubtedly online today. Web optimization, social networking, and internal marketing will generate a better return on investment. Being involved in clinical trials also affords them an opportunity to be quote d in trade press which resonates with the media. Once they are able to build up their brand, they will be ready to work with a professional PR firm. I am inundated daily with mass releases about doctors who are touting themselves to be "the first" using a new device or who claim to have invented some technique with a catchy hyped up name that sounds bogus to a trained eye. I doubt there is any member of the media who has not been approached ad nauseum by now about "experts" to speak on Latisse. (Yawn.)

You can learn more about Wendy Lewis and her consulting services by visiting her website "The Knife Coach."

Secret Deodorant's "Secret" Diamond PR Campaign

2009-06-01T20:44:13Z

Since last August, in an effort to boost sales, Procter & Gamble have come up with a giveaway that has been so secret that no one has really known about it. On every deodorant stick lies the chance of winning a $15,000 diamond. By entering the product SKU from a Secret Flawless deodorant at www.secretdiamondgiveaway.com, a person can find out if they have won one of the ten $15K diamonds that have been hidden (fake ones to be traded for the real thing) or another prize such as a $500 Visa shopping spree or dinner at a 5-Star restaurant. However, it appears that the campaign hasn't really gotten much buzz until recently which leads me to ponder about this unique promotion--has it really been a viable PR campaign?

]]> With a June 30 deadline for this promotion, and after eight months, only one person has won a flawless diamond. To gain more awareness, Secret posted the video above to remind consumers that this contest is indeed not a secret. So far, the video has failed to attract the desired attention with only under 100 views as of the date of this post.

So what went wrong? While Secret Flawless may be a fantastic product, the consumption rate is low because when you think about it, how often are you buying deodorant? And while no purchase is necessary, you do have to hand over your name, address and email address in order to "play the game" and see if you've won. For the most part in this day and age, people are very wary about handing over their personal information. The blogger buzz page only has a collection of posts from 2008, nothing on a more consistent basis to keep generating buzz not only about the contest but about the product as well.

What do you think about the Secret Flawless Diamond Giveaway? Did it generate the publicity it deserved or simply fell flat?

Lifestyle PR: Will McDonald's Win the Coffee Wars with McCafe?

2009-05-26T09:26:58Z

As we all know you can’t go anywhere without seeing a McDonald’s in a 20 mile radius. The recession has been good to McDonald’s as consumer’s trade down to cheaper and faster food on the go. But what is next for the golden arches? It may just be the immense buzz going around about their new rollout of their $100 million McCafe campaign starting this year. This long-awaited national campaign for its new coffee line is touted as the biggest launch in its history.

Over the past 18 months, McDonald's has been steadily introducing hot and iced lattes and coffees, cappuccinos and mochas in individual markets across the country, and adding smoothies and frappes to the mix later this year and into 2010. With this coffee push, it’s the biggest menu initiative since it began offering breakfast in the 1970s. The $100 million spent on advertising is going to span across TV, print, outdoor, radio, Internet, and events. These advertisements will start off strongly throughout the summer, and well into next year. You may have already seen their marketing push with coupon booklets in newspapers for McCafe or in national television ads. Their goal is to portray McCafé as a fun, affordable brand that can make even the most mundane daily tasks more enjoyable.

]]> McCafe has even made its way to the catwalk. In addition to their advertising budget, McCafe is the new sponsor of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. They will have a McCafe lounge and tents all throughout, marketing to fashion elites and fashionistas to get them hooked on their caramel lattes and frappuccino (and who wouldn't want savvy fashionistas with a McCafe coffee or latte in hand?)

The timing of the rollout just happens to coincide with the struggles of Starbucks. Will this new campaign help McDonald's become the coffee brand of choice? We'd love to know what you think.

Pierce Mattie Interviews Karen Adams and Karen Dubin of Sniffapalooza

2009-05-11T13:06:28Z

I recently had the great pleasure of interviewing Karen Adams and Karen Dubin, the creators and collaborators of Sniffapalooza. Serious fragrance lovers know that Sniffapalooza is the ultimate event to satiate their love and knowledge of perfume.

Pierce Mattie: What is Sniffapalooza working on for the Summer and Fall season?

Karen Adams; Karen Dubin: Sniffapalooza is working on many incredible events for the Summer and Fall 2009! In May, we’ll be having a Sniffapalooza at Malin + Goetz in Chelsea for the world premiere of their two latest fragrances and new candles. We’ll also be helping osMoz.com launch their first perfume kits, which is very exciting, as this project has been a work in progress for over a year!

We’ll be speaking at the PXA Perfume Expo at the Javits Center, and managing the Consumer Day, and we‘ve got all sorts of surprises planned for that! We are in the midst of planning our activities for our week-long scent journey to LONDON in July, which is going to be an extraordinary trip. Our legendary Sniffapalooza Fall Ball , which is one of our two mega-Sniffapalooza’s that comprise an entire weekend of sensory stimulation and attract attendees from all over the world, will be happening next October. Fall Ball includes 10 stores,40 speakers,and over 165 guests! We are also planning our first Southern US Sniffapalooza at the Guerlain Boutique at The Breakers Hotel in West Palm Beach, one of the most elegant spas in the country!

And of course our famous Holiday Event – we always do something really special for that. Add to this list all of the other exciting events that pop onto our calendar – like our continuing Master Class Series, wine and fragrance tastings and perhaps even a chocolate and fragrance pairing event!

]]> Pierce Mattie: What has been the hottest topic lately on your message boards?

Karen Adams; Karen Dubin: Our Upcoming Events forum gets lots of traffic. Sometimes we announce our events there first before emailing our members about them! So, it’s very important to visit our site and wander around. There’s always an exciting viral buzz connected to our events. Our “Scent of the Day” board is also very active, with people posting daily and sharing their favorites. Many a friendship has been formed through that forum! Sniffapalooza has become a very strong and close-knit family and folks check in regularly to see what everyone’s discovering, wearing, recommending, & buying. Also, news of new fragrance books and publications surface here, and we also have a section for job opportunities in the fragrance industry.

Pierce Mattie: Who are your key advertisers right now?

Karen Adams; Karen Dubin: Most of our other advertisers are those we share links with, like osMoz.com, aedes.com, luckyscent.com, apothia.com, aromawear.com, beautyfashion.com and firstinfragrance.com. We are an Amazon affiliate, and participate in some other advertising programs. We have great opportunities for companies to create their own ads, and our rates are quite reasonable. We get approximately 800,000 hits/month and most are well-educated fragrance enthusiasts who buy a lot of fragrance.

Pierce Mattie: What scent do you find yourself wearing during the day and at night? And in the bedroom? Which one does your husband love the most?

Karen Adams: I gravitate towards scents with patchouli/musk basenotes. This might have something to do with scent memories from my teen years. However, I also find that those elements are very compatible with my skin chemistry. Since I work in healthcare, I keep my scents light and neutral during the day (i.e. Gendarme Carriere, Bobbi Brown Almost Bare, Apothia Pearl, L’Artisan Jatamansi.) On weekends, or if I’m going out at night, I add some patchouli (Memoire Liquide Soixante Six, Bois 1920 Real Patchouly, Etat Libre Rossy de Palma, Bond No. 9 Nuits de NoHo, Frederic Malle Dans tes Bras.)

I have a diverse Fragrance Wardrobe, organized by scent family, and a ‘current rotation’ of scents that I chose from daily and edit each season. I’m just switching over to my Spring scents, now that the weather is warming up. It includes fragrances with lighter, green notes, but most share my signature patchouli in the basenotes. Interestingly enough, I rarely get a fragrance compliment from my husband! He doesn’t wear fragrance, and he doesn’t really notice when I do either. I tend to apply my fragrances lightly and basically wear them for my own enjoyment. Certain scents will brighten my mood, make me feel grounded, help me de-stress, or evoke a pleasant scent memory.

Karen Dubin: I like to call myself an equal opportunity fragrance lover because I have the capacity to love a lot of different types of fragrance! And I wear the same scents all the times, doesn’t matter if it’s day or night. I tend to fall in love with resinous, woody, spicy, incensy scents, but I am also a fan of rose, iris and violet, and I will try almost anything with amber or patchouli or leather in it. I like scents that have a twist, like anisette, and don’t smell like anything else I already own.

My husband likes light, fruity florals, nothing too heavy, and he seems to be a fan of blackcurrant and watermelon. Currently I’m reaching for Prada Orange Blossom, Kenzo Flower Oriental, Chanel 28 La Pausa, Guerlain Little Black Dress (that blackcurrant note!), L’Artisan Poivre Piquant, Tom Ford Champaca, Bond No. 9 Little Italy, Mark Buxton Black Angel, Memoire Liquide Ambre Ancien, I Profumidi Firenze Tuscania Comme de Garcons 2, & CaronAimez Moi (anisette!)

Pierce Mattie: What is an upcoming trend that you are seeing with scents? Is it the indy going strong? The 80’s classics coming back? The continued use of celebrity spokespeople? What do you see?

Karen Adams; Karen Dubin: New launches are showing us lots of citrus - orange blossom, lemon, grapefruit, neroli, lime, & bergamot. And florals are back in a big way – the rose has been enjoying a resurgence over the last few years, and jasmine and iris seem to be everywhere. The continuing trend of incense, patchouli, spices & woods is still going strong.

Beautiful bottles are back as well! Armani’s new Onde line is one great example. The Niche and independent lines are thriving, and more of these artisanal companies seem to be springing up every week. At our Sniffapalooza Fragrance Fair in Dusseldorf this past March, we discovered several wonderful niche brands that we don’t have yet in the US. And because they are so unique, there is room for all of them!

Celebrity spokespeople are great for the fragrance industry. Keeps fragrance in the spotlight & creates excitement –we can all have a little of the glamour of a movie or tv star. This is one marketing trend that will continue and will always be around.

80’s classics coming back – they never really disappeared from our fragrance wardrobes. We’ve always appreciated them. Opium and Paris are two beautiful 80’s scents that continue to sell well.

Pierce Mattie: What fragrance(s) from 2008 do you deem the most successful from conception to consumer launch, avocation and usage; what scent(s) really did the best job? If you dare say (and you don’t have to) who did the worst or should I say who do you seem as needing a do-over?

Karen Adams; Karen Dubin: First, we need to tell you that we do not criticize fragrance in a negative way. It is very possible to review a fragrance without tearing it apart. We have the capacity to love many different types of fragrances, and you must take into account that fragrance is a very personal and subjective thing, and it smells differently on different types of skin.

Prada Infusion d’Iris is an example of a very successful production from conception to consumer launch in 2008, and it’s still going strong. It represents the brand very well, and the juice smells great! It is not too sweet or ‘perfumey’ and is very light, so it can be worn in a multitude of situations. The packaging & bottle are elegant. This was a very well thought out production. Prada seems to be continuing this marketing success with their new Orange Blossom scent, which has a clean, fresh, slightly soapy accord.

Gwen Stefani Harajaku Lovers fragrances spoke very well to their demographic – the packaging was adorable and the scents were fun & playful. They perfectly embodied Gwen Stefani and her look and this was an immediate hit with young girls.

Bond No. 9 always does a great job with their concept, juice & packaging. The scents in their Andy Warhol collection are wonderful and their look stays true to the aesthetic of Andy Warhol. Andy Warhol Silver Factory actually looks like an updated really modern version of the Campbell’s soup can and the fragrance is a gorgeous shared scent. The other scents are Union Square & Lexington Avenue, both with carefully designed bottles that fit the theme of a time in Warhol’s life.

Pierce Mattie: With the recession, what price range do you see consumers spending within their comfort zone on perfume?

Karen Adams; Karen Dubin: Interestingly enough, people may not be buying that new car or that new house or taking that expensive ski vacation, but they want to make themselves feel better and have a small piece of luxury so they are still buying fragrance. The $50 – $150 range seems to be the most popular with fragrance consumers currently, and we’ve noticed that body products seem to be coming down in price.

Pierce Mattie: In Whiff! The Revolution of Scent Communication in the Information Age by C. Russell Brumfield what did you take away from his book that you apply to your daily business model at Sniffapalooza?

Karen Adams; Karen Dubin: Russell attended our Perfume Workshop in January, but we’ve been so busy that we haven’t had the pleasure of reading his book yet! Our daily philosophy is that we celebrate fragrance as an art, and perfumers are like artists to us. We enjoy sharing our passion for fragrance, and in this process we help to educate, and communicate the pleasures of fragrance. And it turns out that we’re really good at getting people excited about fragrance! One of the most valuable things that has come out of Sniffapalooza is that we were able to show the fragrance industry a consumer they didn’t even know existed – the really enthusiastic, informed, savvy, curious consumer who is hungry for knowledge and buys a lot of fragrance. Also importantly, we gave the consumer a voice and the industry is listening!

Pierce Mattie: Your social media network, who do you love chatting with on Twitter or Facebook?

Karen Adams; Karen Dubin: We love chatting about what scents we’re wearing, letting people know what’s in our fragrance wardrobes and getting the word out about new fragrances. We have our own Sniffapalooza Facebook page with a very substantial list of members, and on our own individual Facebook pages we talk about fragrance just about every day.

We have a huge amount of people following us on Twitter, so we like to tweet when we attend a special event to let our followers know what we’re up to when they can’t be with us. We tweeted during our entire Spring Fling Sniffapalooza weekend in NYC earlier this month and caused quite a stir! We recently attended ‘Naturals in Fragrance and Flavor; Rochelle Bloom & Mandy Aftel in Conversation Featuring A Unique Collaboration with Todd English’ at Olives Restaurant at the W Hotel in NYC and tweeted about the fragrances and flavors as the food was served.

The FiFi Finalist Breakfast at the Mandarin Oriental was another great opportunity to tweet. We twittered the Top Five Finalists as they were announced. It was especially exciting because Sniffapalooza Magazine, our online publication, had entered 3 articles in the new Blogger category, and we walked away with TWO of the Top Five Finalist spots!

Thanks to both Karen's for their time--you can learn more about Sniffapalooza at www.Sniffapalooza.com. You can also read a previous interview regarding Sniffapalooza on our Beauty PR blog.

Lifestyle PR: Kodak's New Publicity Campaign to Target Budget-Savvy Women

2009-05-01T12:21:48Z

Kodak has always been synonymous with quality picture taking, but now the brand is aiming to be associated with affordability as well. The company’s newest campaign incorporates TV spots on Bravo, Oxygen and Nickelodeon along with print and internet advertising, to compel viewers to visit their new website printandprosper.com to compare ink prices against their competitors. While price comparison has been around for ages, there is no time like the recession to bring this idea of a quality product at an affordable price back to the forefront again. It's also a great way to reinforce brand loyalty amongst household decision makers: women.

]]> The largest complaint from consumers has always been the high cost of ink, so Kodak is targeting consumers who would typically scrapbook or use more ink with a publicity campaign that focuses on Kodak's more cost-friendly products. Kodak took part in the formation of Women@NBCU – where they will integrate their products in a variety of ways, such as on BravoTV.com and Oxygen.com’s Obsessed “hot list.” By targeting savvy women (whether budget-minded or not), the company may be on their way to increasing sales as early results have been positive.

What do you think of Kodak's product integration and PR strategy?

Photo Credit: CameraTown.com

Beauty PR: Interview with Cyndi King of Cynthia Cosmetics and More

2009-04-27T14:23:21Z

Located on Main Street in Concord, Massachusetts, Cynthia Cosmetics & More recently opened its doors to "Bring out your inner Goddess..." I recently took the opportunity to interview Cyndi King to learn more about her and her beauty company:

Pierce Mattie: Tell us more about Cynthia Cosmetics & More.

Cyndi King: We offer authentic mineral makeup, chirally correct skin care and the art of Joan Terrell Smith in the historic Grist Mill of Concord MA. Refill, reuse, recycle is at the heart of the makeup studio philosophy located above Main Streets Market & Café tucked in with Nesting and The Muse’s Window at the top of the stairs. Cynthia Cosmetics & More offers 10% off your purchase when presented with old conventional, traditional makeup or skin care products for recycling. All of our product packaging is recyclable and many are made with the ability to re-fill and re-use the bottle, brush or container that contains the product. Proceeds from the sale of the Revitalash lash conditioner and the Clarisonic professional skin care brush system go to cancer research.

Pierce Mattie: Concord Massachusetts is known for its great literature that comes from that town. It is the biggest little place in America. Are you going to plan anything like; A Book & a Makeover? Or having any book readings at your store while consumers talk shop on lip gloss and sunscreen?

Cyndi King: Absolutely! Our local book store is independently owned; most of the historic Concord shopping district is inhabited by independent businesses. My greatest wish is that when Diane Ranger releases her biography that she does so here in Concord at Cynthia Cosmetics & More! I plan to offer a reading area focused on wellness, skin care and cosmetics education. I feature the art work of Joan Terrell Smith, a locally born, award winning artist, now living in France. More of her work will be on display during the Art Walk in Concord on Saturday, May 16th, 2009. www.joanterrellsmith.com

]]> Pierce Mattie: Cyndi’s “three C’s” - on your Facebook profile you are an advocate for Cosmetics, Cancer and Cats. Tell us how they intertwine into your life, career and how you plan on continuing to be a voice for them.

Cyndi King: My father is a four time cancer survivor thus I am an advocate for cancer awareness as a tribute to him and my many friends: survivors and lost. I am the On Line Co-Chair for the Relay For Life of Acton Boxborough May 30, 2009; this is my perpetual birthday and Father’s Day gift to a dad that will not accept material offerings.

Knowing that a cosmetic line could actually prevent sun damage really turned me on to Colorescience back in 2006. The Skin Cancer Foundation Seal of Approval found on the sunscreens and foundation brushes is an endorsement that is meaningful to my clients. I receive a wonderful feeling in return from a client that is able to feel better about her looks once I conceal the unwanted and reveal her natural beauty.

As a big supporter of local cat and dog rescue agencies I am a proponent of spay and neutering your pets. We live in a rural area with loads of feral cats. My most recent kitten came to me out my own back yard – he has completely taken over our household. Daniel Striped Tiger has more purr-sonality than our other 3 cats combined. The two Labrador retriever rescues that share our lives love the cats too! People with pets live happier, healthier, longer lives and yes, they are all altered.

Pierce Mattie: Your key message statement is “Bring out your inner goddess!” What is an inner goddess? What is your inner goddess?

Cyndi King: Cynthia is the goddess of the moon and my alter ego – thus the logo. I believe we all have an inner goddess waiting to be revealed – Cynthia cosmetics & more can assist in this revelation. My inner goddess is revealed in my love of family, friends, and clients. It is a balancing act that has perfected itself over the years to a point where I am comfortable with who, what, and where I am right here, right now.

Pierce Mattie: How has your previous experience working for such skin care brands as Dermalogica, Repechage and Bioelements prepared you for your new venture? Will you be carrying any of these brands at Cynthia Cosmetics & More?

Cyndi King: My employment in the professional skin care industry focused me on representing products that improve, heal and maintain the skin. While those three brands are excellent product choices I offer a more recent to market line – gloTherapeutics, a revolutionary breakthrough in skincare and chemical exfoliation treatments. Their systematic approach is based on established research combined with new scientific discoveries. gloTherapeutics’ unique and advanced formulations provide potent concentrations with high levels of active ingredients to offer the ultimate in revolutionizing your skin.

Pierce Mattie: Cynthia Cosmetics & More is the premiere retailer of Colorescience. What do you love most about the brand? Diane Ranger the founder, to me, is like my god-mother of minerals, what have you learned from Diane?

Cyndi King: What don’t I love about Colorescience? It is an amazing line of products. Everything I know about mineral makeup I learned from Diane Ranger and her team. (PS Diana is another name for moon goddess!) Diane is truly the ‘goddess of minerals’, having created the concept back in 1976. I love how the brand isn’t available at the mall or chain drug store. Concord is known for its independent business, independence of our nation and role in the founding of the USA. My clients appreciate the exclusive, luxury nature of Colorescience.

Pierce Mattie: What aspects of your new store will make the consumer experience different verse your competitors?

Cyndi King: We offer hands on experience in a setting that is as warm and cozy as your mother’s dressing table except this time you have her permission to play!

Pierce Mattie: Are you bringing social media, e-commerce and online video to your new site to showcase what people from afar who cannot make it Concord may be missing out on?

Cyndi King: It is my intent to do so – we are taking baby steps with the goal being fully operational by fall 2009.

Pierce Mattie: What is your in-store events schedule for this summer? Are you going to appeal to the vacationers as well as the brides?

Cyndi King: We are in process of negotiating an amenity program with the historic Colonial Inn. We will be getting trial sizes of Sunforgettable SPF 30 in as many visitors’ hands as we possibly can as they walk the Minuteman Trail to the Old North Bridge, Walden Pond to Sleepy Hollow and touring the homes of our noted authors – Alcott, Thoreau, Hawthorne and Emerson. We have an on call group of makeup artists ready to assist the bride and her attendants. Being in the cradle of the birth of our nation finds Cynthia cosmetics & more full of visitors from all over the world; able to address the many skin care needs from Rosacea and sunburn to insect bites and poison ivy.

Stay tuned as our web site develops: events will be posted there and on our Facebook group page. Mother’s Day, Melanoma Awareness and Sunforgettable will be the primary focus of May. The gloProfessional representative will be on hand in May with a gift for all purchasing for Mother’s Day. June’s focus will be on Father’s Day (Menerals) and Sun Protection. July will celebrate the birth of our nation and Sun Protection. The focus will be on the Perfect Ending Protocol during the month of August – a great way to recover from the stress of sun in the summer and recuperate from days spent “down the Cape”. September finds us closing up our summer houses and returning to town and school – the eyes have it! Eye Candy Trio, Optical Illusions, Eye Genies, gloEye Restore & Revitalash will all be featured items. Stay tuned as our next chapter is quietly in the works!

Pierce Mattie: Tell us what you hope consumers who visit your store leave with other than a bag of goodies?

Cyndi King: Improved sense of self with a roadmap for improved skin. Feeling educated and empowered in knowing how to use the products. I have assisted clients that haven’t changed their makeup colors and method of application in 38 years because a makeup artist told them these were their colors when they were 17 years old! Imagine wearing the same outfit for 38 years? There is no right or wrong way to wear Colorescience. The wrong way is not to wear it at all. I want to inspire experimentation and the feeling of being special & unique as a woman in New England.

PR: Estee Lauder’s “Return to Origins” Campaign

2009-04-22T09:47:26Z

Earth Day celebrates its 39th anniversary today and many companies are using this special day to kick off their green marketing program initiatives. Many companies go green for this month seeing that popular trends show that “green companies” often perform better, especially in an economic downturn. Luxury cosmetics, fragrance and personal care items have long presented a problem for recycling-- and the process is not just tossing a bottle in the recycling bin.

In honor of this month and to get back to their “green roots,” Estee Lauder is promoting their new “Return to Origins” package recycling program. This program promotes the disposal of cosmetic packaging such as lipgloss containers and moisturizer jars that are routinely tossed in the garbage bin resulting in pileups on waste in landfills (let's face it we all do it, where else would we put our empty shampoo bottles?) Estee Lauder's Origins brand is accepting all empty cosmetic tubes, bottles and jars, regardless of who manufactured them, at any Origins stand-alone or department store. All returned packaging will then be sent to a recycling center where they will either be used for energy recovery or recycled into new materials.

Estee Lauder hosted a horde of local celebrities bringing their used cosmetic containers to be recycled and was hosted by Kelly Rutherford (Gossip Girl). According to BRANDWEEK, the New York press conference alone resulted in consumers dropping off 293 pounds of empty cosmetic jars and palettes! Talk about a successfully green campaign.

In inspiration of Estee Lauders efforts, I have been working toward going green and being more earth-friendly and since April is Earth Month, I thought I’d share some of the ways to try and make your business more environmentally conscious:

]]> • Avoid printing whenever necessary and print double-sided when you do have to print.

• Use energy settings on laptops and monitors.

• Donate your green promotional products to a variety of organizations or groups.

• Encourage your employees and customers to recycle, even encourage the media to visit during your recycling efforts.

• Car pool with your co-workers.

• Use compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs (it may even pay to install solar panels.) The quickest thing you can do is to switch to low-energy use light bulbs.

• Refill computer ink cartridges rather than add them to the landfill.

• Conduct more of your business online.

• Use chlorine-free post-consumer recycled paper

What are you doing to be more environmentally friendly?

Lifestyle PR: Pocket Closet Application for iPhone and iPod Touch

2009-04-21T14:22:15Z

If you're like me, you've been dreaming of Cher's computerized closet from Clueless since you were eight. I always wondered why that wasn't mass marketed. I feel like it a lot of people would buy it. I know I would! Well, if you have an iPhone or iPod touch, you can get the application Pocket Closet. All of you who grew up in the 90s are going to die over it.

Pocket Closet is an application that categorizes your clothing on your phone. All you have to do is take pictures of your clothes and accessories with your iPhone or iPod Touch, and then you have a catalog of your entire closet. Fashionista's everywhere can now have organization at the touch of a finger...
]]> Here's some other awesome features of the app:

Organize your clothes according to type
Sort outfits into categories
Create new outfits
Use built-in calender to record outfits and see when you wore an outfit or item
Share outfits with friends through email
Shake your phone to get a random outfit suggestion

This app would be essential for shopping trips when you're trying to figure out if you have something that matches an item or whether you already have a similar piece.

Are you as intrigued as I am? Will you get Pocket Closet?

Photo Credit: Deepwell Software

Loretta Chase, Susan Johnson and Mary Balogh to the stress busting rescue! What are we really reading? Romance Novels!

2009-04-16T09:31:29Z

I have been a romance novel fan for quite some time. I continue to always hear rumors that the publishing world is going soft, but was interested to recently learn that Harlequin Enterprises reported a 32% increase in their sales from the year prior. They crank out over 1,200 titles with 130 million in print. That is a little less than half the US population owning and reading one romance novel a year.

I am often asked as a Lifestyle PR firm owner, with a focus on beauty and fashion, why I read romance. It’s not "chic-lit" per say since I am not a chic, rather I tend to read historical romances because of their prose, backdrop setting and the courtship is quite enjoyable. I often find myself drawn to a few key authors; Loretta Chase, Susan Johnson, and Mary Balogh. But why do I like them so much? They don’t involve politics and the economy for one. And they always have a happy ending. I guess I don’t mind the formula and find the routine rather comforting.

So if you are a little stressed this week may I suggest you pick up a romance novel? If you have a favorite book or writer that is helping you take your mind off the world’s stressors, I would love to know what it is, please shoot me an email.

Cosmetic Surgery Marketing: Botox For Today's Economy: Reloxin

2009-04-15T11:24:22Z

Is it just me or was the last payment at the cosmetic surgeon’s office for your botox injection more painful than the needle itself? As the manufacturers of Reloxin went to the FDA this week to seek final US approval (but was delayed), one wonders just how much more affordable this Euro-type of botulinum toxin will be. Experts are projecting it to be about 15% less than Allergen's Botox Cosmetic. Most of us in Manhattan pay around $650.00 (give or take a few) for a full face. That would provide us with a savings of around $97.00 with estimates in time projected to be a 3rd of the market share. With the economy the way it is, I wonder if consumers will opt for the new Botox rival due to the affordability or simply remain loyal to Botox.

So what are your thoughts on this new injectable, will you be making your appointment this summer to flatten your furrows? Let me know your thoughts.

Twitter Communication Powers Amazon Public Relations To Respond

2009-04-14T12:26:59Z

I admit I am not a big fan of Amazon; the books take forever to arrive, the shipping fees are insane and the used books often smell like they have been stored in someone’s barn. In recent years we have watched countless independent book sellers close up shop not because of Barnes & Noble, oh no, but because of Amazon.com. As a former librarian page it's even more upsetting to watch book publishers use Amazon.com as a tool to determine what titles, genres and authors are selling the most. Have you ever wondered if the ranking system seems a little out of sku?

In recent days the conversation on Twitter (and among bloggers) started getting into a well deserved uproar over Amazon’s catalog misplacing the gay titles into their adult category which prompted Amazon's public relations' to respond. Is this clean up a matter of good PR or a response to full online transparency in the world of social media? It’s interesting to note that in the virtual world you can’t get away with "glitches" such as this because your audience will call you out on it immediately. I am happy that Amazon's PR responded so quickly hopefully averting what could have surmounted to a much bigger PR crisis. Will the news that it was potentially a hacker help recover their reputation?

However, my bigger question is why rank gay subjects as adult, why not label it regardless of sexual orientation? If Ellen Degeneres' biography is a biography then label it as such, not as adult or gay. Her TV show is a talk show, not an adult show, and the list of examples goes on. I personally will be sticking to the NY Times Best Sellers list to get a view of what moves in the book world. What do you think about Amazon's "glitch?"

Photo Credit: Just Jared