Happy long weekend, friends! We’re going to skip right into the news and data you can use today with a combined newsletter for efficiency. Before anything else though, I want to say THANK YOU!!! So many of you messaged me to say you voted for RD.com + Taste of Home. I appreciate you!
Jobs:
NBCU needs a new internal communications director. NYC-based.
Stanton & Company needs a new account director! Hybrid/remote work is possible, 10+ years of PR experience is desired. Please email resumes to ashley@stanton-company.com.
Lycee Francais of NY is looking for a new events director. Yes, you need to speak some French. Yes, my in-laws sent me this listing to post so hooray for you working with my extended family zomg.
Douglas Elliman needs a new marketing/PR director. They pay handsomely.
Like jewelry + ecomm? Good, bc Gabriel & Co needs a new head of online marketing/pr.
Trending on Skimlinks right now:
Artifact Uprising Photo Book: (20%)
Rains Waterproof Backpack: 6% (unexpected major retailer making a strong comeback this week!)
Woven Faux Leather Tote: 4-11% depending on sku + wow, so cheap
Fenty Exclusive Drop Box: 4% (paying attention? this rate was slashed dramatically, which signals to me that they’re not printing cash the way they were 5-6 months ago… more on that below)
Glossier You: 7% (same as above, let’s dig into it)
Cariuma Sneaker: 40% !!!!!!!!!!
Allbirds Tree Pipers: 15%
For our Affiliate Tribe members:
Let’s dig into why some beauty brands are actually lowering their commission rates. It’s a fascinating perfect storm right now, and one that I think all lifestyle brands should consider. What happens in cosmetics isn’t just for cosmetics—it’s typically a broader signal of what’s to come in the entire style space.
Why are Fenty + Glossier lowering commissions?
Two major possibilities here:
Either they’re anticipating major sales for LDW and can’t give shoppers hefty discounts PLUS pay out big commissions, or
Biz is down/growing stale and they’re looking to conserve funds
I’m leaning in the direction of their biz stagnating for a few reasons. First, I can see what the clickthroughs and purchase rates are on those brands. They’re not quite what they were in April/May.
Now, as we know… 4% is an OK conversion rate. It’s not mind-blowing. It’s not even in the excellent or great categories. It’s genuinely just OK. Something is amiss there, especially with relatively low basket sizes in the premium beauty space. Generally, I like to see brands that can capture 5.5%+ of the traffic sent their way, and for beauty products that average more than $20, I’d love to see a basket size closer to $80/100.
I’m pretty sure Fenty has a gazillion loyalists who will love and buy the brand no matter what, and the same with Glossier, but it’s clear that they’re heading into murky economic waters and they’re tightening spending on marketing efforts in general.
Here’s why I think that’s a problem + the absolute wrong move
Lifestyle brands are in a very, very crowded space. Almost every American shopper is in contracting budget territory, so people are going to get more thoughtful about how they spend money—especially as holiday season approaches. Here are some issues with the lowered commission structures:
Neither of these brands can survive without a really, really robust online fan base—and these commissions are the same ones they’re paying out to top tier influencers as well. That means discouraged media of all types, which sifts into less content.
They rely heavily on the value of inward linking, and everyone is swapping out last year’s gift guide content and putting in new stuff in the next few weeks. With lowered commission rates, they risk losing THOUSANDS of links directed at their domains in a matter of weeks. Not because editors don’t love their products, but because the playing field is crowded and we have to present the best options for both the readers and commissions for the publishers. Offering 4% opts you out of column B.