I got a text message from a dear friend on the PR side who asked what the right protocol is for pitching, and ho-hum Wednesday work in general, on a day like today. I didn’t have a clear answer, because the truth is tragedy impacts everyone differently and people feel things in varying degrees. Within minutes of her text, an email came from another publicist with a subject line that read Thinking of you…
I opened it half-wondering why she was thinking of me only to find the most gracefully-written message about asking me whether I’d like to be pitched today or not, and that taking time to reflect is “heartfelt and good” and that I could just tell her to “ease up” till after the holiday weekend. It was a rare emotional treat and I think the perfect solution. Some people, especially colleagues in Texas and those with small children of their own, are having a real breathe-through-it moment right now. Others are extraordinarily disturbed by the news and choose to keep busy with work. Both approaches are valid, which is why I loved this publicist’s approach. Something to think about.
Before I mosey on and talk about mundane work things, if anyone has any apolitical suggestions for how to best help the families of Uvalde, please let me know.
What I’m working on now:
Reader’s Digest: Still need more 4th of July sales. Will turn this piece in right after the MDW break, so please send over ASAP. Your clients *need* to be working this far ahead, because any digital team worth its weight in salt works far enough ahead to capture Google traffic. I know clients sometimes take forever, but I love supporting businesses and want to be able to actually do that! bryce@theluxuryspot.com
Taste of Home: Best closet/pantry organizing bins. You know the drill, I need affiliate-friendly links. We love affordable, well-reviewed, and practical. Have till Tuesday to get the outline together! bryce@theluxuryspot.com
Reader’s Digest: Have a few more spots for affordable outdoor rugs in our best-ever guide. Hit me up with affiliate-friendly options! We love Wayfair, Amazon, Home Depot, BBB, and skimlinks-ready DTC stores. brycetheluxuryspot.com
Recently published:
Kitchen & home Memorial Day sales for Taste of Home (please don’t pitch more, it’s done/finished!)
Memorial Day mattress sales for Reader’s Digest
Jobs:
Musings:
Saving our Trending on Skimlinks data for tomorrow morning.
Let’s go back to the events talk for a minute, shall we?
Opening the convo up about events again, especially in NYC. Several major PR firms reached out and said basically yeah, it’s totally fakakta — what next? And I won't name their names, but you know who you are and I have some thoughts.
One, there are a few die-hard stayed-in-the-city people who will show up rain or shine, COVID or monkeypox, indoors or out — just because they feel like they’re the sole city anchors. I salute those folks. They’re ordinary heroes. Most of us, however, are no longer obligated to go into offices and probably won’t be for at least another couple of years (at a minimum). I saw the docs circulating at Hearst and DDM about *possible* fourth quarter of 2023 or the first of 2024, but it seems tentative at best and my own large publisher has a very get-your-work-done-from-anywhere vibe that’s pretty magical.
In the meantime, almost everyone with kids or dogs or disdain for cramped living left NYC. Many of us are still in the general area (though I can’t tell you how many colleagues moved west and south), but it’s a genuine schlep and a major expense to commute for the launch of a mascara that really *could* be an email and a cute mailer. In my opinion, and I suspect I’m not alone, Zoom events are still totally valid, and inviting local media for one-on-one experiences is the best practice for the foreseeable future. Obviously, every business is different — there’s no need for a one-on-one mascara experience, but if you’re opening a bar, hotel, or spa… it’s likely the best bet.
Now, this puts pandemics aside, new waves, and all that jazz in a back corner. I’m not even touching that topic with a 10-foot pole because it seems like everyone’s comfort levels are all over the map. Some people are going maskless to indoor moshpits, others are still socially distant, using Pfizer as a recreational drug, are masked and 100% not interested in microbes. Most people exist in the gray area.
Even in the best circumstances, an event is asking for someone’s time — and a lot of it. Even if they only stay for 45 minutes, getting there and back again requires a chunk of a workday that’s either lost or donated to you/your client. To lose that kind of time in an era of do-twice-the-job-for-half-the-money… well, you’d have to offer something really incredible experience-wise, compensate for travel expenses and lost workdays, or just face the crappy hey-our-RSVP-list-sucks music. I know this is the shittiest answer. I know you don’t want to hear this. I know your clients don’t want to hear this. They believe their new line of embroidered socks is worth traveling from Tibet for. Sadly, it’s just not the case.
In the interest of you having an easier time, editors feeling less guilt and stress, and clients being less up your butts — I propose the following:
A strict diet of virtual events and one-on-one meetings or experiences.
Also, consider small groups of editors that are already geographically close or good friends being invited to share an experience. If you know five eds at the same major publisher who live in the same metro area + you want to send them all ubers to see your client’s giant display of cucumber-shaped eyeshadows at Ulta? Cool. Do that.
Scrap the big 100-writers-and-50-influencers events altogether. They’ll be back in fashion at some point, but right now they’re just not working. Excited for when they’re considered vintage-chic again though.
Invite your clients to think of creative, immersive ways to have editors delve into their new thing.
Have other ideas of your own? PLEASE SHARE WITH THE CLASS!!!!
Okay, that’s it for now. Affiliate Tribe pals, a major newsletter with loads of stuff coming tomorrow. Just didn’t feel *right* to lay all that stuff out today when so many of you are focused on other things.
Will give you the Amazon data exclusively tomorrow as well.
Be well, friends.
Be safe and well. All good information.