Michael Rogers Public Relations

DermaQuest's DermaMinerals on The Today Show

2010-05-10T15:05:00.010-04:00

Beauty expert Mickey Williams just raved about DermaQuest Skin Therapy's DermaMinerals Breathable Coverage SPF 30 mineral foundation on The Today Show - she was even wearing it on air!! Take advantage of a special promo - get 20% off this dual function mineral makeup with sun protection at www.dermaminerals.com with purchase code: TODAY.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Introducing Pomega5!

2010-05-06T21:09:00.006-04:00

Check out Pomega5's new website that went live TODAY! We're very happy to be working on this fantastic skin care line that blends efficacious skincare with all-natural/organic ingredients. The sensory experience is amazing!

New Facebook 'Like' Buttons

2010-04-28T13:53:00.003-04:00

Facebook has recently added new features. The one we really like is the new 'Like' button where Facebook provides HTML code to post a button on other sites and link directly back to your fan page. Check out this one from client Nickel Skin Care for Men.

From Seth Godin - Secrets of the biggest selling launch ever

2010-04-07T12:25:00.007-04:00

Caught Seth Godin's blog post this morning...very smart! The common concept through most (if not all) Mr. Godin's tips is the 'conversation' which is the goal of any PR campaign....getting people talking! Apple patiently and diligently started a conversation with key influencers with messages that spread like wild fire. See full post below or go to Seth Godin's blog.

Secrets of the biggest selling launch ever

Apple reports that on the first day they sold more than $150,000,000 worth of iPads. I can't think of a product or movie or any other launch that has ever come close to generating that much direct revenue. Are their tactics reserved for giant consumer fads? I don't think so. In fact, they work even better for smaller gigs and more focused markets.

Earn a permission asset. Over 25 years, Apple has earned the privilege of delivering anticipated, personal and relevant messages to their tribe. They can get the word out about a new product without a lot of money because one by one, they've signed people up. They didn't sell 300,000 iPads in one day, they sold them over a few decades.
Don't try to please everyone. There are countless people who don't want one, haven't heard of one or actively hate it. So what? (Please don't gloss over this one just because it's short. In fact, it's the biggest challenge on this list).
Make a product worth talking about. Sounds obvious. If it's so obvious, then why don't the other big companies ship stuff like this? Most of them are paralyzed going to meetings where they sand off the rough edges.
Make it easy for people to talk about you. Steve doesn't have a blog. He doesn't tweet and you can't friend him on Facebook. That's okay. The tribe loves to talk, and the iPad gave them something to talk about.
Build a platform for others to play in. Not just your users, but for people who want to reach your users.
Create a culture of wonder. Microsoft certainly has the engineers, the developers and the money to launch this. So why did they do the Zune instead? Because they never did the hard cultural work of creating the internal expectation that shipping products like this is possible and important.
Be willing to fail. Bold bets succeed--and sometimes they don't. Is that okay with you? Launching the iPad had to be even more frightening than launching a book...
Give the tribe a badge. The cool thing about marketing the iPad is that it's a visible symbol, a uniform. If you have one in the office on Monday, you were announcing your membership. And if it says, "sent from my iPad" on the bottom of your emails...
Don't give up so easy. Apple clearly a faced a technical dip in creating this product... they worked on it for more than a dozen years. Most people would have given up long ago.
Don't worry so much about conventional wisdom. The iPad is a closed system (not like the web) because so many Apple users like closed systems.

And the one thing I'd caution you about:

Don't worry so much about having a big launch day. It looks good in the newspaper, but almost every successful brand or product (Nike, JetBlue, Starbucks, IBM...) didn't start that way.

A few things that will make it work even better going forward:

Create a product that works better when your friends have one too.Some things (like a Costco membership or even email) fit into that category, because if more people join, the prices will go down or access will go up. Others (like the unlisted number to a great hot restaurant) don't.
Make it cheap enough or powerful enough that organizations buy a lot at a time. To give away. To use as a tool.
Change the home screen so I can see more than twenty apps at a time (sorry, that was just me.)

As promised, the folks at Vook made their deadline and were ready on launch day. It's early days, but it's pretty clear to me that the way authors with ideas will share them is going to change pretty radically, just as the iPad demonstrates that the way people interact with the web is going to keep changing as well.

[It turns out that Modern Warfare 2 did far better in its launch than the iPad. Thanks Jon, for the update].

A post-wax way to halt hair growth - Depilar System on DailyBeauty™

2010-04-05T11:55:00.003-04:00

A post-wax way to halt hair growth - Depilar System, enzymes, hair removal, sugaring, threading, treatment, waxing - DailyBeauty™ - A beauty blog powered by NewBeauty® Magazine

Depilar System featured in today's DailyBeauty by NewBeauty Magazine!

Waxing is one of the easiest and quickest ways to get rid of unwanted hair, but it has its downsides: it can be somewhat uncomfortable and the results don't last very long. However, a new enzyme-based formula called the Depilar System could make waxing more efficient.

Safe to use on all skin types and hair colors, the Depilar System contains two enzymes, trypsin and chymotrypsin, that halt new hair growth. Applied by a professional directly after waxing, the two-step gel destroys the open hair follicles by breaking down the cells that produce hair, located in the bottom of the follicle.

The Depilar System, which will add about 10 minutes to your regular hair-removal treatment, can also be used with other modes of hair removal, like sugaring, threading and tweezing. It needs to be applied every four to six weeks over a 12- to 24-month period.

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The Bachelor Guy » Get a Hot Towel Shave in a Tube

2010-03-30T16:42:00.001-04:00

The Bachelor Guy » Get a Hot Towel Shave in a Tube

Real Shaving Company's Hot Towel Mask gets a fantastic review by The Bachelor Guy!

The Hot Towel Mask is paraben-free and contains Vitamin E, zinc oxide and tea tree leaf, and an ingredient that reacts when in contact with water. So when you wet your face and rub this stuff in, you get a real warming sensation as the minerals soften and lift your whiskers, getting them ready for the razor.

I left the mask on (and let me mention that it's not like the mask your girl puts on, all thick and muddy... it's a thin white layer that looks like soap), for the suggested 5 minutes, rinsed it off, and applied my usual shaving cream. (They sent theirs, but I wanted to test the mask's effects shave for shave.)

The result? One of the closest shaves I've had in a long time. And that includes using top-of-the-line pre-shave oils. Which cost considerably more than the Hot Towel Mask's $5.99 MSRP. (And it's also part of the complete travel shaving kit pictured, which also includes the Daily Face Scrub, Shave Cream and Soothing Balm, for only $11.99)

Depilar System and Stript Wax Bar featured in the Los Angeles Times! Get hair free and bikini ready!

2010-03-28T03:12:00.009-04:00

Smooth skin with less pain - latimes.com

Michael Rogers PR clients Depilar System and Stript Wax Bar featured in today's Los Angeles Times!

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IKEA Subway Display in Paris : An Insane Idea or A Genius Promotion Campaign?

2010-03-15T17:40:00.002-04:00

IKEA Subway Display in Paris : An Insane Idea or A Genius Promotion Campaign?

Brilliant idea....we just wonder how the sofas will look after the homeless take them over.

DailyCandy SF: Vadge of Honor

2010-02-12T11:17:00.006-05:00

New San Francisco client Stript Wax Bar's new spa treatment for your 'little lady' has been getting a lot of press, most recently on DailyCandy. The Vajacial™ is the first treatment of it's kind for the va-jay-jay. Read all about it and try it for yourself! Vadge of Honor on DailyCandy!

Oh, it's so nice to be hair free! Depilar System featured in the latest NewBeauty Magazine!

2010-02-02T20:37:00.007-05:00

Get more information (and hair free) at www.depilarsystem.com.

Okay, we admit.....we LOVE Jersey Shore!

2010-01-12T20:31:00.004-05:00

And so does Brett Freedman, founder of Vanitymark Cosmetics. Here are his tips on how to get that Jersey Shore look! Snookie...you betta watch out! You're gonna have some fierce competition soon from Aynsley!!

The women of Melrose Place and People Magazine love Vanitymark's Dr. Kiss lip balm!

2009-11-16T14:53:00.005-05:00

Get yours at www.vanitymark.com.

Lash enhancers now a growth business -- latimes.com

2009-10-19T13:11:00.006-04:00

DermaQuest Skin Therapy's natural eyelash growth complex DermaLash Colors featured in yesterday's Los Angeles Times!

DermaLash Colors innovative, completely safe, and drug free eyelash treatment is available in shades of black, indigo, plum and cocoa that provide vibrant color to the base of the lash line.

Applied like liquid eyeliner, this nourishing treatment stimulates hair follicles, which can result in longer, fuller and more youthful-looking eyelashes with hues of color for a striking effect. DermaLash Color also strengthens the lashes and can prevent breakage and hair loss from assault due to factors such as allergies, pulling, rubbing, lash curling, cosmetics and heat.

See the full article: Lash enhancers now a growth business -- latimes.com

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Brett Freedman of Vanitymark on Temptalia!

2009-09-24T15:34:00.008-04:00

To see more at Temptalia click here: www.temptalia.com

Trying It Out: Hyp-Yoga

2009-09-24T15:18:00.004-04:00

Yoga and hypnosis combined...our client Hyp-Yoga in the Ladies' Home Journal "Ladies' Lounge" blog today!

Trying It Out: Hyp-Yoga

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More than just mineral makeup!

2009-09-23T15:43:00.002-04:00

Science has never looked so beautiful! With ingredients like Archipelago Sea Minerals, Dermaxyl Peptide, Mica-Wrapped Cotton Fibers, Boron Nitride, Honeysuckle Extract, Kombucha, Chamomile, and Green Tea, leading cosmeceutical brand DermaQuest’s new DermaMinerals line is the next generation of mineral makeup, designed to provide superior mineral coverage and therapeutic skin care.

'How to' educational videos coming soon! For now, check out the blooper reel filmed by our social media video partner Dolcinema.

American Airlines New Viral Video Campaign

2009-07-29T14:02:00.006-04:00

American Airlines recently changed their policies on award mileage redemption, allowing customers to mix and match levels of service (coach vs. first class) and allowing for one-way tickets using miles. I personally, am very very happy about it and am using the new program on my next trip to NYC.

To educate patrons, they developed an online video that is fun, educational and offers the chance to win $100k miles (a very nice incentive to watch and enter). While the video is excellent from a brand education side and is mildly entertaining, there is nothing viral about it. Hence the need for the mileage incentive. Also, American Airlines did not do a great job of promoting the video publicly and instead relies too heavily on word of mouth and the "send to a friend" feature at the end of the video. The video is not easily visible on their home page AA.com or on YouTube, not embeddable into Blogger (as you can see below) to encourange discussion and does not take advantage of any of the other SMM tools available (i.e. Twitter). It's not even on their Facebook page! You can't pause, rewind of fast forward the video and there is no link at the end to "watch it again." Bad bad American Airlines.

http://fly.aa.com/promo/?or=v

-Michael Rogers

Old School PR: Things Today's New PR Professionals May Never Know About

2009-07-23T16:17:00.011-04:00

Today WIRED Magazine posted on their website a list of "100 Things Your Kids May Never Know About," and I feel OLD! It reminded me of recent conversations with young publicists who take for granted modern technologies that make our lives as publicists better and easier. The PR veterans out there know what I'm talking about. I'm not really that old, I entered the PR field in the 90's just before major technological changes in the industry and feel lucky that I got to see the transformation. Young publicists look at me in disbelief when I tell these stories. I tell them in part to be nostalgic, but mostly to reinforce the true nature of publicity and help young publicists be better at their jobs. It's not just disseminating information; it's telling stories, networking and getting the best (and right) kind of coverage for our clients. While technologies have made certain aspects of our jobs easier, there are qualities the old methods encouraged that should not be lost.

Here's my list of 5 things today's publicists may never know about. Feel free to share some of your "old school" methods that are no longer employed (but maybe should)!

No e-mail, at all. Having to call editors and clients and actually talk to them. It's amazing to me how many publicists don't pick up the phone anymore and actually have a conversation. 50 years ago the forerunners of today's publicist did everything in person. They were master networkers who used their connections and story telling skills to get media coverage for their clients. We need more of that today, get off of e-mail occasionally, have a conversation, network and tell stories.
Big green annual printed Bacon's directories. We had to go through them by hand and call each publication to confirm editors were still there to build our media lists. I remember once it took a team of 5 publicists a week to build, call and confirm a media list of 2,000 contacts. Today, we have Cision online databases that are updated daily and can spit out a target media list of thousands of contacts in minutes.
Actually mailing press releases! Spending entire days over the copier and stuffing hundreds or thousands of envelopes to distribute a press release. Today, we send releases electronically rich with images, hyperlinks and video content to contacts in seconds. The old way was expensive and time consuming, it made us really make sure we were sending releases to the right editors and not just blanketing everyone.
No cell phones. Having to actually think on your feet and make tough decisions as a junior publicist and not able to call for help or backup. I remember my first PR job as a summer intern in Boston working on the BT Global Challenge yacht race. I was assigned to escort Boston Globe and Associated Press photographers in a helicopter to shoot the departing fleet when the owner of the PR firm representing the hosting hotel showed up trying to get on board. Unfortunately there were only 3 seats, enough for the photographers and me. I had to stick to my guns and do exactly as I was told, escort the photographers. Let's just say this gentleman was left standing while we took off and a nasty "Page 6" type article ran the next week. I was congratulated by my boss and bought a beer.
No Google or LexisNexus. Every morning we had to pour over daily newspapers and magazines to find client clips and conduct research. We couldn't just type in keywords and have all our placements and competitive analysis data in seconds. It was slow and time consuming, but it made us read target publications and really understand them so we could pitch them better and send them appropriate information.

-Michael Rogers

Evian Roller Babies

2009-07-18T15:30:00.005-04:00

We recently posted the Air New Zealand commercial with fantastic execution and concept with the perfect blend of entertainment and branding. Today I caught the Evian "Roller Babies" video which has superb execution (downright amazing), concept and entertainment value. But does this video really make consumers want to drink Evian like the Air New Zealand video makes you want to fly their airline? Check out the behind the scenes making of "Roller Babies" video on YouTube.

-Michael Rogers

Twitter is for old people, work experience whiz-kid tells bankers - Times Online

2009-07-16T15:45:00.001-04:00

A great article in Tuesday's issue of London's "The Times" about the targeting teens and youth with social media marketing. I feel like an old fart reading this, and I have an understanding of SMM and Michael Rogers PR uses many of these various technologies to reach consumers to promote our client brands. What it means is that we all have a lot to learn about new technologies. Interesting issues and questions of future marketing raised:

1. How do traditional companies and agencies take advantage of these new technologies to target youth?
2. What's the prospect of making money if teens do everything possible to get everything for free when they share pirated movies and music?

Twitter is for old people, work experience whiz-kid tells bankers - Times Online

-Michael Rogers

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The future of PR: Do you have the right PR skills to succeed? | Cision Blog

2009-07-15T22:18:00.001-04:00

The future of PR: Do you have the right PR skills to succeed? | Cision Blog

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Nokia announces wireless charging phone

2009-07-02T17:08:00.008-04:00

This just might be the coolest thing I've heard about. Nokia is testing a cell phone that charges without wires by using energy in the air from radio, TV and other wireless signals. Check it out on Yahoo!...

tech.yahoo.com

-Michael Rogers

Air New Zealand Has Nothing To Hide

2009-06-30T15:32:00.005-04:00

Caught this in the NYT. Air New Zealand did a fantastic job of making these videos viral and blending their brand messaging effectively. Sounds easy, but it's hard to do! Often videos are viral and entertaining but lack brand messaging, or are full of brand messaging and not all that viral or entertaining. Kudos to the Air New Zealand marketing team. Check them all out on YouTube. My only dismay is that they don't have these on their website home page!

-Michael Rogers

Beauty Brands SHOULD Work With Bloggers

2009-06-25T19:00:00.012-04:00

Today I was sent an Internet post by Emrah Kovacoglu, Founder and CEO, Total Beauty Media that I’m compelled to comment on. In his post titled "Beauty Brands Should Not Be Working With Bloggers...” Mr. Kovacoglu suggests that beauty brands, PR firms such as ours, and ad agencies should not work with bloggers. I find his outlook extremely short sighted and self-indulgent. I also found it interesting the post didn't allow for comments. Not very open or savvy for a brand that according to their own website "encourages you to join in our active discussions."

See complete article at this link: http://www.totalbeautymedia.com/ceo_outlook?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=TBM%2BInsider%20June09&utm_campaign=TBM%2BInsider%20June09_CEOoutlook

The experience Michael Rogers PR has had with bloggers has been nothing but positive and beneficial to our client brands. I agree with Mr. Kovacoglu that some bloggers are better than others, that some hold themselves to more true journalistic integrity than others. But just like how a free market works, the cream quickly rises to the top, and we know which bloggers we prefer working with as they are the more professional and exhibit journalistic integrity.

Journalistic ethics is the core issue raised by Mr. Kovacoglu which I agree should be addressed. Traditional media have corporate policies for journalistic integrity that are not imposed on bloggers. Some bloggers do misrepresent and skew facts, but they are the exception, not the norm. Our interactions as a PR firm have allowed us to weed out better bloggers from bad ones, and we simply stop working with those who don’t have their readers interest at heart. It is the responsibility of the brand and agency to be smart and take care in choosing which bloggers to work with.

What I see Mr. Kovacoglu doing is promoting his network of Total Beauty Media, which I wish he would have done without slamming the community of bloggers who are ethical and credible but just don’t happen to be part of his network. His network has many other positive attributes to highlight without slamming a beauty blogging community with stereotypes. His not so subtle self-indulgent suggestion is that brands and agencies only go through his company and Total Beauty Media bloggers. The truth is that there are plenty of credible blogs out there not part of Total Beauty Media that beauty brands and agencies should work with and should not suffer from the poor behavior of other less credible bloggers.

Our suggestions for brands and agencies working with bloggers is to take the time to do research and not work with any and all bloggers. You don’t work with all traditional media outlets, some just aren’t appropriate for your brand, why would you do the same with blgos? The following tips should help:

How frequently does the blogger post? More frequently shows they are serious about their blog.
Check the readership of the blog. Google and other Internet tools have statistics on blogs that are publicly available.
What does the blogger say about reviewed products? Is it only their personal experience or expanded to include how others may or may not like a product. Some bloggers slam products that don’t happen work for them and ignore that the product would work better (or meant to work) for someone else.
Are there more negative reviews than positive reviews? Professional journalists tend to write more about products they endorse than those they don’t. If they do write a negative review, it then comes across as more valid.
Be prepared for a negative review. Sending your product for review by a bloggger opens your product and brand to criticism and less than stellar reviews. So be sure what you’re sending is a quality product.
Beware of bloggers that ask for tons of full size products. Respectable bloggers will only ask for product they intend to review and nothing more. Bloggers who ask for too much are often looking for freebies. Most bloggers are fine with a trial size sample. If the highly visited blog gives a great review, impacts your sales positively and loves your product for their personal use, a “thank you” gift of a full size product is satisfactory and appropriate.
Savvy readers know the difference between an advertisement and editorial. Readers know that a giveaway or prize is supplied by the brand. Credible blogs have a healthy balance between editorial and promotional giveaways and always are up front about .
Trust the public. Readers can easily sift through reviews that are slanted and biased. Those readers will quickly go elsewhere.
Be polite at all times. Worse than a negative product review is a poor comment on your brand or agency's professionalism.

-Michael Rogers

Push and Pull

2009-05-31T17:35:00.004-04:00

When creating a smart and effective public relations campaign it's important to implement and "push and pull" media strategy. You're probably asking what we mean by this. Start by thinking about your customer. PR is about promotion which will directly impact and increase sales through exposure. Using a "push and pull" strategy in relating to the media, brands can maximize their PR efforts.

The "push" is created by targeting trade magazines that are for professionals and are industry specific. For example, a skin care brand seeks exposure through trade magazines such as WWD, Dayspa and Les Nouvelles Estethiques. Brand promotion and exposure to retailers, distributors and sales staff create awareness of your products and these industry professionals then "push" your products to consumers through their own sales initiatives. Your outreach should educate this audience how to sell and promote your products through more in depth knowledge and education.

Now comes the "pull" of the media campaign. Publicity and exposure in consumer oriented publications such as The New York Times, Allure, Elle, the Today Show, etc. cause consumers to seek out your product. They then go to stores and retailers asking for your products, creating a "pull" effect.

In our media campaigns we have found this basic strategy to benefit our clients' sales and done effectively can grow brand recognition more quickly and effectively. Find out more about the "push and pull" strategy by contacting us any time.