Now That's What I Call A Party

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BOBBI BROWN!

What better birthday gift is there than giving back? Bobbi Brown had a wonderful birthday celebration this past Sunday with friends and family, but decided that she wasn't the only one who should be getting gifts. 

Brown hosted the annual Friends and Family Event. Between April 14th and April 18th there was 20 percent off any order, plus free shipping on any order over 65 dollars. Brown also donated $10,000 to her favorite charity, Dress for Success.

The mentality Brown has for marketing products through personal celebrations is remarkable. Her personality is dedicated to making the consumer happy. She does this not only by engaging with the customers, but giving back to them as well. That is a great strategy to market your brand, especially when you have the products to back them up.

The Dress for Success program empowers disadvantaged women to become the best they can be. I think that Dress for Success is amazing and I love that Bobbi Brown continues to support the worthy cause generously. You can treat ourselves to something gorgeous while helping low income women enter the work force. If that isn't something beautiful, I don't know what is.

A Radiant Resume

Resume's tend to be a college "kids" nightmare. You never know what to include, what not to include. What is relevant or irrelevant. Does the counter girl position at Tony's pizza matter? The fact that you were in choir and drama club for 6 years in high school... or that you were president of your graduating class? Maybe... but probably not. Below are some tips to make your resume the best you possibly can. It's a chance to PR yourself.

• Keep it concise. One page only. 
• Education should go first followed by internships and big projects you worked on in school that relate to PR.
• Share your results. If a project you worked on resulted in new business or a sale increase, share it. 
• List organizations that are relevant to PR and your roles and accomplishments in that organization.
• Pay attention to typos. They are unacceptable.
• Make your resume stand out, but still legible.
• Bring hard copies on resume paper and a saved PDF for email.
• Include appropriate blogs.
• Offer "references available upon request"
• DO NOT LIE.

Resume's may not be the most favorable thing to do with your time, but they are very important to have and to keep adding to. The sooner you start on yours the better it will be when it comes time to send it out.

Differences Between In-House PR and Working at a PR Agency

Working at a PR Agency Means:

• Typically staffed with thousands of employees 
• Often have satellite offices in other big cities and possibly even internationally
• Tend to have brand-name corporate clients with large budgets
• Offer a great deal of opportunity, lots of projects, big ideas 
• Funded by decent budgets
• A lot more brainstorming and strategic thinking, etc. 
• Have very large divisions 
• Divisions focus on different specialties 

Working In-House Means:

• Working for the client directly 
• Usually the most profitable 
• Hardest position to get. 
• Once people are in-house they tend not to leave for a while
• Teams are usually very small (about 1-4 people on average)
• Not a lot of opportunity to become part of the in-house teams. 
• Limited budgets 
• Tiny teams with just as much work

Alexis Rodriguez started out working at a large agency called Ketchum Public Relations. This expanded her client base from beauty to consumer, lifestyle, food, and healthcare. Rodriguez left Ketchum in 2002 to join Tractenberg & Co. where she worked with a number of 

well-known beauty brands including Stila, Sephora, MD Skincare, and Kate Spade Beauty.

Personally, I think that you can learn a lot from being at an agency. Since you have such large teams with various clients and a good budget to work with you can be as creative as you want. The resources, connections and tools at an agency appear endless. I think that many great PR professionals began at agencies and developed the skills to become the 

well-rounded PR professionals that they have made themselves into. 

I also think that you can take what you learn at an agency and eventually bring it into the

 "in-house" environment of PR. Unless you like the small tight knit group at the in-house you are limited to resources and may not be happy there. I hope to start out at an agency and branch out on my own after I attain the knowledge and connections that a 

large agency can offer.

Alexis Rodriguez's Top Ten Tips for PR

Alexis Rodriguez is the executive director of public relations for Bobbi Brown Cosmetics. 
Her daily job consists of overseeing the implementation and execution of PR initiatives in North America for Bobbi Brown, the woman and the brand.

Rodriguez has been working in the industry for over thirteen years and specializes in fashion, beauty, lifestyle and personalities. She has passion and love for what she does and says that that best part of the job she does is when "young aspiring publicists ask how to break into the industry."

It's not easy to break into the world of PR, but if you have enough passion for the field you sure can do anything you work hard enough at. 


Here is some of her advice on how to break into the industry:

1. INTERN, INTERN, INTERN!!!
2. Take the right courses
3. Networking
4. Big dreams, big opportunities are in the big cities (NYC, LA)
5. If you are graduating don't apply to a job too early because they will assume you can start right away; wait until February to April.
6. Take a summer internship when you graduate to get your foot in the door then apply for full time positions
7. Join clubs and organizations such as PRSA
8. Put in hard work and success will follow
9. No day is ever the same, so if you are someone who prefers routine PR is not for you
10. Create your own balance on prioritizing your "to-do's"

As Promised...

I would talk about Alexis Rodriguez, the Executive Director of PR for Bobbi Brown Cosmetics. She works hard at that aspect of her job, but luckily for you she doesn't stop there.

Rodriguez also is the mentor/adviser for Bobbi Brown cosmetics and is giving you an opportunity to learn the ins and outs of beauty PR. Over summer, she is launching the first-ever formal beauty PR workshop. This will be a 2-day weekend of intense workshops that will provide an in depth look at beauty publicity. This is an opportunity to have exclusive access to the best in the beauty business from editors of top magazines, beauty bloggers, HR representatives and more. 

Official name, dates and NYC location are to be announced.

For more information sign up at theprcloset@gmail.com

Why this should be important to you if you are a PR major?

• building relationships with people to gain connections in the field
• getting real world experience
• learning the ins and outs of veterans in the PR world
• learning to be independent and group oriented 

Holmes and Yang Follow-up

Bobbi Brown Directing Holmes and Yang Editor's Presentation

Photos from the show:

Holmes and Yang makeup lesson from artist Bobbi Brown herself

BB Cosmetics Partners with Katie Holmes To Be The First Ever Celebrity Face

In September of 2012, Bobbi Brown cosmetics decided to take a fresh route by endorsing actress Katie Holmes as their first ever celebrity face. There is no one more fitting for the position quite like Katie Holmes with her natural beauty and girl-next-door persona. 


" Katie Holmes epitomizes the modern 'Bobbi woman'… I think of her as the modern day Ali McGraw, who I have always admired,"  Bobbi Brown said. "Katie is a classic natural beauty, entrepreneur, and mother. When I met her, I thought she was a natural fit for my brand, and felt an instant connection with her."


Katie Holmes is just as thrilled as Bobbi Brown, "Bobbi is exceptional and Bobbi Brown Cosmetics is a company that we, as women, all turn to because it is makeup that is very accessible and makes you feel pretty," says Holmes, "Sometimes it is just a lipstick or a blush that makes you feel like you can do what you need to do. Makeup is powerful and I am thrilled to be a part of this brand."


The partnership will be seen in spring 2013 print ads, light boxes, on-counter and with supporting editorial features. Along with that, Bobbi will be the lead makeup artist at the Spring/Summer 2013 Holmes & Yang Fashion Show. The fashion show will feature the line by Katie Holmes and Jeanne Yang, celebrity stylist.

What does this partnership mean for Bobbi Brown?

• raise the brand's profile
• influence the market globally
• attract confident, powerful woman 
• brand recognition from fan base of Katie Holmes