MMC is supporting Clairol’s new Facebook “Alter-Ego” tab, which is now live through the end of December, by sharing the news with leading online influencers around the country. The program centers on unleashing the hair color you were meant to have and showing consumers how to achieve that shade with the Clairol Try It On Studio, an interactive digital makeover tool. Online influencers had the opportunity to interview Clairol Color Director Marie Robinson and preview their hair color alter-ego with the help of the Try It On Studio. Marie also discussed the proper way to make that shade change at home with Clairol products. Online influencers including Mom Generations and Beautiful Makeup Search have tried the tool and shared their experience with readers.
Clairol Natural Instincts and MMC hosted an online influencer event yesterday at the Marie Robinson Salon to share news of two new product launches: the Week 2 Color Refresher, a color revitalizer now found in each box and the Vibrant Collection, a new line of permanent shades. The goal of the event was to educate the media about at-home hair color and incent trial among a group that has access to the most glamorous salons in New York City.
After experiencing the product first-hand with the help of Clairol Color Director, Marie Robinson, influencers credited the event with demystifying the fears associated with DIY color. Anne Fritz from Jet Set Girls tweeted “Clairol colorist Marie Robinson says to choose a color based on the photos on the back of the box, not model on the front.”
Immediate coverage from the event resulted in 11 tweets, reaching 12,000+ followers. Influencers were thrilled with their color results, as well. Fritz shared her “after” photo (see above), telling her followers it looked even better in person.
Welcome to the first edition of MMC’s Meet-the-Media series! On a monthly basis, we will feature interviews with various contacts in the media to shed light on their industry thoughts and what makes them tick.
First up, we have Erika Valente from The Makeup Bag. We’ve been working with Erika for years and were thrilled when she stopped by the office recently. In fact, working with Erika back in 2008 we were able to show first-hand the influence of online editors in traditional media when Erika’s experience with Clairol Perfect 10 was part of an Elle Magazine feature.
Here are the questions we asked Erika:
Q1: What’s your favorite thing about writing about beauty?
I really love Makeup Bag. We’ve been through a lot together! Haha. I started Makeup Bag nearly 5 years ago and it’s been such a fun journey. I love connecting with other women that are as obsessed with beauty products as I am.
Q2: What categories, types of products, trends, etc. are you sick of?
My biggest fear is testing new skin care products from up-and-coming brands. I’ve had a few incidents where I’ve broken out in a rash from products so my new rule is: If the label falls off in the shower, I’m not testing it!
Q3: What still excites you?
EVERYTHING! I love knowing about what is launching, what innovations brands are coming up with and what tried and true products consumers are still obsessing over.
Q4: What do you think drives consumers, or your readers in particular, to purchase?
Everyone wants results. If something works, people will buy it. The biggest challenge for women is finding what works for them. This is what is so great about blogs; we can share our personal experiences with products that readers can really trust. I have straight, fine hair so if I’m raving about a new volumizer that really gives my hair body, there’s a good chance it will work on your fine hair, too.
Q5: What’s the best beauty advice you have given your three daughters?
I give them advice all the time, but they rarely listen to me! Ha. I am constantly reminding them to wear sunblock, and they know that tanning beds are strictly forbidden. I think more than anything, they follow my example by lead. They never go to bed without washing their faces and they keep their cuticles moisturized, just like me!
Q6: How did your beauty routine change with your move to Hawaii?
The move to Hawaii changed everything about my life! All of a sudden my life became consumed with our two restaurants where I do everything from payroll to waiting tables. It’s been an amazing learning experience but having your own business means non-stop work. Mostly my beauty routine had to adjust to the climate change. Hawaii is very humid and warm, so it’s lots of sunblock, light moisturizers and waterproof eyeliner.
Thanks, Erika, for taking the time to speak with us. Be sure to follow MakeupBag on Twitter!
- Meet The Media: Erika Valente, The Makeup Bag
- by Samara Finn
- Tagged: Beauty Blogger, Clairol, Marina Maher Communications, marketing to women, Meet The Media, MMC, Online Influencer, PR, public relations, Purchase Drivers, Social Media, The Makeup Bag
Can’t imagine using at-home hair color because of the messiness of it all? Afraid you just won’t get it right? Well, you’re not alone! Clairol research found 51 percent of women dislike the process but feel it’s something they need to do. Now, with new Nice ‘n Easy Color Blend Foam, these hang-ups are a thing of the past. To show online influencers how Color Blend Foam is changing the way women feel about at-home hair color and get them excited to try the product, MMC knew it was important to immerse these women in a complete hair color experience. Because influencers have the opportunity to go to any salon in the city for professional coloring services, MMC partnered with celebrity colorist and Clairol Color Director Marie Robinson, along with her talented staff, to help guide influencers through the at-home hair color process.
The experiential open house event took place on January 18, at the Marie Robinson Salon and was attended by 15 top NYC online influencers including AOL Stylist, Glamour.com and InStyle.com. Influencers raved that Marie helped them understand just how easy Color Blend Foam is to use. Additionally, as influencers had the opportunity to try the product first-hand on themselves, a friend, or a model, those who weren’t previously at-home hair color savvy mentioned the event helped them overcome the fears they’d associated with DIY color. Ariana Finlayson of RealBeauty.com reported “I know that a lot of women are afraid that they’re going to totally botch their hair color job, but it’s very easy to use!” They were also impressed the open house offered real women and not actual models to test the product on, further illustrating how new Color Blend Foam can make any woman feel like a professional.
Aside from sharing product news, this event gave MMC an opportunity to spread the word about Clairol’s biggest hair color giveaway of all time. 100,000 boxes of new Color Blend Foam will be given away on Clairol’s Facebook page from January 24 – 27! One blogger, Style It’s Sarah Conley was so excited, she wrote her post at the event, while many others Tweeted, even answering consumer questions about the product.
To claim your own box of Nice ‘n Easy Color Blend Foam, visit Clairol’s Facebook Page and hit ‘like.’
UPDATE:
With the 100,000 box giveaway coming to a close yesterday, MMC is pleased to announce the campaign was a huge success! Not only did Facebook fans increase from roughly 20,000 to over 253,000, MMC secured more than 300 placements and 45 million impressions in just a matter of days, well surpassing the team’s goal. Coverage appeared on influential sites like Betty Confidential, BeautyStat, Examiner, Sun Sentinel, and NJ.com, and not only drove traffic to the giveaway, but educated women about this new at-home hair color breakthrough, getting hundreds of thousands excited to try it when it hits shelves in February.
Did you get your box? Visit Facebook.com/Clairol to let us know what you think!
To take a peek of Tuesday night’s trial event at the Marie Robinson Salon, and to hear what influencers are saying about new Color Blend Foam, click Clairol Color Blend Foam.
You learned from my last post that I am not one to book regular salon visits to get my hair cut, or trimmed for that matter. I am thrilled to share the news that on Thursday, March 25th I overcame my fear and not only got a trim but got my hair colored and styled as well!
The Aussie and Clairol teams celebrated the warm weather and kicked off the spring season with a Spring Trend online influencer event. Myself along with my fellow MMC’ers Lisa Reindl and Jess Spano had a tough job that evening to be the hair models donning the latest spring hair trends. Naturally, I was hesitant to undergo a hair transformation for my critical role, but all of my doubts disappeared once I discovered that my hair was in the hands of miracle workers: Aussie celebrity stylist, Sarah Potempa, and Clairol’s Global Director of Color and Style, Marcy Cona.
After a quick color application using Clairol Perfect 10 and a few spritzes of Aussie hair spray to complete the look, I was ready to model “The Modern Remix of ‘Old Hollywood’ Brunette”. Here are three quick and easy steps to get the look:
- Using a styling pick (or a household item like a pencil or a chopstick) follow the line from the middle of your nose to get a clean middle part.
- Then spray Aussie’s Hi-Hold + Hi-Shine Hairspray to each 2” section.
- Curl away from the face on both sides.
NOTE: The key to getting a great vintage-inspired wave is to follow a pattern and make each curl identical. Clip each section with a small silver clip to allow the hair to cool before releasing.
High profile beauty online influencers attended the event and created buzz in the Twitter world using the hashtag “#PGHair” that was designed specifically for attendees to comment on the evening’s activities in real time. Many of these influencers had flip cams in hand as well to capture the demonstrations for their blogs.
I have to say, with my hair freshly cut and colored I feel refreshed for spring! It looks like Sarah and Marcy may have changed my outlook on frequent salon visits. Stay tuned…
