There has certainly been a drop in the number of bloggers that go to Press days now. In the past every blogger under the sun would be there snapping away with their camera, eating nibbles and running between as many press days as possible. I used to write whole blog posts about Press Days with badly taken snaps of everything on the rail. Now things have changed and although I don’t give Press Days the same coverage I used to on the blog I still find I get a lot out of attending Press Days. In fact I headed off to London last week for the Primark AW18 Press day wearing this little Primark jumpsuit outfit.
The drop in attendance has certainly been noted. It’s come up in conversations with other PR’s and in fact me and Hannah talked about it a lot on the train on our way into London for the Primark press day and agreed that we both still like to go to some for lots of the same reasons. Now don’t get me wrong I don’t go to them all. I don’t live in London and so it does cost me to travel into London and often a press day won’t be of any benefit to me and indeed I’ve been to some where PR’s group together and don’t even talk to you and these tend to be firmly struck off my list. You can read more about this in my Sure-Fire ways to Feel Awkward at a Blog Event post.
In some ways the drop off may be a good thing in part. Some bloggers I’m sure went only for the goody bags and never really interacted with the collection or the PR’s but I know for lots of bloggers it can be about the cost of attending too and they would love to come otherwise. But for me I still enjoy going to Press Days and I find them really useful so here’s a few reasons why I still see the benefit in attending press days.
To stay loyal
There are certain brand press days I will always attend if I can. Next, Primark, Arcadia and Accessorize are amongst my favourite brands and so I like to attend these so I can keep that relationship going with the pr and show loyalty to the brand and also to my followers who see I have a genuine interest when I share images form the press day on my social.
To discover new brands
Press Days can also be a great opportunity to discover new brands and a great opportunity to connect with new PR teams. Its so much easier in person to see if a brand is your cup of tea and if they seem a great team to work with. I also find it speaks volumes if you are willing to make the effort to go to press days.
To show your face
As I said above if I make the effort to go to press days and take the time to talk to the PR team and engage with the collection then it can often lead to collaborations. Its so much easier to keep yourself in a PR’s mind if they have seen your face recently and also if you want to pitch ideas or discuss how you’d love to work with them then I always think going to a press day shows commitment and talking through ideas is much easier than emailing.
To see what’s coming next season
The biggest reason I actually love going to Press Days is to see what’s coming next season. I enjoy seeing the trends and pieces that are going to be hitting the High Street and it gives me help preparing what content I might produce and also what is going to popular on my blog or YouTube. I don’t really attend London Fashion Week anymore so Press Days for me are how I discover next seasons trends and in turn share my favourite pieces that are coming on my social channels. I find my followers don’t want to see too many snaps of things they can't buy right there and then but a few curated snaps of my favourite standout pieces I find do really well and have great engagement on my stories.
To snap pictures of things I love
I also love to snap photos of things I’d like to keep my eye out in store or request from the PR for blog content later in the year. I often keep lots of photos in my phone for months till the pieces are out and it helps keep them in my mind so I don’t forget! Saved in my camera roll at the moment is most of the Primark AW18 press day to be honest!!
To see blogger and PR friends
When you work alone a lot of the time stuck behind your laptop writing or answering emails then getting out to Press Days can make all the difference. I love to go to Press Days to catch up with fellow bloggers and also pr's who I'm friends with too. Its great to see other people in the same industry as you and can be a brilliant opportunity to bounce ideas around, moan about the instagram algorithm and often can lead to being really inspired I find. I love it when I have plenty of time at a Press Day to really hang out, see the collections and spend time with people.
JACKET | JUMPSUIT (Primark) | TRAINERS | STRAW BAG
See more of what I picked from Primark as well as this jumpsuit in my Primark Haul
So that’s just a few reasons why I still see the benefit in attending Press Days. What are your thoughts? Do you go to Press Days and why? I’d love to know.
Debs
X
Photos taken by HANNAH on the Olympus Pen and 25mm lens
This post may also contain PR Samples or gifted items. It may also contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy here.
1 Comment
It’s good to know that you are actively participating in Press Days. By the way, your style here is really cool and very elegant in simple ways. Keep it up!