Search results for: “back to work”

WHAT TO WEAR TO WORK THIS AUTUMN

Updating Your Wardrobe For Autumn Work Wear

Dressing for work is something that for most of us requires thought and effort 5 out of 7 days a week. For those jobs, like mine, where a suit isn’t required, having a versatile and voluminous wardrobe full of work appropriate looks is essential. Keeping your style fresh and updated is hard when you’re seeing the same people day in and day out, and when you don’t have a walk in wardrobe like Carrie Bradshaw and the budgets of Kate Middleton, finding affordable ways to keep your wardrobe feeling new and seasonal is key. For me, the trick is finding statement and staple pieces which you can turn into a multitude of looks, without the look feeling samey or too simple. This season, from Spring all the way through to Autumn now, culottes have been one such garment that has enabled me to keep my wardrobe stylish, but also looking seasonally relevant and new.

The culotte is a sophisticated & stylish take on your standard trouser, professional yet on trend, with the cropped let making it versatile all year round.

From styling the look with knitwear or a classic breton in Spring, to adding a casual tee or a chic boyfriend shirt summer office days, to looks like todays ensemble & this look from earlier this year which make the perfection transition from one season to the next.

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SHOP THE LOOK

. BANANA REPUBLIC CULOTTES . ZARA STRIPE BLOUSE . CHLOE HAYLEY . ZARA NAVY PUMPS .

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This all navy ensemble is a rather classic look for me, especially at this time of year. The addition of a jacket as the weather drops finishes the look off perfectly, but for the most part, the striped tie blouse gives the culotte a fresh feel and the killer pump transitions the look from weekend casual to office wear ready. For days when i’m largely at my desk and not in meetings, swapping pumps for a classic brogue or loafer gives the look a slightly more relaxed feel, and layering a cropped cashmere sweater over your shirt looks fab as the weather drops into winter.

Are you a culotte fan? How are you updating your wardrobe into Autumn / Winter?

October 17, 2016
THE PROS & CONS OF BEING SIGNED TO A BLOGGER NETWORK & THE FUTURE OF INDEPENDENT MANAGEMENT

Should you sign to a blogging agency or Network? Lets discuss the pros & cons of blogging networks & management.

Blogging agents and networks aren’t a new thing, along with the blogging boom of 2014 was the rise of blogging agencies and networks. These agencies were opportune in their ambition and fortunate (read: clever) with their timing. With many bloggers falling into the industry through a passion and interest in fashion or beauty (the most popular categories way back when), blogging for business was an incredibly new and exciting concept, but something most bloggers had little experience with. The reality is most of us fell into the business side of blogging, and networks and agencies helped guide the process, helped put a value to our work and brand, and most importantly accelerated the opportunity and the industry itself (by increasingly and proactively making brands and advertisers aware of the opportunity and scale bloggers could offer). Agencies saw a huge opportunity in the industry (a gap for experienced sales and media reps to tap into a new communications touchpoint that would only become more and more valuable as time went on) and reaped reward for both themselves and bloggers alike.

I’ve experienced agencies from both sides of the fence. My blog non exclusively represented by UK talent management, but equally from working with most the networks out there when delivering content strategies for my client. I’ve seen it all. The good. The bad. and the rates …

Today (and even more so in light of the recent Mode Media shut down) there’s a real contrast in how bloggers are managing their blogging business, an increasing number of influencers are being signed to huge global talent and model agencies like Storm and James Grant who are going out and getting them huge commercial campaigns. But equally there’s also an increasing trend for independent representation: cutting out the middle man and managing your contracts, your pitches, your commercials and the project management yourself.

Today I wanted to talk about the pros and cons of both, from my experience both sides of the fence, to help you navigate the business side of blogging. Because the reality is you don’t need major label signing to turn your blog into a profitable business.

THE PRO’S & CON’S OF BLOGGING AGENTS & 4 KEY THINGS YOU NEED TO CONSIDER

Pitching

First of all, it would be negate not to highlight one of the biggest benefits of being signed to a network or agent. A networks main role in your blogging business is to bring you work, and that means while you’re busy shooting content and attending events, your management are busy promoting you and pitching you to all the major media agencies and clients in the industry. PR like this is undeniably impactful and important.

However, it’s fair to say I often see the same few bloggers continually pushed and recommended to my clients when we let agencies pitch for work (often multiple agencies pitching the same few bloggers). So whilst the upside of management is continued promotion of your site for commercial opportunities, it’s fair to say this doesn’t happen to everyone and it’s often a ‘select few’ bloggers that get pitched and promoted. And those few benefit from the self perpetuating business model that our industry has fallen into (you get business, you get promoted and supported by a brand as a result, your traffic grows, your brand gets more exposed, you get more business … And the cycle continues), whilst the left are left with little or nothing.

So there’s pros and cons. If you’re a favoured and supported blogger within an agency or network, then the worlds your oyster. But if not, work will trickle through so infrequently that it might be more effective to simply pitch yourself & scrap exclusive management (moving to non exclusive contracts, so you’re still on an agencies books but not exclusively, meaning you can also get work outside of your contract).

Commercials

Networks have relationships with huge brands globally. They are businesses in their own right and they know the advertising industry. They know your worth and they know how to sell it. They can ensure you earn a good wage and get paid well by collaborators. But most of the time they’ll take a cut. Many agencies detail this at 20%, but from my experience I think it would be ignorant to not accept they probably take a LOT more than this.

The benefit of independent / self management is that you get every penny of your project and can charge a fee that you are happy with and deliverables that work for you. As opposed to being told what is on offer.

But with commercials the pros and cons balance out somewhat, as if you’re management is doing a good job, they should be bringing you incremental projects beyond what you would otherwise have and help manage that hellish invoicing and payment process that can be so tedious and painful (they offer the legal back bone to ensure that payment is swift and secure). So when you net it out, you’re probably still benefiting despite the cuts.

Project and time management

The project management that comes with agencies and networks can be a good thing and a bad thing. You have additional help managing client expectation and timings (which can be more helpful than you might realise), but it’s fair to say the middle man of course adds a little more time and back and forth to the project. Really what it comes down to is your personal preference and management style. Me personally, I’m super organised and a control freak, and as such I sometimes prefer just to work directly and get things done a little more efficiently.

Clientele

Finally, and building on the first point around pitching, a major benefit of having an agency supporting you is that they are bundling out your clientele portfolio for you. Seeking new clients and building strong relationships with current clients which isn’t easy. Securing that foot in the door and getting that lucky break is a painful and relentless process … There’s no denying the value networks and agencies bring in this space. Of course that’s not to say you can’t build your own network and client portfolio, if networking is a strength then you should use it, but it requires time and patience and if you’re busy running a blogging business, a little help can always go a long way.

So there you have it, a rather in depth thought piece on our industry and the potential future of agencies and networks. But what it comes down to is personal preference and experience. Finding an agency or representation that believes in you and has your goals in their hearts is super important, but as with most things in life, I personally prefer not to sit back and leave my fate in the hands of other people. So for me I work with a balance of the two: self management and personal pitching, but with a non exclusive contract to an agency I know are securing good client contracts in the UK right now.

How do you manage your blogging business? Are you signed to a network or or do you self manage? How’s your experience been?

September 18, 2016
HOW A ‘WORK HARD, PLAY HARD’ MENTALITY WILL HELP YOU ACE WORK & LIFE

How A Work Hard, Play Hard Mentality Works For Me

When I tell people I’m going on holiday, often their reaction is ‘again?’, and well yes I suppose I am going on holiday again, I like to go on holiday multiple times a year (as often as my money and annual leave allows in fact). And I know full well that makes me very fortunate. But truth be told, I need to go on holiday frequently, because it’s this break from high pressure work and this time to revitalise and recouperate that allows me to be able to put all my energy and focus into my career and actually run a full time blog alongside it when i’m not on a break.

If anyone asks me about my work or career, my answer is always this, ‘it’s work hard play hard’. We go through periods of working 16 hour days and weekends in pitch or planning times, but equally at other times we enjoy fantastic perks, jolly’s and travel. And it’s this mentality, or mantra if you will that I believe allows me to achieve the goals I want, without losing my shit all together from stress.

It’s not for everyone mind, but for me exerting 150% in my career (and my blog lets not forget), deserves me a blow out every couple of months or so. And for me that blow out means saving my pennies and booking myself a luxe holiday or break away. Work Hard. Play Hard. Today I thought i’d share some of my tips and advice for mastering the work hard, play hard way of life.

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Here are my three principles to living ‘work hard, play hard’

Commit

If you’re going to live work hard, play hard then you need to commit to it. You need to commit to giving your career and job your all when you’re there (you need to earn that break), but you also need to commit to yourself that light at the end of the tunnel. The most terrible feeling for me, in periods of high stress and business, is not seeing the end in sight. And thats where a little break, a trip, or even a holiday provides an effective light or carrot if you will. But it only works if you commit to both. Respect yourself enough to know you need time out after a really busy period.

Look After Yourself

Work Hard periods are hard work, that’s the point, so it’s really important when you’re not jetting off somewhere for a lovely three day break, that you’re still looking after yourself. Keeping your wellness, mindfulness and health in check, just as much as your work to do list. Yes you might be working all hours, but there’s really no excuse not to get active, drink lots of water, keep your stress in check and generally be ‘well’. It’s super easy to let things slip and let all encompassing stress takeover. Trust me, rewind 12 months and that was me, but that period was the biggest learning curve in my career and ever since then I’ve got a lot more perspective, respect for myself and generally manage to keep stress at bay these days (even in the same, if not more pressured situations). It’s also super easy to take ‘play hard’ literally, and party hard when you’re not working hard; and yes i’ve been there before too, and burning the candle at both ends doesn’t end well for anyone! The point is this, it’s easy to let work takeover entirely, but make sure you still make time to look after yourself (and those around you).

Find Your Happy Place

Now I mentioned holidays, but it doesn’t actually need to be holidays, your ‘play hard’ periods should just be about finding time for yourself and your happy place. For me, I feel super relaxed and content when I travel, and so I like to try and travel as much as possible. But equally a weekend back home with some trips to the coast, a weekend in Tetbury, or just a day to relax at home is just as effective (and obviously far less pennies). So it’s not about spanking all your earnings on 10* spa escapes in the most exotic places; it’s just about committing to and maximising your ‘play hard’ periods of time out.

Et voila. Experience has taught me that work can be as stressful or as enjoyable as you make it. Turning stressful periods and high pressure times into manageable tasks is absolutely possible, and for me having a light at the end of the tunnel is one way of doing this. Do you ‘work hard, play hard’ did you find these tips helpful at all?

September 8, 2016
THREE STEPS TO RESET YOUR LIFE AFTER A BUSY WORK PERIOD

So you’ve come out the other side. Now What? Time to reset your life.

You know those periods where you’re literally all consumed in work, every waking second of everyday, totally and utterly dedicated to getting shit done. Yeah those. Well i’ve just come out the other side of one. And boy does it feel good, but truth be told, i’m barely human after the lack of sleep and all consuming work thoughts.

In my line of work, we often have periods of 4-6 weeks where we’re pitching for new business or delivering on a high profile project, in these weeks work becomes a 7am – 11pm affair, weekends are spent in the office preparing and general life just gets put on hold a bit, and you only really see from the front door to your bedroom for a few days. I thrive off of these projects so I wouldnt change the experience or opportunities they bring, but what’s essential is that once I’ve come out the other side I spend some time getting my shit back in order. You know, actually wash my hair, clean my flat, do the washing, reply to all those emails i’ve been ignoring, actually say hello to friends and family, let alone spend some time with Jase.

It’s really important that you take the time to reset your life after a busy work period, spend time getting your life back in order, and generally kick start your routine. So today I thought i’d share the three steps I’ll be following, to reset myself after my crazy work projects which I have been delivering in the last couple of weeks.

THREE STEPS TO HELP YOU RESET YOUR LIFE AFTER A BUSY WORK PERIOD

[one_third padding=”0 5px 0 0″]1. TIME

After an all consuming work period, you need to spend some time getting your life back in order, and I genuinely believe taking a day off work is critical in doing that. By the time the weekend comes you want to be feeling settled, back to normal and refreshed ready to have fun & spend time actually LIVING. My recommendation is to book a day off work or used accrued hours to have a day to yourself just getting your life back in order. It’s amazing how admin builds up, so having a day just to sort things out is really helpful. For me this is the time I can tidy my house, catch up with my blog and emails, reply to all those messages I’ve not had time to look at.

[/one_third][one_third padding=”0 5px 0 0″]2. REST

Living off 5 hours sleep might work for some, but or me it really doesn’t. Pitches and big work projects can be really tiresome, and so it’s important to me that after these periods I get some proper rest. From a relaxing bath, to an early night, to that well deserved lie in. After a really busy period, you just need some R&R time. I always ensure that post a busy work period, that my weekend is super chilled and relaxing or if I’m feeling a little flush, booking myself in for a massage or a spa is a lovely treat. Whatever it takes to get your body rested, do it, because if you don’t give yourself time to rest and recuperate, you’ll just end up feeling constantly run down.

[/one_third][one_third_last padding=”0 0px 0 5px”]3. HEALTH

Take outs, lack of exercise, late nights, tons of coffee, too many sweets. During busy work periods, your day to day routine tends to go out the window. Dinners are usually scoffed down at your desk or worse at midnight when you get in from work, there’s no time to prepare healthy, fresh and nutritious food, so takeaways become common form & the gym becomes a long lost memory. It’s fine for a short while, but post these crazy periods, it’s key to get your normal routine back in action as soon as possible. Stock up on fresh food, book in a couple of gym classes, and just get outdoors and enjoy some daylight …

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And right now i’m doing just that. Today i’m working from home, allowing me a small lie in, time to put the washing on and tidy the house in between conference calls and responding to emails, and some time to catch up on mediamarmalade which has been a little neglected this week. Tonight is going to be a super chilled night in with Jase, a healthy and delicious home cooked dinner with a movie. And the weekend is going to be spent barbecuing in the country side with our friends. Nothing crazy, just a low key chilled out weekend. Exactly what the doctor ordered.

Do you ever go through work periods like this too? How do you recover after them? Do you like me need to take some time back, get well needed rest and kick start your healthy living routine?

August 19, 2016
HOW TO SWITCH OFF ON HOLIDAY WITHOUT SACRIFICING OR FEELING ANXIOUS ABOUT YOUR BLOG OR WORK

Switching Off Requires Balance & Moderation

Taking time off work whether that’s for a holiday abroad, a mini break or simply some time out is great (of course), but often it’s not quite as relaxing, chilled or restful as you might like because being able to actually ‘switch off’ work doesn’t come part n parcel with taking time off. Switching off is something that comes easy to some, but for others work is always on the mind and no matter how tranquil the settings you’re surrounded by, the thought of work clouds that experience.

I fall into the latter camp, no matter where I am or what I’m doing, my mind is always active and thinking about either my work or my blogging work. And I accept that fully, it’s how I am, and in fact I know full well that if I really did cut off it would only make me more stressed. So for me it’s all about balance and moderation, finding ways to switch off and relax, whilst still feeling in control and on top of the work and blog projects that my mind is worrying about.

Over the years I’ve managed to find some techniques that allow me to juggle both relaxation with my work, and that’s what I thought I’d share with you today.

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5 THINGS THAT ALLOW ME TO SWITCH OFF ON HOLIDAY without sacrificing work or your blog!

I listen and acknowledge my worries

I find that unless I get things out of my head, they’ll constantly whirl around my mind and ultimately cause me anxiety. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a huge work project awaiting my return, or simply the running of my blog and the creative ideas that pop into my mind … If I leave these thoughts in my head they just buzz around and stop me from really unwinding. So the first thing I do when taking any break, is listen to and accept my worries and thoughts, and secondly find a suitable way to relax my mind by taking control of the thoughts, for me this means writing out all the things on my mind, and making a plan as to how I will tackle them (whether that’s while I’m away or when I’m back). Whatever the situation, simply by agreeing a plan of action with myself I’m able to relax in the knowledge that everything is in control.

I allocate time to work

I like to work and I love to write my blog, so rather than strictly cut myself off from the things that fill 90% of my time on a daily basis, I allow myself moments of time to check in or tick things off of my to do list (see point one). Even checking my emails for 30 minutes each day allows me to feel in control, and then switch off and relax for the rest of the day. And when it comes to my blog, an hour in the morning or evening is enough to ensure I feel connected to the blogging world still and have time to schedule content for the day ahead. Allowing things to tick along nicely, and for me to go off and enjoy myself.

If I didn’t allow myself to do these things, I would never be able to switch off entirely.

I talk it out

Sounds funny, but even unimportant things can cloud my mind and distract me from relaxing when I’m away … Because when there’s nothing to think or worry about, my mind needs to find something to busy itself with (le sigh). Sometimes I find simply talking out loud or to someone you’re with is a really easy way of coming to a solution for whatever it is that’s on your mind. For me silly things like travelling from a to b, or juggling the 20 odd commitments I have to go home to can just buzz around my head and annoy me … I find that talking with someone close to me, who can help me make a decision or find a quick solution, does the trick in no time at all. A problem shared is a problem solved n all that.

I bring distractions

If you read yesterday’s post all about my most recommended summer holiday reads then you will know that reading is one of my favourite holiday activities. And that’s not only because I love a good story, but also because it’s a huge distraction and allows me to escape my own thoughts into a fantasy world created for me. I like to think of it as a little trick that instantly distracts me from my own reality. But it’s not just reading, walking, swimming and exploring are other great distractions that allow me to unwind but equally keep my mind occupied (so it doesn’t sneak off back into work tasks).

I take a digital detox

Okay that’s a lie, I really do try to though. Holidays are the perfect time to detox from tech, and I know how much a digital detox helps to relax the mind and body …. But despite these realities I can’t help but have my phone / laptop and camera with me on every trip. As I mentioned, I know full well that cutting myself off entirely will only make me stressed, and so instead I try to limit my usage. My phone allows me to stay connected throughout the day, but I’ll try and limit my use as much as possible (harder said than done, I’m persistent when I want something at the best of times). I find that a morning, midday and evening tech binge is enough to keep me going … But still enough time spent not staring at a digital screen too! The key to a detox is moderation (much like the holiday diet, but I’m still working on that one).

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How do you switch off when you take a break? Are you good at digital detoxing and cutting off from work or do you like me have to find tactics to help you relax and maintain your work / blog while you’re away?

July 31, 2016
SUMMER STYLE THAT WORKS FOR THE OFFICE

Chic summer style that works for the office

Whilst i’m away in Cannes this week my work wear wardrobe has had a little sprucing up, because the reality of a sunny climate means that dressing for summer is actually a thing, and not just something we long for. Before my trip this week I went on a little splurge, i’d seriously cleared out my wardrobe a few months prior and was in desperate need of some new items that could pull a new wardrobe together for me. If you read my capsule wardrobe edit you’ll have seen a few of my new buys, but today I thought i’d share a little look which was made for a summer office look, the white shirt dress.

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The white shirt dress is always a tricky affair in my mind, because whilst on Pinterest it looks bloody incredible on the ladies who fill my style boards, the reality is that normally they’re see through and barely modest for a beach throw on let alone an office attired. Do you know what I mean? Finding a shirt dress that looks effortless, crisp and chic, yet maintains modesty and doesn’t flash your entire body underneath it is quite the quest. This Gestuz number is my best result so far, thick (yet still breathable) white cotton on the front, and slightly thinner on the back – it does still require some serious underwear planning and even a little slip in all honesty, but it’s definitely the most modest one i’ve found to date.

SHOP MY FAVOURITE WHITE SHIRT DRESSES

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SHOP MY LOOK

. GESTUZ WHITE SHIRT DRESS . CHLOE HAYLEY BAG . KAREN WALKER SUNGLASSES . ZARA SUEDE HEELS .

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As for styling the shirt dress, when you finally find the perfect one, simplicity wins. For me tan and suede accessories always look super chic and sophisticated. I’ve styled this look with my Chloe Hayley and my Zara suede heels, but a simple espadrille (I love these & these right now) or wedge can look just as good.

Have you found the perfect white shirt dress yet? Is it a look you like?

June 22, 2016
CREATING A CAPSULE WARDROBE FOR WORK TRIPS ABROAD: CANNES 2016

Getting Your Wardrobe Right, For a Work Trip Abroad

This Sunday i’m jetting out to Cannes for the annual Cannes advertising festival, a fabulous week dedicated to networking, inspirational industry talks & of course a little media jolly too. Rather excitingly (and nerve wrackingly) I will be presenting on the main stage on the Friday afternoon, likely to be in from of 1000 people so a daunting but great opportunity. But aside from the prep required for that, what also comes with a work conference or travel abroad, is the need for an entirely different weather and occasion suitable wardrobe. Quite naturally I’ve taken the Cannes opportunity as the perfect excuse to spend my house deposit on new clothes, and that’s scarily not a joke. Aside from chic summer dresses for important meetings & evening do’s, its the laid back, summer day time look i’m also looking to perfect.

Day to day i’ll be running from coffee meetings, to rehearsals, to industry talks & events, so wearing something comfortable, cool, but suitably work chic is key. This look is exactly the kind of attire I need, a chic cut off denim jean teamed with a summer ready open sandal, layered with a loose, slightly oversized boyfriend shirt. It’s simple but yet works for the everyday coffee meetings that will fill my diary. When i’m not running between meetings and event preparation, I’ll be joining industry partners for fabulous lunch events on the sea front & evening cocktail parties on their company yachts. And this is where I can channel a little summer Cannes riviera into my wardrobe … think neutral or nude culottes with loose camisole tops, floaty bohemian summer dresses, and your classic summer jumpsuit.

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SHOP MY CANNES INSPIRED SUMMER STYLE EDIT

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SHOP THIS LOOK

BANANA REPUBLIC SHIRT . WHISTLES JEANS . RIVER ISLAND SANDALS . CHLOE HAYLEY . KAREN WALKER HARVEST SUNGLASSES . ASOS FEDORA

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I’m so excited for all my new purchases to arrive and to get out to Cannes, despite the fact it’s going to be a jam packed week, i’m really hoping I can rope my colegaues into helping me shoot a few outfit pictures for my blog, so I can keep you updated whilst i’m out there.

If you have any other tips or styling advice for packing for my trip to Cannes then let me know?

June 15, 2016
HOW TO STYLE THIS SEASONS TWO HOTTEST TRENDS (FOR WORK)

Style Guide: The Bardot & The Drop Hem

It’s easy to fall in love with new season trends, to admire them on the catwalk and then obsess about them off, but to style them yourself can often be a tricky and somewhat daunting affair. I’ve tried and failed myself many a time. The trick, i’ve learnt, is embracing subtle tones of the hottest trends and choosing cuts and lengths that suit and flatter your own body shape. Two of this seasons hottest trends are of course the bardot sleeve and the fringed or open hem jean. Two sartorial queues enjoying a resurgence from the 70’s and two looks that you can’t help but want to embrace – right?

I’ve been hunting down the perfect version of both these trends for months now, but until now I’d not quite found the perfect duo, or if I have they’d been sold out in my size (you know who you are) and no matter how many refreshes on my browser I did, they just didn’t come back in stock. But thankfully for me, patience has paid off, as I’ve finally found the right garments for me, and not only that, I’ve scoured the market high & low which means I can help you too.

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HOW TO STYLE THE BARDOT & DROP DOWN HEM FOR WORK

The Bardot Sleeve

The bardot sleeve on first appearance could be mistaken for something that should belong in Sandy from Greece’s wardrobe, and yes she certainly rocked the off the shoulder look in her alter ego transformation, but the new season taken on the trend is slightly more forgiving and slightly more office appropriate. Introducing the bardot shirt, an off the shoulder take on the classic boyfriend shirt. In my opinion the easiest and most modest interpretation of the trend, and a style that takes this trend from beach time boho to office chic. I personally am sporting a strong British stripe version from Banana Republic (now sold out but this Mango one is super similar), but chambray (see COS), classic white (see Warehouse) and even a silk makes for the perfect office friendly version of this trend.

SHOP BARDOT

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The Drop Hem

The drop hem is one of those Man-Repelling items, much like MOM jeans, that no matter how amazing I think it looks, my boyfriend is just bewildered by the prospect. Clearly that’s never deterred me before, and it won’t now … and so the drop hem is something I’ve embraced full hog this summer. But it’s not been without trial and error, firstly because jeans shopping is pure HELL regardless of the trend, and secondly because the perfect drop hem denim is still a little scarce right now. The original goal was these ASOS Kimmi jeans but the regular leg was clearly in high demand and I never managed to find my size despite the daily check-ins, I debated long and hard about these Hilfiger jeans & even these New Look ones, but in the end it was spontaneous ‘real life shopping’ (aka not online) that proved to be the most fruitful; I’ve invested in these Whistles jeans (more fringe to be honest) and then more recently these drop hem jeans which ticked all my boxes.

Once you’ve found the perfect jeans (good luck my friends), it’s all about the styling to make them work appropriate. And for me, the easiest style trick in the book for rocking denim in the office is to add heels; Stilettos or a chic heeled sandal can transform denim and make it immediately feel office worthy. I personally am wearing out my last season Zara black lace sandals, which I always find dress up any trouser, but I’ve just ordered these & these which should hopefully help add a little variety to my shoe collection, but a mule, ballet flat or loafer can also look impeccable.

SHOP DROP HEM

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SHOP MY LOOK
. BANANA REPUBLIC BARDOT SHIRT (SOLD OUT – SIMILAR) & OPEN HEM JEANS . CHLOE HAYLEY . KAREN WALKER SUNGLASSES . ZARA SANDALS (SIMILAR) .

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And there you have it, my take on the bardot and drop hem trends that are currently dominating the high street right now. And whilst some takes on the trend feel very casual and bohemian, there are definitely ways to make these trends work for an office look as well as a day time or evening occasion, it’s all about finding the right tailoring, adding the right accessories and opting for quality and classic takes on the look.

Are you a fan of these two trends and given them a whirl yet? Is this the sort of look you would try out for a summers day in the office?

May 31, 2016
6 THINGS BRANDS LOOK FOR WHEN WORKING WITH BLOGGERS

What brands look for when working with bloggers?

The question we all want to know the answer to, what is it that makes a brand choose a blogger for a campaign, what makes a brand want to work with one blogger over another, how do brands select influencers to work with. For bloggers looking to take their blog full time or start to earn money from collaborations, understanding what brands are looking for is really helpful in defining your own commercial offering but it’s also something that’s not very widely discussed or available to us.

But here’s where today’s post comes in, my experience happens to fall both sides of the fence (not that I exploit that anywhere near as much as I should), as a full time blogger working with brands, but also client side (I’m a business director consulting brands on their communications strategy across all touchpoints, which is of course inclusive of content and influencer partnerships). As the blogging industry boomed, so did the value of influencers to brands, so bloggers and content producers now form quite an important part of many of my clients business strategies. So whilst I’ve worked on lots of partnerships for my own blog, I’ve also planned and advised global clients on lots of influencer partnerships for their brands too, I’ve commissioned networks and agents (for example Mode Media, Say Media, WAR, Maker Studios, Style Haul etc) to create influencer campaigns for my brands in the UK and globally, and have been part of the process and exposed to the process of defining what bloggers and content producers we need involved.

Today I wanted to share a little bit of insight into what brands look for when working with bloggers.

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6 THINGS THAT A BRAND CONSIDERS WHEN SELECTING BLOGGERS TO WORK WITH

A Strategic fit

The communications strategy is ultimately what puts influencers on the plan or not. Brands and / or their media agency will create the right strategy to deliver on the brands business goals and ambitions, define the channels and touchpoints to deliver that strategy, but beyond that establish the role of the channel within the strategy. So it’s not only defining the need for influencers, but also the role of the content, the part it plays in the bigger campaign, the objective of this channel in delivering the business goals (sales, engagement, awareness, traffic, SEO etc). The role influencers and content plays in the strategy affects therefore the type of content required, the type of bloggers relevant and the type of partnership to be created … the overall business goal is the starting point for selecting the type of influencer activity and individual influencers a brand wants to work with.

Scale (followers)

Secondly, and probably quite obviously, one factor that many brands look for when they’re selecting influencers to take part in a paid for collaboration is the scale the influencer has. Largely this ‘scale’ is attributed to follower numbers across all touchpoints (blog, Instagram, twitter, Youtube). While I personally think subscribers and followers is actually highly limiting (it doesn’t bring to life engagement, influence or genuine reach) it is sadly a huge factor in the decision making process.

Largely this is driven by two factors: One: it’s the currency many businesses and brands understand … while the industry is still so new to many brands, followers is the easiest way to understand the potential scale of an influencer and therefore the potential value to the brand. Two: it’s actually the numbers that networks and agents share with media agencies and brands. When the networks pitch ideas and bloggers to us, they usually talk about individual bloggers by their follower numbers, and share reach as a total ‘campaign’ number across all the influencers involved.

It’s not only follower numbers, reach and, engagement with the content & the conversion to sales are ultimately what a brand wants.

Relevancy & Brand Match

Equally important to scale is the relevancy, the relevancy of the blogger to your brand, your audience and your campaign goals. Finding an influencer or content producer who reflects your business and brand values, has an audience who is engaged and of relevance to your category and brand offering is critically important. A huge factor in a network sharing one blogger over another is their relevance to the brand and the campaign itself.

Just as much as us bloggers only work with brands that reflect their own values and taste, businesses and brands have to have the same filtering process. This point is why it’s always so important to stay true to yourself when blogging and have a clear identity (rather than just chop and change what you stand for constantly), because brands want that integrity and that identity. It’s your niche and influence within that niche that adds value to them.

Whilst relevancy is key, competitor engagement is obviously a big watch out. A relevant blogger may already have relationships with your key competitor, in that instance it would probably be a deterrent.

Quality & Results

Quality is also really important, more often than not a brand will ask for examples of previous work done by any content producers they’re looking to work with, they’ll also browse their platforms to see the types of content and features their producing, and critically the quality of that content. Quality in terms of editorial, imagery and overall content design, but also quality of engagement and quality of brand presence delivered in previous campaigns (the results).

To this vain it’s really important to always make sure you’re showcasing your best work, and even have a portfolio available for future clientèle to check out. Often if you’re signed to a network or agent, they will share a campaign example you’ve worked on with them to the client and brand they’re pitching to. Ultimately a brand will always have a goal (increased awareness, an improvement on sales, traffic to their site, social engagement, content they can use to boost their own site and SEO, virality, engagement, reach …) so knowing you have a track record of delivering is important.

“Brands are looking for value, you have to be able to prove you can deliver that value, through your audience, your content and your own brand”

Influence & SEO potential

It’s fair to say that not all brands use media agencies and networks to outreach to bloggers, sometimes PR agencies do this if it’s non paid for projects, or even in house content managers if a brand is more advanced in this space. In these cases, where a network isn’t managing the process, the selecting of bloggers is usually more based on their SEO and their influence over the desired audience. Social listening tools are really key here and more often than not PR houses will have a list of influencers that they have relationships with or think are relevant who they’ll go back to time and time again.

If I’m honest, this is also true of the networks, from my experience they tend to pitch the same 5 – 10 bloggers over and over again (great for those guys, less good for those of us not on that list).

Affordability

A major factor that comes into play these days is also affordability, when brands are looking at 1 or 2 key influencers (and they’re talking about the very top tier of influencers), the cost of those influencers is often the first factor in picking the right person. Because believe it or not, these days celebrities are cheaper than influencers. With the cost of a single feature hitting the 6 figure mark, with event attendance hitting the 5 figure mark and ambassadorship hitting the 7 figure mark, you can understand why affordability becomes quite a big factor. Sometimes the influencer is worth the investment, because they’re the right fit for the brand and the campaign, they have scale and influence over the right audience and they can deliver a quality brand message … other times alternative influencer strategies are put into play.

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. BURBERRY SCARF . MADEWELL JEANS . ZARA TOP . REISS FEDORA .

The main thing to remember is that it’s your integrity, your brand and your personality which a brand is buying into, so always staying true to yourself and standing by your own brand is really critical. Don’t compromise your integrity for the sake of money or more followers … it’ll only impact you negatively in the long run!

You might also want to read:

How to make a killer media pack, What makes a blog successful, How to earn money from your blog, How to increase engagement with your blog content

So there you have it, hopefully a little insight into what brands are looking for when they’re recruiting bloggers for campaigns and collaborations. If you’re looking to take your business full time or are starting to work with brands then a media pack is a great way of getting all of your key stats into one place for potential clients.

March 29, 2016

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