Last night I posted an article detailing how several prominent international lingerie brands asked me to leave their booths because they “don’t talk to bloggers.” When I woke up this morning, I had a response from the company behind one of those brands, Eveden, who owns Huit Lingerie along with Fauve, Freya, Fantasie, Goddess, and Elomi. Holly, Eveden’s PR rep, detailed her companies position on bloggers, and also gave me permission to post her response to the blog. Her e-mail is posted in full with no edits from me.
I want to thank Eveden for taking the time to reply to today’s blog post. As of yet, I have received no replies from either Cadolle Corsets or Aubade Lingerie.
“Dear Treacle of Lingerie Addict,
I am writing from Eveden, the lingerie and swimwear designer and manufacturer which incorporates Freya, Fauve, Fantasie, Goddess, Elomi and Huit. I wanted to get in touch in response to the blog post you have written regarding your experience of Huit at Paris at Salon International de la Lingerie. Salon International de la Lingerie is an extremely important trade event for us which we work extremely hard to plan for and takes all year to plan. It is when our sales team can come together with the key buyers and decisions makers for retailers, department stores, distance sellers/e-commerce, buying groups and importers at what may be their only chance and opportunity for the year. It is a vital time for the sales team to sell their ranges to the buyers, and for the buyers to ultimately place orders. These decisions are hugely important for us as it decides where the brands will be available to buy and what collections the consumer will be able to purchase.
This year over 18,600 visitors attended Salon International de la Lingerie and within this the Eveden stand was one of the most busiest areas. The atmosphere is always very vibrant and demanding, and the sales team work very hard in order keep the great number of appointments they have booked running to time and schedule. If there are any additional meetings and call in’s requested, the team will do their best to assist as best they can, but at many times can be occupied and taken up due to the events demanding nature.
It is with regret that you experienced disappointment when visiting us and I apologise that the team did not have an opportunity to meet with you.
However, I absolutely want to express to you just how important bloggers are to us. We work incredibly hard to work in partnership with bloggers and they are a key part in our press outreach. We have built up relationships with bloggers both in the lingerie and fashion sectors and feel we have created some great lines of contact with many. Bloggers have a genuine passion and desire to express their thoughts, so gaining their opinions and views can be absolutely fantastic. For us we liaise with them just the same we do as any other member of the press. In particular we organise press events at least twice a year which are hosted entirely for bloggers and press so they can the newest collections. The press events are always really well attended and allow us to meet up with bloggers and build on as well as create new relationships. The press events also give us an opportunity to talk attendees through the ranges piece by piece, provide them with unseen product information, brochure material and product images. It’s also an opportunity to discuss future post ideas and possible exclusive reviews. This is where we can really devote all of our time and effort needed so you can get the best understanding and experience of our new ranges.
I believe in November our US team reached out to you in order to invite you to the Spring/Summer Editor Event for Eveden and you were unable to attend the event as you were based in Washington state and you hoped to send one of your NYC writers instead. You are also on our key outreach list for pitches and lingerie news.
I do hope this response is of interest to you and that it confirms we do absolutely want to talk to you and know your thoughts on our collections.
Kind Regards
Eveden”
So they’re going to upgrade their Staff training are they? Careless words Eveden and now you’ve had to get your “back peddling bicycle” out!!
at least there was a reaction to your statement. this surely made them open their eyes about this event
xo!
I’m confused. “Not having the opportunity to meet with you” and kicking you out of the booth is an entirely different thing. Also, they kind of make it sound like you shouldn’t have been there at all? I’m glad they responded though.
Hey, just a quick comment: you have a typo in the first paragraph, Eveden doesn’t own Panache (thank God, otherwise there will be no good underwires for me in this world ;))
Wow…I thought I was typing Fauve and typed Panache without even realizing it. Thanks for catching that. The article’s been updated.
To their credit, I have been invited to Eveden brands Press Previews here in NYC. And I know they have held fabulous Press/Blogger Events in the UK… Several of our fave Lingerie Bloggers “across the pond” have raved about them….
And it is true that Trade Shows are for Sales first and PR/Press second. I have attended Trade Shows as a Buyer & have participated in Trade Shows as a Vendor. It is incredibly exhausting & their is a TON of pressure to produce results…..
XO
Hey Treacle,
I was quite shocked at your experience because my experience with Eveden has been fantastic! The GM Janine in Australia always communicates with me and I am always invited to their shows. I know Freya is very savvy and interactive on Social Media so hopeful that now filters through their other labels.
I think it was very wise of them to respond so quickly.
Rx
I think reaching out personally to a customer who’s had a bad experience says a lot about a company and their ethics-Hopefully you can work with this company in the future and have a much better experience then the first!
I have to agree with everyone that it is nice to see that they have taken your post seriously and decided to take action by responding. It’s a step forward.
Very true. One other thing I thought of while reading the original post and this was that all you need is one mistrained staffer to sink a lot of goodwill. Hopefully, several brands will take a lesson.
If they had reached out to TLA in the past, Eveden’s marketing people should at least be following the blog, even if only in a cursory way (I seem to have read something somewhere about a milion viwers and top rated lingerie blog . . . ). It is the job of the marketing/PR folks to know who/what TLA is and what it does. I have worked many trade shows in other industries and you never, never, ever kick anyone out of your booth (even competitors) unless they are “way too interested” in the product to be doing anything but blatantly copying the new stuff and ripping you off. You learn just as much from them as they do from you. Bloggers/sites like TLA are becoming increasingly important both for consumers but also especially for firms from across the pond that don’t have the large market share or distribution that our “local” brands do. How else will someone outside of NYC, LA, Chicago or Miami know about the European brands? Where I live, I don’t see any advertising by boutiques, at all. TLA and other blogs/sites are the only places that I will learn of these brands and their products.
It’s encouraging that they took the time to respond. I can understand that the timing wasn’t right for them – but that doesn’t excuse being rude. They could have offered an alternate time/place to chat.