Comments on: Responding to Total Beauty’s Suggestion That Companies Should Not Work Directly With Bloggers

By: Monica

Monica — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 13:41:55 +0000

Great article! I’ve also read a few other great posts about this on other blogs & plan to write up something myself. As a blogger & University educated I find Emrah Kovacoglu comments unprofessional & quite frankly why is he CEO of TotalBeauty media? As a member of Total Beauty myself I am questioning if I should remain a member, my blog has never actually received any benefits for being a member, other than acquiring a few extra readers. Anyhow, you have written what I have felt therefore no need to repeat. Thank you for this post couldn’t have written it better.

By: The Nhuch

The Nhuch — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 19:02:04 +0000

Great post. There is no need for an intermediary. Companies should and must have relationships with brands to be able to improve on their products and customer service. That is exactly the future and not the old media ways that Mr. Kovacoglu is trying to impose in our community. Andrea

By: Marie-Laure Fournier

Marie-Laure Fournier — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:32:25 +0000

Bravo, well said and it is about time someone pinpoint that Total Beauty is all about its advertisers.

By: britishbeautyblogger

britishbeautyblogger — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 20:32:57 +0000

Funny that Mr CEO talks so much about PR’s when clearly he needs one himself for damage limitation! Let’s face it – beauty blogs are a time consuming hobby for most of us…not many people make a lot money from it, so the pompous, arrogant pearls of wisdom from Mr CEO sound like they fell from some very self important lips. There’s strength in numbers, as Total know, that’s why they’ve swept the board in scooping up blogs before bloggers knew better. Let’s hope he has shaken the ground he stands on and see if he is so confident then. Thanks for your views on this…I read with great interest. BBBX

By: Wendy Lewis

Wendy Lewis — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 19:54:04 +0000

Agree with everyone’s comments. We filled out all the TB extensive paperwork at least 3 months ago. When we inquired as to the status, we were told the paperwork was in but the person who was handling it was gone. Then we were told it had been lost, and we would have to start all over and this was the final word; “…we are working on inputting a whole new blog strategy. By orders from the CFO and COO, I cannot sign up any new blogs or finish the sign up process on existing bloggers such as yourself. Everything is on hold.”
After reading the CEO’s “editorial” and listening to his video, we are no longer interested.

By: Beautyjunkielondon

Beautyjunkielondon — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:40:26 +0000

Great post, totally agree. Really pleased that so many of us beauty bloggers have come out to defend ourselves against the article.

By: Total Beauty’s Blogger Blunder | Bionic Beauty™

Total Beauty’s Blogger Blunder | Bionic Beauty™ — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:04:16 +0000

[...] Carleen from Beauty and Fashion Tech – Responding to Total Beauty’s Suggestion that PR Should Not Work Directly With Bloggers [...]

By: Celia

Celia — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 02:10:57 +0000

Well put! I’m still shocked at Kovacoglu’s audacity — how DARE the bash the bloggers that comprise his own network? To suggest that beauty bloggers are incapable of adhering to ethical standards of conduct or that they lack the know-how to properly and thoroughly cover their areas of expertise is simply ludicrous. As for the issue of swag, that’s almost comical — the only “freebies” we get are products which are used for the purpose of review (and I don’t know if any respected blogger who would feel pressured to post a positive review simply because he/she received a free sample). That would be equivalent to suggesting that music journos feel compelled to write positive album reviews because they received advance copies of said records. Puh-leeze! This whole saga is just offensive.

By: Carleenp

Carleenp — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 02:10:37 +0000

Amy: Was that part of their community sneak peak thing or the one for bloggers? I heard that people in the community one got one shipment, but then hadn’t heard about any more. I’m not sure what is up with that.

By: Amy

Amy — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 01:58:07 +0000

I joined Total Beauty back when you let me know about it. I received the first two products very quickly after joining and have received nothing since then. Mayhaps they didn’t like my reviews. Who knows…