CHAPTEER 17: ADVERTISING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS

M.A.C. Cosmetics was initially distributed among friends only in the fashion industry and till today M.A.C. does not ever have to conduct any kind of advertising, and yet all the same succeeds in bringing in the customers and make a great deal of sales. This is all credited to word of mouth publicity and celebrity endorsements, which usually includes models, pro make-up artists and actresses. M.A.C. Cosmetics are endorsed by celebrities like Diana Ross, Elton John, Boy George, RuPaul, Kd Lang, Sandra Bernhard, Raquel Welch, Eartha Kitt, Missy Elliott, Dita von Teese, Mary J. Blige, Pamela Anderson, Fergie, Christina Aquilera, Cyndi Lauper, Lady Gaga and more. “I have always resented the image of the nineteen-year-old beautiful blonde, white model being shoved down people’s throats.” To prove the point, M.A.C.’s first spokesperson was drag queen Ru Paul. “M.A.C. has broken the traditional industry way of selling product,” says Toskan. Toskan and Angelo’s business model relied on a formula of low prices and word of mouth, no advertising, and no gift with purchase promotions. “I always believed in earning your customer, not buying her,” says Toskan. Without this sales pressure, the M.A.C. people could concentrate on giving service that would keep the customers coming back. In addition to creating the beauty trends on the runway, fashion shows around the world play a critical role in the M.A.C. Cosmetics Product Development process. Artists use this unique opportunity to test-drive product prototypes sometimes years before they reach consumers. M.A.C. Cosmetics is the official sponsor of Fashion Week in London and Sydney and supports fashion weeks in cities throughout the world including Athens, Copenhagen, Delhi, Madrid, Milan, Paris, Singapore, New Zealand, and Moscow. M.A.C. also co-sponsors Tokyo Fashion Week. Beginning in New York, M.A.C.’s international team of over 120 PRO Makeup Artists joined by the most talented freelance artists from around the world embark on the fashion migration trail going from New York to London, Milan and Paris. The M.A.C. PRO Teams work closely with such legendary makeup artists as, Charlotte Tilbury, Val Garland, Lucia Pieroni, James Kaliardos and Polly Osmond and play key roles in creating the makeup looks on the most famous runways in the world. M.A.C. signature cosmetics are also co branded with Hello Kitty to target bubbly younger girls attracted to use luxury cosmetic brands. Along with treating customers with respect, M.A.C. Cosmetics is also acknowledged for its recycling program. In return of every 5 products, M.A.C. gives each customer one free lipstick of her choice. Viva Glam lipstick was introduced in 1994, and since then, the highlight of M.A.C., is with every purchase of this lipstick or Lipglass (retail price 14 $), 100% of the selling price is donated to the M.A.C. AIDS Fund.

When it comes to Public Relations, M.A.C. is very efficient and has earned their brand image. You can walk into any one of M.A.C. stores and trust me, you will get a personalized customer service. I, personally have been their loyal customer for 10 years now. The sales representatives are very customer friendly and knows their job value. They use bold PR. That is, they make sure their clients’ messages are being heard, valued, and covered by the media. This is the most important aspect of public relations, but that goes hand-in-hand with the need to maintain strong media relationships. Editors/writers must know they can rely on them for newsworthy information and angles, to get them what they need in a timely and respectful manner. Plainly, this philosophy is what makes M.A.C. Cosmetics so successful. More significantly, M.A.C. holds parties for different occasions globally, all over the world. Thus, it naturally brings the celebrity life world and the people together under the same