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The Good Life. Or: Why I should have become Lifestyle Blogger.

Oktober 30th, 2011 • Brands, Social

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It is actually a strange thing: while we all watch mainstream communication become democratic we can also witness new types of very marketing-focused relationships as they form. Especially at the intersection of mainstream lifestyle brands and the so-called multipliers: meet the lifestyle bloggers.

No major brand can nowadays live without an elaborated digital PR strategy. The path to successful blogger outreach is not simple. Today’s lifestyle bloggers do not just react on one of your emails. You really have to ask for their participation and offer them something really nice. Something they really, really want to blog about. Otherwise it wouldn’t be earned media, right?

Whudat.de for example is one of my favorite lifestyle blogs in Germany. I like MC Winkel‘s blend of music, art, web finds…and product recommendations. But I also know that lifestyle blogging has become a very convenient method to enjoy a bit more industry attention than Average Joe. Below MC Winkel’s post about his (apparently) great days at the Santorini Grace Hotel we can find a statement: ‘If you also want to get featured in one of Germany’s leading lifestyle blogs feel free to contact me…’

No disrespect. This is just how it works. MC Winkel enjoys Mercedes test-drives in Teneriffa, trips to Australia (sponsored by South Australia’s Tourism Board and Quantas) and does not get tired to comment that

he is absolutely convinced of this product/car/hotel
and if you also have a fantastic product/car/hotel you would like to get featured, contact him

Am I jealous? No doubt, I am. Am I surprised or is it new? No, it isn’t. It is just a global trend in which the mutually beneficial relationship between lifestyle bloggers and the industry becomes more than evident. Of course: The Josh Spears’, the Cool Hunters and many many others are way beyond being just independent grassroot journalists. We are in fact talking about (not so niche) media outlets that may not (yet) belong to Rupert Murdoch. But that is only the case because a successful lifestyle blogger nowadays has a more than pleasant life – pampered and petted by the world’s most enjoyable brands, products and their PR agencies.

I don’t think any successful blogger nowadays is bribable. But why should you be bribable if the deal is so obvious? The more successful lifestyle bloggers have so nice experiences and products to chose from – they wouldn’t even think about logging in to their CMS for something just average. And we all know Mercedes wouldn’t offer key lifestyle bloggers an average car. Right?

What was once a crazy and very different (very earned media) way to interact with this strange new world of social media has changed. Lifestyle bloggers have successfully become preferred members of the royal household of major car, fashion, and entertainment brands (and if you own a hotel…that works as well). But let’s be clear: That is just a gradual improvement to our classic definition of Paid Media. We have a new class of bloggers. And this new class enjoys the industry’s growing interest in their services and knows what it has to ask for to stay happy.

Unpaid of course.

Tags: Blogging, Blogs, Brands, Lifestyle, Social Influence Marketing

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http://johanneskleske.com Johannes Kleske

Interesting that you mention Josh Spear and Cool Hunters in this context as they are not really lifestyle bloggers but full trend agencies with thriving consulting businesses. I think this makes a big difference, otherwise you’d also had to mention PSFK and the likes. So maybe, the future business model of a lifestyle blogger is to become a mixture of a media outlet and a trend agency. I don’t know …
Anonymous

I think the line is very blurry here as you mention. And even though I know from a blogger perspective there is quite a difference between Whudat and Josh Spear, there hardly is one from an agency/brand perspective. PSFK is too corporate/global already in their approach to defining trends. While indeed the Josh Spears and Coolhunters of this world have one thing in common: they really primarily talk about nice stuff for the end consumer.
http://johanneskleske.com Johannes Kleske

But unlike Whudat, they don’t make money (or almost no money) from their blogs directly. They make money via the consulting and trend reporting to clients.
Anonymous

That is a difference. But I think it is not super-super-essential for my point here.

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