Flare.com
Rogers Media Publishing Ltd.
777 Bay Street, 7th Floor
Toronto, Ontario M5W 1A7
416/596-5000
This is one of the 10 most popular fashion and beauty Web pages, according to Yahoo! And it's Canada-centric. Web editor and manager Melissa Hylton says its identity as a
Canadian site goes a long way toward defining its content, which covers the products, clothes, accessories and makeup available there. The Web site's audience is not age-specific,
but "the core traffic is between 18 and 34, with a lot of teen traffic, because they have more time to surf, more access. There are women visiting our site who are much older than
34," Hylton says, pointing out there are many women's subjects and products that are not age-sensitive. Flare.com is an offshoot of Flare magazine, and much of its core
content comes from the publication.
Contents/Contacts
The channels for the site are typical of similar e-publications - fashion, beauty, health and horoscope, to name a few. Content is very product-oriented, and Hylton looks for
ways to expand on the basic information. "We have more information about where people can buy things," she says. "We include store listings across the country."
Flare.com extends itself beyond the genre by including a resources section, where readers can find out about studying fashion, art and design, and journalism, including lists of
schools and fashion associations throughout Canada. It is the depth of the Internet which Hylton focuses on, the ability to include information the magazine can't, such as listing
breast cancer events across the country during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. "We have more freedom because we have more space," she explains, "and we have more promotional-type
goals in addition to editorial goals."
Hylton is the primary contact for the Web site. She prefers email. Contact her at [email protected].
Pitch Tips
Think Canada. "The Canadian aspect gets a little confusing on the Internet because it doesn't recognize national boundaries, [but]obviously we're going to focus on Canadian
personalities and designers, that kind of thing," Hylton says. "We always want to know if it's available [here]. And if it's selling on line, do you ship to Canada?"
Don't worry about overloading her with information, because there may be something about the suggestion that fits into the context of another story or idea being considered. "We
get tons of stuff and edit it down. Ideally we would write our own descriptions."
Comments
"I want Flare.com to be what comes to people's mind for fashion, beauty or style, and also 'where can I get that in Canada?'" Hylton says. "We want to have entertainment value,
visual appeal and fun stuff besides just the Canadian aspect."
She says Web readers are learning that the site is a resource as well. If an email comes in asking about a shirt that appeared in a particular photo and where it can be
purchased, the staff will find the answer.
Virtual, But Not Inhuman
Experts stress that "virtual" does not mean the elimination of human interaction. Stacey Gaswirth, VP of PR at Shelton Communications, recommends scheduling virtual tours only
with journalists with whom you've had prior face time. "If this is a fresh contact and you don't have a pre-existing relationship with the editor, this is a horrible venue for
your company to meet them for the first time," she says.
Furthermore, the most effective virtual tours tend to combine both offline and online tactics, says Kristin Gabriel, founder and co-principal of eCom Communications in L.A.
When eCom launched a Web site for Digital Asset Management in 1998, the PR team sent editors teaser postcards and paper press kits via snail mail before approaching editors with
the option of participating in a virtual press tour.
In many cases, reporters who participate in online briefings will request face-time with corporate execs as a follow up. (Many don't want to give away the angle they're
pursuing in the company of other reporters.)
(Gabriel, 323/650-2838; Gaswirth, 972/239-5119)