The Meesh PR Update 01
Where we talk community, women's health and "work from pool" days.
Welcome to Issue 01 of the Meesh PR Update! I’ve been thinking a lot about community these days – especially now that I’m being inundated with Instagram ads for new membership clubs, pop-up events and online/IRL communities. I’ve joined a few myself – and I’m writing this from a “work from pool” day at The Gansevoort, because of my membership at Seven24 Collective. These new clubs (social and membership) are creating a sense of community and becoming third places, both of which (I think we as a society have all been seriously lacking.
Community is also sometimes a brand’s weak spot – I’ve seen and met too many companies that made their entire social media strategy about purely selling to the customer because they wanted to prioritize sales. While sales are undoubtedly important, making most of their reels and static posts feel like advertisements is… not great. And not even fun Apple adverts – these are more like the commercials you’d skip through type of ads. In my opinion, consumers nowadays don’t want to be specifically marketed at or sold to, they want to be invited in to join and support whatever you’re building. They want to be an [insert brand here] person. Experiential marketing is back in! Make content that isn’t just selling to your audience! And seriously, build your community.
Community Spotlight
Speaking of communities, here are a few that I’ve been loving:
Women in Healthtech – founded by Oriana Fuentes, Women in Healthtech is a community for women and nonbinary talent to gather and share their exciting work in healthcare. I always leave every event I attend amazed and awed at what everybody is building.
Shanti House – founded by Louisa Li, Shanti House is a wellness community for entrepreneurs and innovators in NYC. She’s partnering with a ton of emerging brands in the wellness e-commerce and startup ecosystem to host yoga and networking events. I’ve found Shanti House events to be great alternatives to the usual happy hour networking events – and have learned about great products through them too!
The Good Ole Girls Club – founded by Alexandra Bushman and Zoe Stewart, the Good Ole Girls Club is a community for women that’s reimagining networking in order to foster more authentic, genuine connections. I’ve met some really great people at their events, and their Geneva just shows how engaging and supportive their community truly is.
I Have Thoughts On…
The sex toys that were sent as part of a book promotion. It was also a blind mailing, so nobody necessarily consented to receive the PR package. WHO THOUGHT THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA. Yes, it could be fun but what if the receiver was underage? Or living with conservative people? Or was maybe not the safest at home? Overall, yes, it’s a great marketing concept – but maybe let’s just warn recipients ahead of time so they can decline the extra gifts if necessary.
Always pads (allegedly) have a lining that eats away at the skin. Which, now that I’m researching, there’s also a RESEARCH STUDY about Always causing contact dermatitis? Why is being female so hard??
The new FTC rule – I think this will especially affect the beauty influencer industry, but I’m curious how it’s going to be enforced since this is a rule and not a guideline, and if brands and influencers will even pay attention if they’re not being enforced. But I guess we’ll know in two months.
Deep-Live-Cam is live & viral and…. when are we going to get more regulation and legislation and most importantly, ethics, around AI usage and applications? Because I honestly can’t think of any good application for this software.
The Canva price increase?! Granted, I understand that AI is expensive, and the company might (allegedly) be preparing for an IPO in the future, but 300% is… a lot. And for all of this to be exclusively communicated through email is… wild.
Recent Things I Loved (or just caught my attention)
Women’s Health receiving the attention it needs: with IUD insertion pain finally being addressed, women getting an alternative to the pap smear, and a new experimental pill addressing menopause symptoms without hormones undergoing studies.
This Hainanese Chicken rice cooker recipe has become part of my staple dinner recipes. (And if you want more flavorful rice, sauté the aromatics and rice in a bit of chicken fat before throwing it all in the rice cooker.)
These teas have been on cold brew rotation in my fridge this summer. Because sometimes flavored water just doesn’t hit the spot, and we still need to stay hydrated somehow.
GD performing. With Daesung and Taeyang. ON STAGE. IN 2024. 🥲 (cue happy tears)
Upcoming Fun Events (that you’ll find me attending)
09/04 – Collectible NY (09/05 – 09/08, $45-$75 per ticket)
09/04 – Volta Art Fair (09/05 – 09/08, $32-$50 per ticket)
09/05 – Art on Paper New York (09/05 – 09/08, $35-$65 per ticket)
09/06 – ICP Photobook Fest (09/06 – 09/08, $5-$25 per ticket)
09/08 – Shanti House x 5B Rooftop Yoga ($90 per ticket)
09/17 – The Playground of Pleasure: Exploring Sexual Health Innovation
Let’s connect if you’re looking to explore how we can work together to achieve your public relations goals.