What are PR-Friendly Bloggers?

20 Mar, 2015

We had a 5 minute tea break with Gourmet Mum, Filipa Kay where she gave her thoughts on the subject

With many food bloggers now presenting themselves as “PR Friendly”, and some successfully working with brands as a business, we thought we’d look at how food bloggers view PRs and what we can do to strengthen the relationship.

Popular food blogger, Filipa Kay aka Gourmet Mum www.gourmetmum.tv has a young family and cooks good wholesome food for her boys. As with most families Filipa watches what she spends so each of her original recipes are priced per portion. We asked Filipa what life is like as a blogger and what she perceives as “PR Friendly.”

Filipa how long have you been blogging?
“For almost five years now! I started blogging recipes when my eldest was around 18 months old. Thankfully my photography skills have improved!”

You obviously love to cook but do you feel a pressure to keep posting?
“I did when I first started blogging, but I found it really takes the joy out of it. Now I only post tried and tested recipes that I really love and feel my readers would enjoy. Quality is much better than quantity”.

We love your recipes for Turkey Feijoada stew and Rhubarb and Custard Cheesecake!
“I love those recipes too! My dad is Portuguese and that has a big influence on the way I cook. Feijoada is the national dish of Brazil but it's massive in Portugal as well. Traditionally, Feijoada is made from lots of fatty cuts of pork - delicious but fattening. Turkey Feijoada is still very tasty but a lot healthier. My dad gave it his seal of approval! The rhubarb and custard cheesecake sounds fancy but it's really easy to make - which is great as kids can help. My mum was born and raised in Liverpool so that dessert is kind of a nod towards my British roots as well. Rhubarb and custard are like best friends”.

Which dish do you make at home most often from your blog?
“Probably pancakes! We're crazy about pancakes in our house; it's a Saturday morning tradition. I've got loads of pancake recipes on the blog, but my current favourite are Easy French Crepes which I've recently learned to make. They are so delicious”. For Recipe Click Here

You say you are ‘PR friendly’ – can you explain what the term means to you?
“It's a bit like saying 'Hello PR companies! Feel free to say hello!' It's a way of saying I'm open to working with you”.

Do you have any do’s and don’ts when it comes to brands or PR approaches?
“I think they all should have a read of the blog first to see if it's a good fit with the brand. I got a request recently to review a zoo. The first line the email was 'I love reading your blog and I feel this would be a great opportunity for you.' I just laughed because I have a recipe blog! Also I think it's important for brands or PR's to be flexible and listen to bloggers, because they have some great ideas of how brands and PR's can work together. It's important for bloggers to feel valued - they should not work for free”.

Do you think bloggers sometimes feel exploited?
“I get all sorts of ridiculous requests, but at the end of the day, it's up to me to say yes, no, or make another suggestion. Brands simply cannot expect bloggers to work for free, but bloggers have to speak up and make that clear and not allow themselves to be exploited. I've learned that the hard way and it can be very upsetting, but at the same time, I have also learned that it certainly can be mutually beneficial”.

What have some of the positives been for you as a ‘PR friendly’ blogger?
“As a PR friendly blogger I now make a living through my blog. I have regular work which I love (mostly recipe development for brands) which fits around my kids. I also love attending the masterclasses with celebrity chefs which PR's organise. Masterclasses with celebrity chefs Marco Pierre White and Cyrus Todiwala were a highlight”.