Specktra the devil?!

[Juneplum]

Quote:

Originally Posted by maxcat Dear Betty: A good MMA doesn't INSULT her freaking CUSTOMERS. Your post is a disgrace. I can't believe you're a colleague. The reason *I* joined this site is because it's a great way to see what MAC users do with the product. This gang is pretty creative and supportive of eachother. I get a lot of information of what's working and what isn't from a bunch of different perspectives. There are leaks... and yeah, that aspect sucks, and I have a responsibility not to contribute to the problem. I try to be helpful when I can and when the product is already out there. EL is and should be monitoring this site for a lot of reasons - not just leaks but also to find out what people really think of their products and items that maybe should be brought back. So. BIG love to Spectra Gals and Guys. Betty... find another place to vent your rage.

amen.

 

[GreekChick]

First off, and this has been repeated numerous times across this thread, MAC MA's do not work off comission. Yes, we do have certain goals to reach everytime we're working on the floor (say 400$ for that day, depending on the hours we're working) but if we dont reach that goal, we will not get ourselves kicked out of the company.
Second, Specktra is a great site devoted to MAC fans...but it is not Specktra that made MAC big, and MAC does NOT depend on Specktra to make the money and keep its status as a multi-million dollar company..5-7 yrs ago, when Specktra didnt even exist, MAC was still huge...It is the fashion industry, the makeup artists, Linda Evangelista, Madonna, Rupaul, Kevyn Aucoin, The Back 2 MAC, the Viva Glam program etc etc..that made MAC known worldwide...so with this said, even if Specktra where to shut down for any reason, MAC would still be huge...just because its a reliable, pro-prefered brand. And yes it is frustrating when a client, a MAC fanatic (I am not dissing them, seeing that I am one myself) comes to our counter, asks for the coming collections, and gets frustrated when we cannot answer...Not because we don't know, but because our continuous trainings are only 4 times a year, and it is only at continuous training where we will find out what collections will be released in the next season...Sometimes, the information that is released here about upcoming collections hasn't even been released to the MA yet, for the reason that they didnt yet attend the training...And please, stop making general statements about MAC MA being bitchy....All the girls and guys that work for MAC that i've met up to date have been nothing but the sweetest people. And it is also frustrating to see how some people in this community, and on live journal post threads about how they went to a counter that day and the artist didnt know that such a paint existed, for example...OH NO! My point is we're all human, we're allowed to make mistakes...We dont know EVERY INGREDIENT from the top of our heads or we dont think were some GOD sent divinity that works for MAC...Because we truly care about the client that comes in looking to buy even just a pencil sharpener and we want to see everyone happy, not only with their makeup, but with their experience as well...

 

[Janice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreekChick Second, Specktra is a great site devoted to MAC fans...but it is not Specktra that made MAC big, and MAC does NOT depend on Specktra to make the money and keep its status as a multi-million dollar company..5-7 yrs ago, when Specktra didnt even exist, MAC was still huge... ...so with this said, even if Specktra where to shut down for any reason, MAC would still be huge...

I'm not sure where/when I made these statements. I know you are speaking generally but it was shocking for me to read that. Maybe we could have used "viewers of Specktra" instead of just "Specktra". I would hate for anyone to read the statements above and think I actually said something like that! :biggrin: Honestly I haven't read the entire thread but I don't think that anyone would make an assumption that Specktra somehow has something to do with MAC's performance as a company.

 

[GreekChick]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Janice I'm not sure where/when I made these statements. I know you are speaking generally but it was shocking for me to read that. Maybe we could have used "viewers of Specktra" instead of just "Specktra". I would hate for anyone to read the statements above and think I actually said something like that! :biggrin: Honestly I haven't read the entire thread but I don't think that anyone would make an assumption that Specktra somehow has something to do with MAC's performance as a company.

I wasn't attacking you personnally Janice, in fact I read the thread and nowhere are you making any of the statements, but there are some statements that say that EL/MAC should be thanking Specktra for the promotion, that MAC wouldn't be the makeup icon it is today, that MAC has made 448 million dollars BECAUSE of makeup communities such as Specktra, LiveJournal, MUA, etc...This is false. I love MAC and I love Specktra as well...but the MAC addicts aren't the ones responsible for MAC's popularity...they're only a part of it....I'll give you an example: take a normal workday at MAC...honestly at my counter ( a busy one need I point out) I only see MAC addicts come in like 1-2 times per week, and even then do they only buy 2 eyeshadows and a ligloss. My point is, the majority of the women/men that shop BIG at MAC aren't even aware that Specktra exists! Its to say that the product sells itself you know...They're often surprised when i tell them to come on Specktra to see the pictures of the upcoming collections (not anymore due to the lawsuit)...Also, I'm not sure if this has been said but MAC addicts, like BIG time addicts existed long b4 MUA, Livejournal, Specktra, etc...they just weren't reunited into one big website like many of us are today...I wasn't attacking you personnally but if you read the thread, there are statements that say that MAC should thank Specktra, etc...Its just to point out that MAC sells itself...how many times, b4 any communities did you go to a counter, see the MA's with the makeup on and think "Wow, I wanna do that!" then bought the look they we're wearing ? It sells itself....

 

[Jessica]

okie dokie....MAC Rocks, Specktra Rocks, and all of the other sites ROCK


'nough said

 

[natalie75]

Found it!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Janice You would be surprised at the amount of MA's who just don't like websites like ours, or more specifically Specktra. Estee Lauder's legal team has contacted Specktra and forced (with the threat of legal action) us to take down images. They are aware of us, and undoubtly watch in a removed way what's going on.

My MAC MUA told me about Specktra

 

[Chic 2k6]

LOL Speckta influenced me, i went from having 5 MAC products this year to over 40 MAC products ooopsie. Plus Specktra distracts me from my college work lol

 

[Vedra]

I think Estee Lauder/ MAs seeing Specktra as "the enemy" is ridiculous: if I hadn't found this site, I'd never have bought so many MAC-products, if any at all - because seeing the colors in FOTDs/ swatches, hearing raves and getting personal reccommendations is what makes me WANT the product in the first place.

Out of sight, out of mind is so true when it comes to luxuries like cosmetics. And with only so few counters in the whole country (I live in Austria, we got only 4 MAC places - 3 of them in Vienna - very clever), I'm not sure I would have bothered with the difficulties to get to it at all.

 

[kalice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by glittergoddess27 No,. no problem,. I kinda wondered if he meant it that way,.. and trust me,.. around here (At least in Indiana) You can be on a different side of town and what you say means something different,.. it drives me crazy! I bet you have a cute accent Wattage,... I love the whole Canadian sound!

You do, eh?

 

[leppy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreekChick I wasn't attacking you personnally but if you read the thread, there are statements that say that MAC should thank Specktra, etc...Its just to point out that MAC sells itself...how many times, b4 any communities did you go to a counter, see the MA's with the makeup on and think "Wow, I wanna do that!" then bought the look they we're wearing ? It sells itself....

I think you are misunderstanding what people are saying. All I got from those posts is that people feel that Specktra is good for MAC sales and not bad for them, and that any hate directed towards Specktra is unfounded. They should thank Specktra (as in, see it as a positive thing not literally "thank" us) for the free promotion, for making new fans for them, for being such devoted fans but of course NOT for building their entire empire and paying their salaries or anything overblown like that.

Seriously, anyone who knows anything about MAC knows how long it has been around and how big it was in the industry. How could Specktra possibly have anything to do with that? That being said, I find it incredible that we are being accused of hurting their sales, I certainly hope that is just Betty's insanity coming through and not the common opinion among the MAs that work for them or their official stance. It just doesn't make any logical sense.

Any issues that EL is having with the pro industry or with sales has more to do with their own policies than a bunch of people chatting about it on a forum. Using us or any other fan and/or beauty site as a scapegoat is only going to blind them to their real problems and hurt them in the end.

If I ran a company and one of my employees treated the fans of our products the way Betty did, if I found out who she was she'd be out of a job PDQ.

 

[lara]

After the nuclear holocaust, all that will be left is cockroaches, single-celled bacteria, and this thread.

 

[leppy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lara After the nuclear holocaust, all that will be left is cockroaches, single-celled bacteria, and this thread.

LOL! I swear I didn't notice how old it was when I posted. :shrug: