The Worst Kind Of Wedding Marketing Disinformation and Propaganda
Pinocchio Syndrome
This interview starts calmly enough, with Wedding Channel Co-Founder and Bella Pictures Co-Founder and VP of Business Development, Jenny Lefcourt being interviewed by Fox 5 Chicago TV Personality, Jan Jeffcoat.
The segment is purportedly about ’saving money on your wedding in today’s economy. It quickly degenerates into a badly conceived infomercial for Bella Pictures, accompanied by a mish-mash of largely bad advice and misinformation about a whole range of choices to be made by the bride.
Fox’s Jeffcoat overly credits Lefcourt’s association with the Wedding Channel. That is a past incarnation, no longer current at the time of the interview. Lefcourt never corrects her, leaving some uncertainty as to whether she is a neutral expert or representing Bella Pictures.
After this interview aired, the Wedding Channel had to issue a firm disclaimer, stating clearly that Lefcourt was no longer associated with their firm, and they were in no way endorsing her on-air comments.
After a few days and a fair amount of heat from various directions Lefcourt wrote a very soft apology letter (pdf) (Dear Wedding Industry). The retraction is never as helpful as the original sin, however. It is clear (at least to me) that the interview (like most interviews) was prepped with talking points and planned questions. There is nothing spontaneous about the questions or answers. To suddenly have wedding industry professionals believe that, in retrospect, mistakes or misstatements were made, is pure bunk. It was not until outside pressure was applied, after the fact, that Lefcourt and Bella took even a half-step back.
I encourage you to view this two to three times to get the full effect of it. Please share this with every wedding professional you know. It is the worst kind of propaganda and disinformation. Things like this should never go unchallenged (more to follow).
Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Authority
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Look what Bella Pictures has turned into.
One photographers beef with Bella Pictures
Mik
Wow Andy! I just now am seeing this interivew.
I left a comment earlier in regards to the former Bella photographer who started a blog against Bella. (I saw that post first, now I am seeing this post).
My comment then was that I personally practice this mantra: “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all”. I hope the comment was not misunderstood. I sitll believe in this for myself and the way I conduct business. Here in the Bay Area at least, the wedding industry is VERY small, and word gets around fast. I would never publicly lambast another business. I follow this practice because I feel it would not make me look good.
However, I also would never discredit anyone’s job, such as this interivew allowed the rep from Bella to do.
I am very disheartened to see a fellow wedding professional devaluing the wedding industry as a whole. The fact that this was shown on TV nationally, to our potential clients everywhere is discouraging. For a wedding vendor to go on TV and “represent” the industry, while dispensing this type advice is indeed irresponsible. Discrediting jobs in the wedding industry, and worse, telling people the only vendor that matters is a photographer. That’s pretty terrible!
I recommend independent photographers to my clients, so I have never had the experience of working with Bella.
An important part of my job as a wedding consultant, means supporting one another, by letting my clients know that each type of wedding vendor is a valuable asset to the TEAM of wedding vendors. For clients looking to save money, I never recommend cutting out someone who makes the team function well. There are plenty of other ways to save money.
However, in this case, I can certainly see why people are upset with Bella. My apologies go out to Michael Slattery (if you are reading this) for the way he was treated by this company. I hope he is able to resolve his disputes with them reasonably and fairly.
Another thing I believe in is KARMA: What comes around goes around.
Truly a sad display of self serving drivel. I am a wedding professional with 25 years of experience. It is an absolute joy to work at an event staffed with real professionals. Every aspect flows smoothly and (seemingly) effortlessly because each piece of the puzzle fits perfectly with all the others. The bride and groom get the dream wedding they deserve, with happy memories to last a lifetime.
It’s disgusting that some self appointed “expert” really believes they don’t need anyone else, and will actually try to convince unsuspecting couples that it is true. I only hope people are smart enough to see this for what it is. A trash talking egomaniac.
Thanks Andy. You are an asset to the wedding industry.
I guess this interview was back in May some time, but was just forwarded by one of my photography friends a day ago (shows you how much I watch Fox News). Many of us jokes around that brides would better off having their friends use their iPhones and upload to Snapfish, than they would be using Bella!
Just this September I was shooting a wedding at one of the beautiful churches in downtown Chicago. My crew were just coming in the church with our equipment, when the photographer shooting altar photos of the previous wedding came up to me and asked if she could barrow one of my cameras. She was carrying a Nikon D70 (hardly a professional camera). I asked her where her backup camera was. The answer was she did not have one.
Since I carry 2- Cannon 1Ds Mark III and 3- 1D Mark III with backup flashes, lenses, cords,etc., I had ZERO sympathy for her or her bride and groom. Guess who she worked for? Bella Pictures.
The moral or the story bring your own iPhone and shoot your own wedding!
Harold
Harold,
Thanks for this comment and story. Absolutely brutal.
Andy