May 16th, 2012 § § permalink
via Viva Magazine (November 2011)
A lot has changed over the past decade in the marketing world. It really hit me when I saw this article that with all these new networks and tools its really only given us the chance to be more connected with one another and have more conversations with people who share the same beliefs.
via Mario Testino for Vogue (February 2011)
Blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram – they’ve all provided us a platform to find people like us and talk about things we love or have in common. Some times I feel like I know some people so well from these platforms and really feel like I know them IRL. Its cool to be a part of community and share your opinions with people who also have the same passions.
via Harpers Bazaar (November 2010)
With this much connection to one another, why aren’t fashion brands really taping in and taking advantage of social media tools to create a community? Yes, there are tons and tons of fashion and retail companies that have a Facebook, and of course Twitter, but most of them don’t truly engage with their community or listen to what their fans really want. Its coupon after coupon, giveaway after giveaway, and all about “me, me, me” when it really should be about getting to know what this group of people want to talk about.
via Mario Testino for Vogue (February 2011)
Now queue the the inspirational quote…”Strongest communites are structured around shared beliefs, emotions, and goals.”
I couldn’t agree more. I find that I get truly excited about a brand or product when they connect with me emotionally. Play off that memory from my childhood, or the wonders of traveling, or the amazing feeling of confidence – and you’ve got my attention.
via Material Girl Magazine by Lara Jade (May 2011)
Why can’t all marketers get that? Isn’t that what we are meant to do? To me, the ”most enduring communites are ones that recognize the commodoties of their audiences & embrace their passions.”
A-ha! This is what makes brands like DVF and DKNY so successful in social media. They both recognize what their girl wants and are open and honest with them. They lean on their “friends” for feedback. They pick up the phone when they call.
via Numero Magazine #128 (November 2011)
People want to talk. People want to voice their loves, hates, and passions. People want you to listen. People want to know they are being heard and hear you talk back. Brands that recognize all the potential power these communites and conversations have, the more they can prosper.
via Viva Magazine (November 2010)
“Marketers should take the time to step back, look at how many things their consumers have in common, and build social presences around what their customers care about and why they are connecting.” Then we’ll all be so happy together.
xoxo
January 25th, 2010 § § permalink
This is a must read for all fashion brands, or even just brands in general. Its the epitome of why and how a fashion brand can test and connect with its consumers.Well done Chanel!
from The Business of Fashion by Vikram Alexei Kansara
…Having created runway videos, a silent film and short video teasers to accompany their Paris-Moscou Pre-Fall 2009 and Paris-Venice Resort 2009-2010 “Métiers d’Art” collections, Chanel recently launched a longer-format film and a full runway video for their Paris-Shanghai Pre-Fall 2010 collection. To accompany Paris-Shanghai, Mr. Lagerfeld has also been posting a series of behind the scenes video diaries documenting his design process, as well as fittings with models and the making of advertising campaigns, all released via YouTube and the Chanel News section of the brand’s website.
In fact, Chanel News looks a lot like a blog and publishes “exclusive online features” with enough originality, regularity and volume to qualify as an online magazine. As well as the videos for the “Metiers d’Art” collections, there are fittings with Lily Allen for Spring Summer 2010, a ballet filmed in the haute couture salon at 31 rue Cambon, images of Coco Chanel’s private apartments shot by Olivier Zahm, personal entries from “Karl’s Diary,” and short films such as “Fitting Room Follies” and “Vol de Jour” featuring Lara Stone. With new features added every few days, it’s a remarkable volume of material. (THIS IS KEY!! Keep readers interested)
So why is Chanel investing in creating and publishing all this digital content? The answer is rooted in the changing nature of media, marketing and technology and underscores lessons that all major fashion brands would do well to observe.
In the past, marketing fashion collections mostly meant buying pages in magazines or space on strategically positioned billboards. In both cases, brands paid to interrupt consumers, repeating a visual theme or message in order to create recognition, desire and conversion. By exerting their influence as advertisers, brands also forced magazines to feature their products in their editorial. But today, affluent consumers are migrating online, where the balance of power is dramatically different. ( I have to add in here, before fashion marketing execs were marketing to consumers, and now they must market between consumers and amoung them.)
It’s hard for consumers to avoid advertising when they’re flipping through a magazine or walking down the street. And it’s hard for publishers to ignore advertisers’ demands when the costs of printing and distribution are high. But on the web, where the tools of communication are largely free — it costs nothing to publish a blog, share on Facebook, or broadcast on Twitter — brands no longer have the leverage to monopolise media or pressure editors. In fact, the sheer volume of media and commentary generated by consumers themselves increasingly drowns out the monologue of traditional marketing.
These days, it’s not about being louder. It’s about being more interesting. To communicate effectively, brands must inspire and harness conversations amongst consumers by giving people something remarkable to talk about — something of value that they will actively seek out, amplify and share with others. In this new reality, forward-thinking fashion brands like Chanel are learning to think like media companies, creating and publishing original editorial content to earn attention and attract fans who will carry their message across the internet.
This approach makes particular sense for luxury fashion brands who are known for their creativity and ability to convey social status. That’s because, online, content is social currency: influencers increasingly earn friends and followers by circulating interesting digital content via their blogs, Facebook and Twitter.
For Chanel, there are signs that this is just the beginning of a broad strategy to give consumers a continuous stream of inspiring content to talk about and spread across the internet, driving recognition, desire and conversion. In an interview with Women’s Wear Daily, Bruno Pavlovsky, president of Chanel fashion, recently announced plans to relaunch the current Chanel News blog, this March, as a full blown destination, chanel-news.com.“The idea is to give all these social networks a location where they can have genuine information about Chanel,” Pavlovsky said.
Watch this space.
Vikram Alexei Kansara is Managing Editor of The Business of Fashion
December 22nd, 2009 § § permalink
I found the below article on Mashable, and had to post as Macala from FashionMarketing.me has really summed up the year in Fashion Industry Marketing. Just like fashion trends change season to season, social media has allowed marketing to change just as rapidly. Marketing and fashion can now keep up with each other via new tactics and platforms. So big fashion brands, if you havent jumped on the bandwagon yet and still think “social media” is for teenagers…you better wake up. 
Post from Mashable.com
5 Ways Social Media Changed Fashion in 2009
Macala Wright Lee is the CEO of FashionablyMarketing.Me a digital marketing and merchandising firm that specializes in fashion, luxury and beauty brands in Southern California. You can follower her on Twitter at @FashMarketing.
It’s safe to say that the fashion industry has adopted social media as a marketing platform to reach their customers online and reignite brand passion and customer loyalty.
While fashion brands and retailers are still grappling with social media in terms of controlling brand perception and establishing metrics to measure its marketing value, they have used Twitter (
), Facebook (
), YouTube () and other social communities to develop digital marketing strategies to drive online sales and retail store traffic. Here’s how they’re doing it.
1. Getting Cozy in Communities
Until recently, the fashion industry has been fashionably late to the social media party, refusing to adopt it at all, or merely adopting one-way communication via social networks and RSS feeds for sales and promotions.
Fashion has traditionally been aspirational. From a brand’s perspective, fashion is an experience with very specific feelings and emotions they hope to create for the wearer. The thought of going social scares many brands because they’re not sure how to translate these feelings into online traction.
Along came communities — social networks, forums, wikis and blogs telling brands that they need to participate and create dialogues with people online.
The majority of the industry thought this would tarnish brand image, but American Apparel, TopShop and emerging independent designers were early adopters of social marketing. Once they started reporting positive results, other brands followed. Now almost every brand or retailer, from Sears and JCPenney, to Oscar De La Renta and Louis Vuitton, have created a presence in several social communities, the most notable being Facebook.
It’s been a tough learning curve, but we’re beginning to see less one-way discount promotions, and more genuine interaction between brand and client. Facebook and Twitter are now among the most valuable tools for brands to monitor consumer sentiment and provide real-time customer service in the fashion industry.
2. Creating Niche Communities
Now that fashion brands have learned to navigate social media, many are experimenting with development of their own social networks or even invitation-only communities.
Brands have also started to partner with fashion-oriented sites like Polyvore for sponsoring branded contests within the web site’s community. These contests create opportunities to develop brand affinity and establish relationships with the next, younger generation of shoppers.
Luxury brands Louis Vuitton, Dolce & Gabbana, Chanel and Burberry have launched their own social networks or added social components to their existing web sites. While Facebook and Twitter are great for mass marketing, more exclusive social destinations allow brands to extend their story and promise to their customers, maximizing the user’s online brand experience.
Thus far, niche communities such as Weardrobe (recently purchased by Like.com), Modepass, and Lookbook.Nu have yielded impressive ROI, as their audiences are more likely to become loyal customers.
3. Embracing Mobile Apps
When it comes to developing apps, fashion brands and web sites have taken “there’s an app for that!” to heart.
Chanel shows its runway collections via iPhone app, and the Gilt Groupe app allows users to shop sample sales and receive alerts as to when sales are starting.
StyleCaster’s app lets users access style tips, individually customize news feeds and fashion trends, and houses a large online retail catalog of brand-name clothing.
JustLuxe is a digital global concierge company whose extremely interactive app comes with over 1,000 member benefits. Utilizing GPS, the app will recommend participating restaurants and hotels in the user’s area. It’s the first style-oriented app that leverages location-based mobile marketing. Luxury product and service companies should be watching this.
Most brands are focused on the iPhone. We haven’t seen a lot of development for BlackBerry or Android () devices. There are currently only 41 fashion-related apps available for BlackBerry users, and most of them simply deliver articles and blog posts via RSS.
4. The Rise of Style Bloggers
In 2009, bloggers had an enormous impact on fashion, affecting everything from print publishing to how brands market themselves online. There are thousands of style-related blogs on the web these days, and those dedicated to their craft have earned industry recognition.
Gala Darling, Bryan Boy, 13-year-old Tavi, Scott Schuman of the Satorialist and Garance Dore have earned recognition from Dolce & Gabanna, Burberry, Alexander McQueen and leading publications such as Vogue. They’ve participated in fashion design collection collaborations and received front-row, international Fashion Week seats next to some of the most notable figures in the couture world.
A recent Financial Times article notes that being a style blogger is a perfectly respectable career for someone in the fashion industry. The social web has removed the gatekeepers of an industry that was notoriously hard to penetrate and build a name in.
These sites have succeeded because of the quality of their content. While each is unique, they’ve built a cult following around their areas of expertise and passion.
5. The Impact of User-Generated Content
User-generated content is key to social media and fashion. From blogs to Facebook photo contributions to product reviews –- user-generated content is where it’s at.
Crosby Noricks, founder of a top fashion PR blog, has noticed more brands realizing the collective power of their customers’ networks by encouraging fan contributions. She points to G-Star (), the Dutch clothing company who just launched a social media campaign to find “reporters” to attend their fashion show at upcoming New York Fashion Week, as well as Coach’s Holiday Blog-A-Day program, which enlisted 30 bloggers and vloggers to ensure holiday sales were in the bag.
One of the most notable and consistent campaigns built around user-generated content and social engagement has been from the brand Charlotte Russe, which Noricks manages in her capacity as Senior Social Media Strategist of San Diego-based Red Door Interactive. The brand’s weekly trivia contest on Twitter drives followers to the web site or YouTube channel with the hope of snagging some excellent prizes (the brand recently gave away a jacket worn on Gossip Girl).
The “CR Fan of The Week” contest also hinges on user content by giving fans a “style assignment” and asking them to post a photo to the brand’s Facebook wall.
Currently, Charlotte Russe is running “Be The Next Charlotte Russe Design Star,” a t-shirt design contest where the winner will have his or her shirt produced and sold online. A fashion-filled trip to NYC is also included, naturally.
Another great example of user-generated content used in conjunction with a niche network is Burberry’s Art of the Trench site. Users are encouraged to upload images of themselves wearing Burberry’s signature item – their trench coat. Burberry is highlighting consumer-created content from preferred customer segments.
What’s Next?
Moving into 2010, brands and retailers will be delving deeper into social media to reach online audiences. We’ve already seen the rise of streaming and mobile broadcasts of runway shows, and expect to see more brands utilizing that medium for major events.
Digital and e-commerce launches of new products have also been a popular way for brands to keep costs low in a tough economy for luxury products.
And expect to see a variety of mobile platforms take off as brands, magazines, and web sites develop apps with the goal of extending their online presence and widening distribution channels. Location-based networks like Gowalla () and Foursquare () have massive potential for promotions, and will likely be a focus for mobile fashion marketers.
What social media trends have you spotted in the fashion world, and what sort of brand engagement do you hope to see in 2010? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Image courtesy of iStockphoto (), webphotographeer
For more fashion marketing news visit FashionMarketing.ME
September 23rd, 2009 § § permalink
from Crosby at PRCouture | April 14, 2009 to read the full article visit PRCouture.com
The Marie Claire Twitter account not only participates regularly on Twitter but actually (gasp!) engages directly with their following, has been known to look for writers from their Twitter community, and even recently charted, or is that tweeted, a blind date in real time.
PR Couture was lucky enough to get some time with Senior Web Editor Ashley Parrish and Web Associate Diana Vilibert to learn more about Marie Claire’s Twitter Strategy as well as some Marie Claire pitching tips for fashion PR’s on Twitter. For more information on Twitter strategy, check out the recent PR Couture post, “5 Tips for a Successful Twit Pitch” in addition to our list of fashion aficionados on Twitter in the comments for “Fashion PR Agencies, Designers and Bloggers.”
-
PR: One of the things I thought was great was using Twitter to mine for potential stories and writers, do you plan on continuing to do this?
MC: We definitely plan on doing this more! There’s a community for everyone on Twitter, and it’s such a great resource to tap into for potential stories, writers, and PR contacts that we might not necessarily have connected with otherwise.
PR: What are the key components of a successful Twitter strategy?
MC: For us, it’s a combination of providing information and engaging in conversation. We aim to post links to articles on our site that appeal to both the largest range of users (like topical/newsworthy articles and blogs or career/job-related articles), and also articles that might appeal to smaller niches in the Twitter community. I think this kind of targeting is why we’ve been so successful–even if you’re just posting a link, editorializing how you present it or asking a question will engage more people than using your Twitter account as an RSS feed. But aside from being informative and interesting, Twitter is not the place to go to talk AT your readers, so it’s equally important to start and join conversations, to answer questions, and to retweet our followers when they post something interesting or relevant.
PR: How does Twitter integrate or support additional MC online tactics? What are some of the other ways Marie Claire is involved in Social Media? Why is it important for print magazines to embrace the online space?
MC: Print magazines don’t exist in a vacuum, and neither do their websites or Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace accounts, so all of those components need to work together. We go where our readers are, and our readers are flipping through the magazine at home, they’re reading our blogs and articles on marieclaire.com, and they’re talking about it on Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace. Print magazines now have an online presence whether they want one or not–if you’re not using social media to promote and talk about your brand, your readers will still be talking about it without you, so it’s in your best interest to join the conversation.
PR: How are you measuring and reporting your Twitter success? Do you monitor for brand mentions?
MC: We measure by referrals from Twitter. Referrals increase as we got more involved with the platform. We had 21.8K referrals from Twitter in March, compared to 5.7K in February. We also search for mentions of Marie Claire (vs @ replies to @marieclaire) by people that might not necessarily know we’re on Twitter and address their comments–like pointing them to an article they remember seeing in an old issue or looking up where they can buy a product they like.
PR: Do you accept “twit-pitches?” what is the best way for someone to submit something for potential coverage on MarieClaire.com?
MC: Yes, twit-pitches are welcome. We tweet an email address to reach us at whenever we’re looking for tips or info from our followers, but tweeple are also always welcome to @ or DM us and ask a question, or to ask for an email address to send a longer pitch too.
To view the full interview with the Marie Claire Twitter crew visit PR Couture
September 23rd, 2009 § § permalink
Six Social Sites Every Fashion Marketer Should Know (via AdAge.com)
AdAge.com covers an important topic for the fashion industry – social media. Yes, its a buzz word that every other person is throwing around, but its a very big topic in fashion retail as its changing the way retailers and designers do business. Holding very true to the article’s testaments, at this month’s Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week I witnessed many people twittering live inside the tents posting TwitPics and Tweets about their favorite designer looks. Albeit very distracting when I was trying to focus on the runway, it was evolutionary to see on my Twitter stream how important it was for others to be able to get up-to-the-minute news on their favorite designer shows.
Although New York Fashion Week is a private event meant only for select media, retail buyers, and VIP guests – live feeds, live streaming, and behind-the-scenes looks and opinions were being shared in real-time with the mass public. Thus, making fashion critics’ opinions not the “end all be all” deciding factor of who’s collection will be successful or not. Its now open to the consumer to voice his or her opinion before clothes are even considered to be bought and sold into their local retail store. But ultimately its up to fashion brands to take the iniative to listen and interact with what’s going on online.
As AdAge simply puts it:
“Social media has deconstructed the traditional means of communication between retailers and consumers by adding new channels for discussion. A designer can communicate with her audience on a moment-to-moment basis through sponsored Facebook groups and fan pages, online chats, Twitter feeds, Flickr, YouTube and new social shopping channels that facilitate two-way conversations. Meanwhile, the fashion industry’s main source of advertising, the monthly glossy, is experiencing sharp declines in ad sales this year — some down 47 % for the famed September issue, according to Forbes. If designers want to stay relevant, they need to drastically diversify their traditional communication patterns and join the online conversation.”
The above statement is so true. I think the key statement is “if designers want to stay relevant”. Fashion is all about change, progress, and innovative new looks. Why shouldn’t fashion marketing follow the same path? With new social media tools its become imperative for fashion brands to be participating in the online conversation and learn what their consumer likes and dislikes, not just throwing out some “monthly glossy” print ads in a magazine (although I do love some of those ads). Knowing what consumers want to see next, or like best in a collection could be the ticket for increased purchased items and company expansion or even better, having less items end up in a department store’s 75% off clearance rack.
The AdAge article highlights designer Tory Burch ‘s avid use of Twitter to outreach to followers and use online contests Polyvore.com to give fans a chance to show of their visual merchandising skills for Tory Burch products. This type of social interaction is what will help fashion retailers evolve their brand to not just be brand recongizable but develop a relationship with consumers and create brand advocates.
Definitely check out the full fashion social media article here but the six fashion sites AdAge highlights should definitely be on fashion marketer’s watch list as they are changing and molding the way fashion brands do business.
Here are AdAge.com’s Six Social Fashion Sites that every marketer worth her Prada handbag should be familiar with:
Shopflick
Shopflick combines videos and shopping to create a truly unique online fashion and shopping experience and social community. The site draws from a strong network of indie and up and coming designers to provide shoppers the ability to find cutting edge, unique items and to helps brand touch base and engage with current and new customers through branded online stores, video commerce widgets and much more.
Us Trendy
UsTrendy is a place where designers can post their portfolios, fans can judge them and then each season a collection is chosen using the most popular styles. Its tag line is, “…today’s inspiration… tomorrow’s trend…” UsTrendy produces the popular clothes and hosts events. They provide interaction and showcasing opportunities to designers, artists, models and fans through galleries, industry exposure, events and social networking connections. The site is a mash-up of Etsy.com and Linkedin.com.
StyleCaster
StyleCaster is looking to become the future site of online fashion through optimized fashion advice that is targeted to each user. This is the Amazon of fashion sites, where with every click they get to know you personal preference and taste, thereby giving you educated advice and marketing. This site is a mash-up of social network, editorial content and shopping and has just been given 4 million in funding.
Sense of Fashion
Sense of Fashion is the marketplace for upstart fashion designers, fashion lovers and sellers. It has an eBay-like capability for people to sell their fashion, shop or interact in their social network. Fans can show off their individual styles, favorite brands or even do e-commerce. Their goal is to connect designers with the very people who may inspire them, to also provide a platform for users to show off and sell their merchandise.
Est.Today
Est.Today is a fashion site for tweens that gives young girls the ability to design, display and purchase their own clothes. With personal creativity being the most stylish accessory this season, and now that young girls are paving the way for many new trends today according to a recent article in British Elle, this site capitalizes a the younger generations need for individual creativity.
Style Hop
StyleHop combines fashion and gaming to provide users with a fun rating system to decide on the popularity of branded styles. It incorporates yelp-like functionality to provide viewers information on popular sweaters and shoes for certain cities. Brands are given visibility though outfits, and users are able to comment on each picture with the ability to share the pictures on their other networks.
This time of year is the perfect opportunity for designers to dynamically and creatively encourage and join this discussion. Fashion fans are chomping at the bit for content from their favorite designers — which is why fashion sites are thriving. These sites and indie fashion bloggers may not have Anna Wintour’s bully pulpit (yet), but they are creating the future of the monthly glossy, and the future of the fashion Marcom system.
Step one is listening and engaging with your customers via social media channels, step two is to create social shopping opportunities and provide easy paths to purchase via social media channels. While designers may be apprehensive in giving up control, social media tools are actually launching pads for designers to strengthen their customer base and ultimately, grow their sales. (via AdAge.com)
