Fashion's Collective

Launching a New Fashion Brand: What Comes First, Online or Offline?

Elizabeth Canon — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 06:00:51 +0000

For so many emerging designers and new brands, the digital space is the only one in which they exist for their customers, having made the decision to forgo the traditional brick and mortar store. Many advantages exist, of course, including lower upfront costs, savings on staff and renting a retail space, and the ability to reach an audience well beyond the local consumer…just to name a few.

Carmen Busquets, the serial online entrepreneur and investor in several digital fashion brands like Moda Operandi, Net-a-Porter and CoutureLab recently made the decision to set up an actual storefront for her digital ecommerce retailer, CoutureLab. At the Hot Luxury conference in Sao Paulo, Carmen cited that the decision was based on needing to offer the customer the ability to interact with the products in a detailed way that could not be achieved online.

However, more often than not, starting digital and going brick and mortar is the exception, rather than the rule. But there still exists a large gap in both knowledge and skills for emerging designers online. Though launching a brand online carries less financial risk at the start, many designers are unfamiliar with the tactical methods to use in order to be successful both in terms of the ecommerce and design experience, as well as in the social media marketing strategy that will ultimately get them noticed.

For example, Mark Charles, a new to the scene footwear designer who is debuting his first boot collection Fall 2012.

His experience has lead him to create a platform and website focused on providing a listing of curated resources that would be of value to the fashion student, brand marketer, designer and entrepreneur (a list Fashion’s Collective is proud to be part of). On his site he features ‘The Fashion Designer Guide’, a free ebook comprised of 32 interviews with some of the most talented individuals from Temperley, Vivianne Westwood, Ferragamo, Tommy Hilfiger, French Connection, Nine West and more.

The Fashion Designer Guide aims to answer many of the questions faced by new designers who plan to start a fashion label.

We sat down with Mark to talk about his experience as an independent and emerging designer on the scene.

Q: Was your plan from the beginning to launch solely online? Why?

A: Yes, absolutely, with such limited funding my initial plan was to launch and retail exclusively online via MarkCharlesBoots.com. Being totally self funded, it was essential that we were able to keep overheads to a minimum and still produce a world-class luxury product that I was proud to put my name to.

Q: What were some of your biggest challenges in launching and how did online either help or hinder you at the start?

A: The biggest challenge (after production) is creating the right sort of buzz on a shoestring budget without the help of a large PR agency and a huge marketing budget. Fundamentally, you need the skills and expertise in order to achieve this before consumers would consider purchasing an unknown luxury brand, especially one that they cannot touch or feel in person.

Our approach was to focus heavily on social media at a grass roots level, from Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, to other sites in order to network with the right people. That was pretty much how ‘The Fashion Designer Guide’ ebook came about.

Q: In your conversations and interviews with some of the most successful designers, what did you find your businesses had in common? Was there anything drastically different in your approaches?

A: The most interesting thing that caught my attention was that every single person that I had spoken to agreed that launching your own brand would be extremely difficult and very costly. This is something that becomes more and more apparent every day.

On the other hand, most of the people who I interviewed also agreed with the more traditional route for launching a brand; study at a well known fashion school, work in the industry for a number of years to gain experience, make the right connections and then think about launching your label….and in an ideal world, I would totally agree 100%.

For myself, this was not really a suitable option as I had already finished studying, I had strong graphic design skills and at the age of 28 with no industry experience, I doubt that many design houses would be beating a path to my door in order to acquire my services.

I instead decided to work with bespoke shoemakers in the UK, Italy and China in order to ‘learn my trade’, as it were, before I decided to launch Mark Charles Boots.

Q: What role has digital played in getting your brand out there?

A: The digital space has been absolutely pivotal, not only in raising brand awareness but actually starting a brand from the ground up. I used LinkedIn religiously in order to find suppliers and producers, mentors and everyone else in between.

Later on, with the focus moving more towards marketing and PR, we decided to enlist the support of online magazines and bloggers to help raise awareness. In addition to this, sites like Twitter have been instrumental in building relationships because it allows you to spectate and then participate with meaningful content or general chit-chat, as the case may be.

Q: What went into researching The Fashion Designer Guide? How do you envision it being utilized by the fashion community?

A: The Fashion Designer Guide is honest information from seasoned professionals who have been kind enough to share their knowledge and experiences in order to help others.

It’s funny because it pretty much took on a life of its own, as it was not my initial intention to produce an ebook. I had originally planned to meet up with all the people whom I admired and I thought I could learn from.

After a few weeks of creating my ‘To Meet’ list, it quickly became apparent that this was going to be a logistical nightmare. So I decided to interview everyone via email and telephone, which probably took me the best part of 9 months. As the interviews started to come in, the information was so useful that I decided to create an ebook for other designers in my position. After contacting over 200 people within fashion industry and hounding them for months, I finally managed to pull enough information together to create the ebook.

My graphic design skills and my love of writing enabled me to design and edit the ebook within a few months, in which time I decided to knock up a website where it could be downloaded from.

This was a major investment in time and resources, both of which were very limited but I really believed that this would be a useful project that I wanted to share with others.

The ebook also serves as a valuable marketing tool that offers (semi-branded) expert advice that is freely available and easy to share.

Q: What do you think the pros and cons are of being an online only brand from the get-go?

A: Pros: would definitely be the low start-up and running cost and also the opportunity for international trade via the website. We are able to cater for a global market which is something that every online trader should consider from day one.

Cons: I’d have to say the fact that customers are not able to touch and feel the product face to face has to be the biggest hurdle. Everyone who has tried on a pair of Mark Charles Boots has immediately commented on how comfortable they are and how snug they feel but this can be very difficult to convey online.

Also, the amount of hours spent in front of the computer can actually be quite counter productive as I think it’s just as important to get out there meet people in person. I think a careful balance between the two is the elusive harmony that we all strive for – so here’s to life outside my inbox!!!

Q: How do you think you’ll make the decision to take your brand offline, is this even a consideration?

A: I will be focusing heavily on developing effective sales channels both online and offline in the form of specific, hand-picked boutiques and maybe exclusive department stores later in the future.

This year is definitely all about getting out there and making things happen…the reality is that whether your business is online or offline, people do business with people, and the best way to cultivate theses relationships is to get out there and let the world know you are.

(This ebook is available for free download via: http://thefashiondesignerguide.com/)

Photo Credits: Andy Medina

Fashion Brands on Google+

Elizabeth Canon — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 06:00:28 +0000

The initial selling points of Google+ are attractive. The draw of audience segmentation, the ability to share rich media content in a way that’s not limited to 140 characters and the option to decide who of your following you want to share content with is considerable. However, despite the positive qualities of Google+, there has been a fair amount of hesitation (and critique) of the platform’s capacity to reach critical mass.

For most brands, the decision to participate in social media was made because the audience numbers on platforms like Facebook or Twitter made it an alluring marketing opportunity. This opportunity, coupled with competitive brands setting up an official presence, pushed a vast majority of fashion brands to now be present on the most popular platforms. But there are always brands that jump in first, experiment, learn and pave the way for others to follow. The risk they take is that the platform may not, in fact, ever reach critical mass. But if it does, it will be the early adopters who have mastered the platform and gained a significant audience base before others have even really considered it.

At first glance, many of the posts across brands are consistent with the brand’s activity on Facebook. However, the frequency of posts on Google+ seems lower than Facebook, which makes sense. Another distinguishing factor is animated gifs, which allow for a more rich experience, especially for a luxury brand.

While the page structure on Google+ is similar to that of Facbeook, with standard sections like Posts, About, Photos and Video, the interaction elements for users are a bit different.

On Google+, for example, users can “+1” pieces of content individually. While this may seem all too similar to the “like” button on Facebook, items that a user has given a “+1” are saved in a list that can serve as a bookmark or an area of exploration for others to peruse.

The ability to share and comment are there, as expected. However, a novel function offered is the ability to “hang out”. This feature allows users to engage in video chat with friends, watch YouTube or simply “hang out”.

It is yet to be seen just how popular Google+ will become. At a minimum, it is a platform to observe closely for brand marketers. Is Google+ part of your brand’s 2012 digital strategy?

So who are those brands on Google+ in the fashion industry? Here, a short list of those pioneering the new space in impressive ways:

The Evolution of the (Well-Groomed) Male

Carlos Canon — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:00:09 +0000

One of the first Fashion Friday posts I wrote covered the idea that men are starting to dress again. Since that article was written, I have noticed that not only has the trend strengthened, but the idea has grown tentacles and touched other aspects of the everyday man paying closer attention to himself. These ideas obviously have existed before, but it’s like when you hear a word for the first time and then all of a sudden it appears everywhere.

The fact that there are barber shops that are a hundred years old proves the existence of specialized salons for men has been around for a long time. I know it’s not the innovation of the century. It could be because I had shaved my own head for ten years that I missed out on the influx of old school master barber shops opening everywhere. Now that I have hair, every two weeks or so I go to Freeman’s Sporting Club and, without fail, it’s an hour wait regardless of what time or day it is. Waiting sucks but the cuts are great, further proving that sacrifice for aesthetics is not just for women. And these sacrifices aren’t just for aesthetics for that matter, once you realize that a lot of these places offer more than just a good haircut. When you sit down in a master barber’s chair, get a trim, maybe even a shave, have your face is wrapped in a hot eucalyptus towel and breathe in how manly you feel, only then you will know that the experience is as important as the aesthetic end result.

I have also noticed that a flurry of men’s shaving and skin care lines have come to the surface and the saturation of this particular market is an indicator of how we are a relevant force at the cosmetics counter.

I was never the skin care routine type. Actually, I’ve always hated having anything on my skin. Taking my contacts out every night is a task, let alone a five or six step skin care regiment, but I was given the Shiseido Men’s line as a gift which I love/hate. Love because my face and a baby’s ass are in serious competition in the soft and smooth categories. Hate because this round was free and, like a drug dealer giving someone their first taste, I am hooked.

I have also always been a bit of a shaving snob. You know the type, shaving brush placed on it’s perch, shaving soap in it’s steel tub, and the straight razor that’s nearly killed me perfectly placed next to them both. Thanks to places like FSC and The Art of Shaving it’s much easier to find everything I need to make me feel much cooler than I really am.

Although this may sound like an ad for the above mentioned products and places, the truth is, the fact that these products and places exist for me to praise, just proves that men are not yet done evolving.

Photo Credits: Ralf Nau

Merging Marketing and Sales Through Shoppable Video

Roeland de Jong — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 06:00:18 +0000

Collections are often inspired by themes. Marketing campaigns aim to attach consumers to that theme, hoping that it inspires people on an emotional level. And while brands in our industry do pursue artistic brand expression, we often see campaign videos that don’t showcase any product. Similarly, it is often the most creative silhouettes of a new collection that are used for marketing purposes, (shows and campaign videos) while they may not be available in stores because retailers buy into more mainstream merchandise.

Who’s paying for that campaign video showcasing the new SS12 collection? Is it a sales or marketing budget?

Marketing and Sales have always been closely related. Marketing aims to sell the brand’s dream (branding) and drive people to purchase (sales). Flagship stores aspire to build a brand experience with retail functionality. There’s a reason for that. People buy into a brand and consume its products.

As the possibilities of online develop and we attempt to tie marketing material to e-commerce, we might have to rethink our campaign strategies. Branded videos inspire people to buy, preferably the products that sparked their inspiration. But what if these items will never be for sale?

Gucci shook up the industry by launching its first ‘shoppable video’ last year. The video was created specifically for that purpose, merging brand experience with product display so that people could actually purchase the featured items.

More brands, such as Paper London, seek ways to leverage video for e-commerce. The overwhelming response by the industry drives other leading brands to look for opportunities to do exactly the same thing.

FASHIONQLIC, a soon to be launched shoppable video platform I happen to be part of, is convinced that interactive fashion videos will be ‘the next big thing.’

“People first seek to be inspired by brand experience and subsequently desire to inherit the brand into their personal lifestyles by consuming its products. We have been merging brand and merchandise for years through flagship stores, and it’s about time we’re taking a similar leap digitally.”

FASHIONQLIC is a video platform turned retail destination for Fashion and Luxury, where the brand merges with merchandise, harnessing the power of video for e-commerce.

Another player grasping the opportunities of these new developments is THE LOOK NOW (www.thelooknow.com). THE LOOK NOW introduces mini-movies:

“Mini-Movies replace the traditional shoot with a compelling narrative and original music.”

This is one of the few examples that grasp the merging of marketing and sales. Creating a compelling narrative and integrating original music to reinforce the brand, while also composing film for the purpose of sales, help to achieve this.

At the very least, the tools of video are becoming more accessible. Creative direction is key to success and to making sure that all material is on-brand instead of yet another generic-looking backstage report. Commercially, we need to search for ways to create video content that can be leveraged for e-commerce in many different ways. Through a brand’s digital flagship and emerging platforms, they will position themselves on the horizon of Fashion and Luxury’s digital space.

Photo Credits: Xavi Arnau

Why Integrating Social Functionality To Your Site is a Powerful Play

Roeland de Jong — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 06:00:20 +0000

Throughout recent years we have seen the internet develop at a rapid pace. Online technology evolved, allowing brands the capacity to do more than ever before. Social network platforms have grown into today’s digital superheroes, as we’ve prioritized community and the quest for connecting the brand with as many users as possible. We have done this largely by allocating budgets to ‘social’ initiatives and leveraging Facebook, Twitter, Instagr.am and other social platforms for our brand.

Personally, I enjoy studying in an attempt to understand the course of evolution. To project brands into the future, one must think of innovative concepts that truly move the brand and industry forward. Technology changes and platforms arise to meet the needs and desires of the active online community. Therefore, if we know a little more about these needs and how the industry develops digitally over time to cater to these demands, we rapidly increase our chances of producing ideas that will move our propel our industry and put our brand in the spotlight. We have a chance at winning today’s game for online following and loyalty.

As marketers, we have all been smacked in the face with Maslov’s theory and the pyramid he cleverly constructed. But do we ever revisit that theory? Do we think it’s outdated? Do we perceive it as classical? Or rather, not fit for our modern world?

Well, now is the time to consider it.

Abraham Maslov introduced a pyramid: the hierarchy of needs. The theory was first published in 1943 and covered the various levels of human necessities. The pyramid is still relevant in spite of its shortcomings, and delivers an interesting angle for studying the evolution of the internet.

The internet started out as a bare bones digital world with websites that would now give us the creeps. The technology behind it was barely developed and opportunities to create websites were extremely limited. We have experimented with all that is possible and found ways to utilize the internet as an easy-to-access world of information; hence, the moniker ‘the information age.’

Recent years have also marked the evolution of social functionality. We have moved beyond the scope of an information age and created the possibilities of interacting with information, companies, brands, and one another digitally. Mere information has lost its dominating role and (social) interaction has clearly taken the lead. This makes total sense when one refers to the hierarchy of needs.

Social needs rank third on the Maslov pyramid. Even Clayton P. Alderfer, who revisited the Maslov theory due to its shortcomings, integrated ‘relatedness’ needs (social and external esteem) as a core component into his model of human necessities. People seek to belong to and participate within communities. Facebook, Twitter and Youtube, among others, have proven that answering the human need for relatedness is a driver for success.

Recent (extremely successful) digital initiatives integrating social functionalities beyond Facebook and Twitter have proven that social isn’t a mere add-on anymore. Instead, it’s becoming a conceptual requisite for online success and blazing the trail for the future.

JWORLD by JBRAND

http://jworld.jbrandjeans.com/

UNIQLOOKS by UNIQLO

http://uniqlooks.uniqlo.com/

ART OF THE TRENCH by BURBERRY

http://artofthetrench.com/

So now that social interaction with users, content, and brands is attainable, shouldn’t it thus be integrated in all initiatives we create? Does simple ‘sharing’ functionality do the trick? Or should we rather think of ways of how to allow users to interact with and be part of a community that surrounds whatever platform we are preparing to launch?

The answer to that last question is a resounding YES.

Photo Credits: Scott Heiner

The Role of Social Media in a Multi-Channel Proposition (A Presentation)