Lane Bryant Shames Victoria's Secret in New Ad Campaign

      

      Lane Bryant's takes a stab at Victoria's Secret with it's new ad campaign #imnoangel. In an attempt to redefine beauty and what's considered "sexy," Lane Bryant took a hit to Victoria's Secret angel campaign and created their own #imnoangel campaign. The fashion retailer recently put out ads of plus size models(sizes 14-28) posing in Lane Bryant's lingerie line Cacique, to challenge retailers like Victoria's Secret and campaign against body shaming.
      Each picture included the hashtag #imnoangel with the goal to empower women and to love every part of themselves. The ads will be posted in-store, on TV, in print, on billboards, and on the retailers social media accounts. 
      The pictures look extremely similar to Victoria's Secret campaign in 2014, which exclusively had thin, runway models displayed under a banner that read "The Perfect Body." This specific campaign received a lot of backlash and was labeled as "irresponsible marketing" by setting unrealistic body expectations. Lane Bryant's campaign is creating a message to women everywhere that any size is beautiful.They even stopped putting the term "plus size" in their marketing materials to make an effort to move away from this expression, with the hope that other fashion retailers will follow in their footsteps and put an end to body shaming everywhere.


http://wwd.com/media-news/advertising/lane-bryant-launches-imnoangel-campaign-10108455/

It's All About the Pets

Brands looking to increase awareness are taking a different approach than normal. Apparently, a "man's best friend" is better at connecting with the everyday consumer online. Brands such as Marc Jacobs' are using the designer's pets to gain followers, as well as attention towards their brand. Marc Jacob's dog, Neville, has over 122,000 followers on Instagram. 

"I see more and more brands reach out about animals. They are fairly top-minded," said blogger directory Fohr Card co-founder, James Nord, about the increase in demand for non-human talent online. Today Fohr Card, is rolling out "Fur Card," which is a service that helps brands work with the most influential animals on social media. Just like their human counterparts, the animals will have their own profile page, ranked by Instagram followers. The directory consists of almost 400 animals with a combined total of over 30 million followers. Currently, Marc Jacob's dog is listed at #28th on the directory. 

Brands are finding increasingly creative ways to incorporate pets into their marketing strategies. Barney's New York did an online campaign for April Fools promoting the launch of their "Man's Best Fred's" menu (pictured) at their restaurant Fred's. Barney's found some of the most well known dogs on social media and took photos to put on the retailer's website and on Instagram that promoted the restaurants new dog-themed dsihesfor "canines with good taste." Barney's started posting the images from the photo-shoot on April 1st promoting the fake new menu as a classic prank.Animals were the subject of Lucky Brand's April Fools prank as well(pictured). 

So the question is...do you think using "Instafamous" animal is a smart move for a brand, and a great way to attract followers and potential customers? Or, do you think the whole idea is irrelevant and a waste of money?

"Smart" Jewelry: Connecting while Accessorizing

     If you thought fashion couldn't get any more tech savvy......you thought wrong.

     Ringly, a new, but already well known brand, designs and crafts jewelry that connects to your smart phone and notifies you about things that matter most. The jewelery is no only fashion forward, but it's functional. Ringly is discreetly integrating useful technology into our lives with both bracelets and rings that notify you using vibration patterns, when you get a call, email, text, or post on social media.
    Some people may think this new innovation is just another technological intrusion on our lives that makes us interact with people less, but it actually does exactly the opposite. Ringly vibrates with four different vibration patterns, and flashed four different colors, that you can customize. It takes us away from being glued to our screens and phones, and simply reminds or alerts us when we get notified, and then gives us the choice of whether or not it's an appropriate time to check our phone or computer.

    Although Ringly is only taking pre-orders at this time, the jewelry is set to launch and be delivered by Winter of 2015. Designers like Rebecca Minkoff are also catching on to this new fad and designing their own tech-savvy jewelery collection.
    Now the question is..... will you join in on this new fad and remain discreetly, while poshly, in touch?

Which Platform Will Give Your Brand the Greatest ROI?

Return. On. Investment. Three words that any brand with a social media presence is after. Most companies stray away from discussing it because it’s one of the hardest things to prove. ROI is difficult to track, and most brands and stores are reluctant to share this information. It cant be difficult to pinpoint and collect data on customer behavior leading up to sale, so most companies stick with like to share finite numbers, not ROI.
         

       It is becoming more apparent, especially in the fashion industry, that two platforms are giving brands the most bang for their buck.  Facebook-owned Instagram is fashion and retail’s go-to social medium, and is where the majority of brands’ social efforts are focused. Why? Because Instagram is the only social platform where engagement rates don’t decline as fashion brands gain more followers. Facebook-owned Instagram is considered the best medium for brand-based marketing, and it has an organic reach of 100 percent, making it one of the easiest platforms to invest in.

People may wonder how the investment in Facebook and Instagram is so helpful for brand marketing, when there it doesn’t allow for linking out or purchasing from the platform. On other platforms, as communities grow, engagement dips, because the brand gains followers beyond their specific target market. This doesn’t occur on Instagram. As the number of followers of a brand increases, engagement continues to increase as well. There is no negative correlation like we see with other platforms.

          Instagram’s and Facebook’s hold on the digital marketing funnel is an extremely powerful combination. Instagram  has an emotional hold on users that’s entirely organic. This initial behavior from the consumer will eventually combine with Facebook, which has a direct response and targeting tools. 

          An example of a brand that uses both of these mediums to their fullest extent is Calvin Klein. In the year since Calvin Klein rolled out its #mycalvins social campaign, the brand said it saw “unprecedented engagement” and “strong ROI” from its efforts, which included both organic and paid elements. Although ROI may be difficult to calculate, it is safe to say, when you take content from Facebook and Instagram, and place it anywhere else, you can expect a big impact.  


 http://wwd.com/media-news/digital/social-medias-elusive-goal-return-on-investment-10096379/
 

 

Are Camera Phones Killing Fashion?

       In the past few blog posts, I have praised social media and talked about it's positive influence on the fashion industry. Yes, social media is shaping the fashion industry in ways we never thought possible. With the help of social media and the platforms we have made a part of our everyday lives, we can now purchase items directly off Instagram, or see behind the scenes footage at any fashion show we want. So although all of these are great and experiential for the consumer, we have failed to see any negative aspects of social media in the fashion industry.
        Iphones, Galxaxy S5's, Androids.... it's rare that any mobile phone comes without a camera in our world today, and this has become a big problem for fashion weeks around the world. Social media reports from London, Milan, New York and Paris consisted of blurred pictures on Twitter where a viewer could barely make out the clothes or even the model wearing them on the runway. One writer commented on this topic and said, "The urge to post anything and everything linked to a fashion event has become frenzied, hysterical and masturbatory." Although technology has improved immensely over the past decade, smart phones that are equipped with cell phones are not designed to shoot fast-moving objects under high contrast lighting (see pictures below).

     A designer spends weeks on a single garment. A collection is made up of twenty plus garments, and this has to be done twice a year. The low-fi, poor quality images taken on smartphones is somewhat disrespectful to the designer who spent so much time putting together the brilliant collection that in a matter of seconds is being shared around the world via blown out and blurred pictures.
     So now the question is, should phones be banned at fashion shows? There was a time when phones weren't allowed at fashion shows, and only one photographer was allowed to record the event. By banning phones and keeping it simple, the fashion industry may be able to preserve the timelessness of each garment that makes an appearance on the runway, as well as give each designer the respect they deserve.


http://www.businessoffashion.com/2014/03/cameraphones-killing-fashion.html

"The Shop Your Instagram" Feature That's Changing the Game

Preen.Me is a content driven beauty community that has blown up every social media platform in the past twelve months whether it's Instagram, Youtube, or Facebook. They have over 8600 contributors that have shared over 36000+ looks, videos and tutorials with their community. The ultimate goal of their massive content-filled database is to serve as a basis for the next generation of e-commerce by bringing together the consumer journey and taking them from discovery to purchase, all while engaging and converting them. Preen.Me drives some of the most influential media in the cosmetic industry for clients like Lancôme and Sally Hansen, and they are about to make an even bigger name of themselves with a new feature on Instagram they launched January 26th(see below). 

This "shop your own Instagram" feature allows the entire Preen.Me community to buy products from the clientele showcased on Preen.Me's uploads via Instagram. In relation to the "shoppable Instagram" feature, Preen.Me has only partnered with one cosmetic company, Tweezerman (shown above), but they plan to reach out to their other clientele who they currently sponsor and work with. I feel as though this new feature will dramatically increase sales, exposure, and brand awareness for any brand in the fashion industry, if they implement this into their social media campaigns. If a consumer is genuinely interested in something posted by a brand on Instagram, and they have direct access to purchase the product or service right then and there, the chance of them making that final decision will be significantly more likely.

Today, our world is all about convenience, and in due time, I believe this feature will catch on, and be popping up left and right in every sector of our consumer industry.

The Shop Your Instagram feature rolled out this month with Tweezerman; a Bumble and bumble partnership launched January 26. - See more at: http://www.cew.org/eweb/DynamicPage.aspx?webcode=cbiTeaser&r01Key=C95D4833-10F2-4E26-ADBD-954DBB5AFBD4#sthash.3TfmRulv.ca2z6sgr.dpuf

The Shop Your Instagram feature rolled out this month with Tweezerman; a Bumble and bumble partnership launched January 26. - See more at: http://www.cew.org/eweb/DynamicPage.aspx?webcode=cbiTeaser&r01Key=C95D4833-10F2-4E26-ADBD-954DBB5AFBD4#sthash.3TfmRulv.ca2z6sgr.dpuf

Are Fashion Trends Extinct?

Mac Worth, the founder of Worth Global Stye Network (WGSN), a trend forecasting service, is infamous for working with big names such as, Kate Spade, Coach and H&M. Worth recently made comments in the media in regards to seasonal forecasting and how social media has changed the traditional approach of sitting in a room with several people and deciding which colors are going to be considered "in" two to three years from now. Although many fashion houses, particularly the ones in Paris, are sticking to the old fashioned take on trend forecasting, Worth has different ideas for his clients and his company.

Although Worth's entire company is based on forecasting new and upcoming trends, he believes the entire process has gone out the window. Why is that? Because of the Internet and media, fashion trends are now coming in bulk almost every day. Due to all of the social platforms that now exist, the once bi-annual cycle retailers knew and loved before is  now moving towards a feed of " constant product drops."

Today, trends are in and out infinitely faster than we are used to in the past. Celebrities, bloggers, and consumers all express their opinions via social media and have a significant impact on what trends stay and which ones go. Not to say that all trends die due to social media. For instance, The Valentino rock stud was only predicted to last one season but because of all the hype it's been given on social media platforms, the accessory has lasted almost EIGHT seasons.

So how do retailers and brand names keep their products around longer than a popular Tweet last on Twitter? It is vital that they continue to work on their brand identity and differentiate from your competitors. You want your products to become a "lifestyle," not just a trend. Worth made an extremely valid point when he stated that, "We’re moving from being trend-focused to lifestyle-focused… Some trends turn out to be short-lived, whereas others continue to evolve as they are more about lifestyle choices and style, rather than conspicuous consumption.”
Brands need to stop worrying about what is happening two years down the road and instead focus on who their consumers are now and how to adapt to their lifestyles by using social media tools to emphasize their position in the market. 

Luxury Brands Improving Consumer's Digital Experience

New research released last week by the digital marketing firm ContactLab, shows that luxury labels improved their customers digital experience by 8 percent in the last quarter of 2014. Twenty-eight brands were surveyed, and Gucci ranked at the top of the luxury brands with the highest digital customer experience score of 114, 
Louis Vuitton was a close second with a score of 102, and Tiffany, Cartier, and Ralph Lauren rounded out the top 5 with scores ranging from 100 to 95.

So, what do these scores really mean? Luxury brand are finally starting to tailor to their target markets and enhance their customer's experience through the use of digital media. During the three month period the survey was conducted, 7 of the 28 brands revamped their websites, and 5 firms introduced mobile sites. The majority of the brands researched have mobile sites which is extremely vital in today's world. ContactLab said most of the consumers that were studied opened their emails via their mobile devices as opposed to their computers. 

Burberry was ranked number one in the e-commerce section of the study which looks at a brands geographical reach, the number of languages available on a website, and how many products are sold on a brand's site. All 28 of the luxury labels studied continued to improve their e-commerce reach by 4 percent in the last quarter of 2014. 

If a brand is going to stand out in the over-saturated market of the fashion industry, it needs to be accessible from any device and mos importantly, the brand needs to make their consumer's experience "user-friendly."  

Massimo Fubini, chief executive officer and founder of ContactLab, made a profound statement that any firm should take into consideration, “Email has proved to be the most suitable method for building a long-term relationship. Every purchasing experience, whether online or off-line, is a point of contact which must be taken advantage of in order to build the customer’s loyalty.” 

http://www.wwd.com/media-news/digital/luxury-labels-improve-digital-experience-for-consumers-8135636?module=Media-Digital-main

3 Reasons Fashion Brands Rock All Social Media Platforms

 Across almost every social media platform, fashion companies have retained more followers than any other industry, and continue to do so using 6 different techniques that make it hard for users to ignore. During fashion week, Michael Kors fashion week board on Pinterest gained over 90,000 followers(Meyers, 2014) before his fashion show even took place. So how are these companies creating such hype amongst their brands?

1. Pictures are worth 1000 Tweets 
Platforms such as Vine, Instagram, and Pinterest are growing in popularity, and all three allow you to promote your brand or company using more than 140 characters. These social networks are also extremely visual and tend to be the most powerful for "product related conversations" amongst consumers. Because consumers have the ability to say whatever they want, and however much they want, about a certain product or brand, the conversations are driven by people, instead of only the brand itself. This is a great way to generate free earned media and traffic. Pinterest alone is already responsible for 23% of social media purchases (Meyers, 2014).

2. Tell a Story about Your Customers' Lifestyle (or the One They Wish They Had)
When coming up with a social media strategy, make sure you are targeting a clear customer, and telling a story that applies specifically to them. You don't want to focus solely on displaying your product, but rather on targeting a specific consumer and their needs or wants. A great example of this is seen by Kate Spade, and the #ohnewyork tweets that are trending from a New York "fashionista" who makes her way around the city sporting Kate Spade clothing and representing the brand in the most stylish way possible. The main takeaway is to think about who is using your specific product or brand. Your social media platform should explain to that customer segment how you are going to improve or change that specific area of their life. 

3. Online is the New Offline 
An example of this was mentioned in my last blog post about Fashion Week and the popularity it's gained through social media. By live streaming all of the shows, the industry was able to "bring the offline world of the tents to the entire Internet" (Meyers, 2014). In addition to live video, brands like J. Crew are using Pinterest to debut their fall catalog. By making their fall catalog exclusive to their Pinterest followers, J. Crew is giving consumers an incentive to to follow them via social media. Once they follow you on Pinterest, it is only a matter of time before they search your company on Instagram, Facebook, and every other social media platform. If you are struggling with figuring out what to put on social media, consider taking offline messages to online, and promoting them more efficiently through a platform that is the best fit for the particular message.

By tweaking your social media strategy to better incorporate the tips described above, your company, and it's entire image, will become public in the best way possible.

Notable Citation:  http://www.inc.com/stephanie-meyers/6-social-media-tricks-fashion-brands.html

How Social Media has Revolutionized Fashion Week

A decade ago, fashion week used to be “hush-hush” and extremely exclusive to the outside public whom had no connection(s) in the fashion world. Today, runway shows are streamed live online and even backstage cameras are present to give everyone a sneak peek of behind the scenes footage. Social media is not only transforming the industry’s brand, but the fan base as well by giving consumers and fans a voice. Through social media platforms like Twitter, almost anyone can live tweet and express their opinions about individual collections. 

In the past, editors were completely in charge. They picked out pieces from certain collections and made the final decision for what the public would see on the runway. Today, a high fashion magazine editor’s opinion, such as Anna Wintour from Vogue, is still extremely important; however, consumers at any income level have opinions that will influence what we will see on the runway.

Not only has social media revolutionized Fashion Week and the collections that designers choose to showcase, it has changed the industry as a whole forever. Designers such as BCBG no longer cater to only high-end cliental, but are now attracting younger consumers through Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Because runway shows are now streamed online, and designers such as Marc Jacobs and Tommy Hilfiger are connecting with consumers through all social media platforms, what’s considered “trendy” is accessible to almost anyone.

I enjoy the revolution that is taking place within the fashion industry due to social media. Not only are we able to voice our opinion about what we like and dislike, but also we are able to connect with our favorite designers with a click of a button. Social Media is making the fashion industry available to anyone regardless of his or her social status.