"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