As more technology and digital tools become available for brands and companies to utilize, brands need to transform and rethink their strategy to become more PHY-GITAL.
What does this exactly mean? During this year's TRAFFIC Paris Trade Show with The Fédération Française du Prêt à Porter Féminin, Launchmetric's very own Senior VP of Industry Relations, Jessica Michault, presented a workshop on the topic of "Digitally Powering Your Brand." One of the biggest issues we have found is that brands lose many valuable opportunities when they think about their digital strategy after their physical strategy. To think more PHY-GITAL means that from the beginning of any project or launch, brands need to think about their goals and consider how the physical and digital experiences can both be integrated within the planning process from the start. In case you missed the workshop, here are the 7 brands that are not only digitally powering their brand, but they're doing it right by thinking more PHY-GITALLY.
One of the key factors to a successful launch is social media. Brands need to be clever and find an interesting method that not only delivers its message, but also survives the large amount of noise on social media.
Gucci’s #GucciGram Instagram project is a perfect example of a brand that is successfully sending their message out to the public and creating a fluid content marketing strategy. The #GucciGram project invited artists to reimagine Gucci’s iconic prints into trendy Instagram images. For its recent Baselworld watch launch, Gucci once again engaged its fans for help, giving them the opportunity to create humorous and original memes that the brands used to post and promote their new watch collection. Through the hashtag #TFWGucci, this clever strategy engages and taps into the millennial zeitgeist and allows the brand image of Gucci to be more cool and trendy than ever.
Another brand that is dominating Instagram is Missoni. The brand has been able to ingeniously use the platform’s features to promote the brand’s colorful personality. During the last show, designer Angela Missoni created pink pussy hat knit caps for all the guests attending, resulting in a sea of selfies of guests wearing their pink hats. On International Women’s Day, Missoni gathered all the selfies taken and posted them through the platform’s new multi-image functionality, which allows users to post up to 10 images on a single post. This created a tribe-like sense of community on the brand’s Instagram. With all the images of people wearing the distinctive and eye-catching hat, the brand made a both a powerful political statement and a powerful fashion statement.
Sample tracking is another huge nightmare for many brands and press members. From ordering up looks to returning them on time, many items get lost or misplaced in the process. But now, many leading brands have implemented Launchmetrics’ Samples tool, which helps brands digitally track all their samples. One of the brand’s that has turned to our technology is Kate Spade. With the tool, brands have not only dramatically reduced sample loss by 85%, but also increased productivity by 92%, which translates to more brand coverage in valuable publications.
"It’s simpler and more reliable to track samples though Launchmetrics Samples…when sharing a limited sample set between departments, the more detailed information you have, the better." Grace Adams, Public Relations Manager at Kate Spade New York
Another key success to launches within the fashion industry are the shows and presentations themselves. Many times, guests will experience long wait times before being able to enter the show and get their seats. As a result, digital technology can truly help streamline this process in a significant way.
One example of a brand that is applying technology in this area is Tommy Hilfiger. At Tommy’s shows, guests can directly arrive at the show venue and scan their Apple Watch for check-in effortlessly. For those who may not necessarily have an Apple Watch, the GPS Radar app allows guests to bring out all their show bar codes for easy check-ins to the fashion shows that use Launchmetrics Events software. For those who are interested in a show, they can find relevant information, request samples, or even share runway images to their social media platforms, all directly on the Radar app.
Next up is Fendi. The brand beautifully combines digital innovations to the traditional by embedding RFID chips into their hard copy show initiations. This allowed guests to seamlessly arrive and check-in at a fashion show without losing the chicness, which is oftentimes not the case when guests have to stand outside in poor weather conditions, waiting to be checked-in.
Data is now a hot topic for any given industry and after years of trying to understand the real impact of a show or event, we now have the ability to utilize big data and come up with concrete numbers, as well as information to help us track a brand’s performance and identify the keys to success. For example, which key influencers a brand should team up with or how a brand should create and market their next collection.
Balmain is a brand that has truly embraced the power of data and been receptive to data technology. Through partnering with Launchmetrics, the brand used our Concierge Service to develop a short list of niche influencers that the brand could invite to their most recent show. In the end, Balmain invited one of these niche influencers, measured her impressive echo and reach on social media after the event, and tracked how organically effective she was with promoting the brand to her likeminded, Balmain-loving followers.
Last but not least, wearable tech. This category is still growing, but a few brands have already seen incredible results from their investments.
One of our favorite examples is Levi’s, who partnered with Jacquard by Google to create Levi’s Commuter. Their latest Levi’s Commuter Trucker jacket is designed with Google’s Project Jacquard technology, allowing cyclists to wirelessly access their phones and their favorite apps. From adjusting music volume, silencing phone calls, or finding out their estimated arrival times on their destinations, users can simply just touch their jacket sleeve.
By embracing digital technology and tools, these 7 brands have been able to cleverly engage with their consumers effectively and efficiently. For the brands that harness the latest advancements in digital technology, they will be able to make any launch or project a strategic success while creating a loyal customer base.
What brands to you think are ahead of the game when it comes to digital marketing and use of technology? Please share your thoughts with us in the comments bellow!
Header image: Fargo
By Launchmetrics Content Team
The Launchmetrics content team is always on the lookout for new trends in the fashion and technology sector. We are geeks with style and lovers of good stories!
