Great Real-Time Marketing

The Treasure Hunt and Jimmy Choo

As we were just saying consumers love a good "experience" and the demand for real-time information is booming, here comes a great marketing campaign from Jimmy Choo.

Over the nest few weeks pairs of trainers from the new Jimmy Choo lone will be hidden in what we have been promised are fashionable locations within Central London areas. The brand is going to be sending real-time clues about their location, who ever finds them first wins the pair! (in their own size of course)

A great way for social interaction online and offline!

Images from:psfk

The Modern Day Consumer

...expects innovation. With the fashion system and business models changing not only dramatically but also fast it can be hard to know which way to look. Focus and listen to the consumer is what the experts are recommending.

John Mangelaars, regional VP at Microsoft EMEA comments "There is a huge value in getting consumers engaged in real-time with services like Twitter"

and Joe Ferry who is head of design at Virgin Atlantic Airways continues,"Our whole company and our customers expect change, and innovation must be a service-orientated concept"

quotes-WGSN

I think consumers are getting more and more demand and greedy for communication and a dialogue between themselves and the brands and services they are into, it can be hard for a brand to successfully decide what information they are going to share with their customers. The media is talking about a 2 way conversation and I think the hard part (that I have also found with my own project) is what to give? Is a little discount enough? When eveyrthing seems to be about "experience" and will continue to be I don't belive that is enough.

Marketing Week Just Made Me Very Happy Indeed

An in-depth analysis on online real-time information has been the most helpful feature I have managed to track down in a while. I am focusing on real-time for my own project and I definately feel it going to become a much more popular way to conduct research and reveal true and up-to-date insights and trends. This method has only just got started and I know that there is a lot of room for future developments and new processes to emerge to reveal the true value of this.

Here are the best quotes of the feature from marketingweek.co.uk/in-depth-analysis

"Louise Evans: And brands need to bear in mind that real-time doesn’t just give a view of the present but also the future. It shows those areas where consumers are actively participating. The challenge for brands is to move into that area and make a dent in the market. Real-time data that gives a view into the future is a really powerful tool."

"Duncan Southgate: The current challenge is to deal with the volume of real-time data. We’re grappling with it from all different angles. It’s all about pulling together the right information to answer any question that is relevant to your brand."

"Paul Goode: Suddenly the internet comes along with “clickthroughs” and it is a massively seductive thing that drives the whole industry. About 30% of direct marketing budgets go into online and search because click-through is a wholly appropriate measure there."

"FCP: I don’t think we’re talking about a person or a programme. We’re talking about changing the infrastructure of research. If we collect data 24/7, then we need to add more self-service elements in order to harness it. The people within our organisation are used to managing data and we need to think about the user."

and I really great real-time search engine that I have been using is We Trendz.com which turns all realt-time information into data.

Architectural Innovation

Architecture isn't one of my specialists subjects but innovation doesn't fail to excite me! Reading what 3 architecture students have been up to in America has definitely been interesting. They bought a house, bargain price of $6,500, they live in it and have given it a complete refit.

An interactive floor plan, every room has more than one use and all the materials they have used have been donated by local business and are eco-friendly. Each individual room is treated as a cude rather than a room and the aim to make more "breathing" space for people and to not treat it so much as a home but as a functional object. The future of living? Maybe with room for building houses running out this could be the solution.

source:wallpaper.com

This Years Most Powerful Luxury Brands

It's good to know that even in the recession luxury brands are progressing, making money, are evolving in terms of digital developments, web 2.0  and are creating a story (all about the heritage and history of the brand-see previous blog entry!)

Here are the top 5, list from Millward Brown

1.Louis Vuitton

2.Hermes

3.Gucci

4.Chanel (it wouldnt be the same without it)

5.Hennessy (LVMH-owned cognac brand managed to creep in)

All Change for Louis Vuitton

I can hardly contain my excitement for what I have just witnessed...Louis Vuitton website has had THE makeover of the season. Last time I went onto the site it looked like this:

You can see that one upon a time is was indeed ahead of its time, the slickness and simplicity of the whole thing is what made it successful in the first place but now things have gotten a lot lot better.

It is no secret that brands have recently gone back to their roots, their core values and beliefs, their company history and their reason for settting up the brand in the first place and Louis Vuitton's new website is the perfect example of how combining digital interactive media along with the brand's history can be a success.

I have become slightly obsessed with analysing the interactive map, goint to "fashion shows" and back to the "family house". It is such a visually stimulating website you can't help but interact.

Louis Vuitton are back in the game!

visit it now: http://press.louisvuitton.com/TheJourneyOfaWardrobe

The Interview of the Season

Business of Fashion is going to be livestreaming an interview with leading industry editor Jefferson Hack, and I simply can't wait. I have been following their updates on their website and it was only when demand got so high that the organisers decided to broadcast it live.

source:www.businessoffashion.com

The recent development to the whole event has been getting blogs involved in all the fun, leading fashion blogs Style Bubble, Bryanboy, Tavi Gevinson and fashionista will all be livestreaming the event for them. It is such an effective way to create user participation online, users can comment and have online discussions about the event and what their thoughts are, an excellent way for the organisers and brands to see what people's impressions of fashion and luxury currently are...a very good and contemporary way of gathering valuable research.

eBay's New Marketing Campaign

In order to promote fixed priced goods that are sold on eBay.com the site is due to start a major marketing campaign in May 2010 (just a month away!) to drive in sales and to let more people know that the site sells many goods not second hand but straight from distributors. The plan is to promote the site as an online retailer rather than an online auction and have a key focus on fashion as this is an area that brings in a significant amount of profit for them. Ebay isn't revealing too much but reveals that there will be a print version of the campaign but also something is happening outdoors...

Technological Changes

The new Plink Art app has enabled the question "whose work of art is this?" to be answered anytime and anywhere. The app holds thousands and thousands of new paintings and all users have to do is photograph the work of art the see in front of them and then the name of the artist is identified and users can also order a print copy of it if they like it. An example of such an innovative and useful app that delivers accurate results, all brands seem to be popping out apps here and there and some without deciding on a point of difference or an intreresting twist and I believe this is an example that works very well.

source:itunes/appstore

The £1 Effect

What to do when consumers are tightening their belts and counting the pennies, Net-a-Porter's sister site Outnet.com held a sale on Friday that saw everything being sold for £1, everything. But surely the £845 shoes from Stella McCartney would have made a huge huge loss and what about the Miu Miu £600 silk shirts and the Fendi £590 bag?? Well the site show soo much world wide traffik and so much demand it made profits that were incredibly high and just goes to show sometimes the premium price can be left to the side for a moment and all the masses to take over.

“Whilst we were prepared for the volume of traffic the sale would deliver, we were overwhelmed by the speed at which people came to the site." The Outnet.com

New Vintage Fashion Website

After visiting Anita's Fashion Fair earlier today (it was amazing-very unique and rare clothing items and accessories to buy) I have decided to have a little dig at their online space and I have to say its divine!

The website has a "virtual market place" especially created for buyers, dealers, boutique owners & for anyone else who is interested! Not only that but you are allowed to open your own vintage boutique, this is free to do and exposes you to the large, currrent customer data base that the site holds. Furthemore I like this website because it informs you about all vintage events coming up.

sources:http://www.vintagefashionfairs.com

Its a really great, specialised website that I think is ticking all the boxes & TimeOut, Stylist Stuff & Mail Online have all given it the thumbs up.

Design Fair, Salone del Mobile 2010

The exciting design fair in Milan is a new inspiration for design, colour, pattern and style. All shapes that are sure to inspire next seasons brands. The fair includes pieces from a classical desing to completely new modern inventions.

My favourite pieces...

For more info about the exhibition and many many more images click below:

http://www.cosmit.it/tool/home.php?s=0,2,67,71,75

Wonders at Kensington Palace

The Enchanted Palace exhibition at Kensigton Palace had really captured my imagination and I can't wait to go next week. Wildworks, a UK theatre company and designer including Vivienne Westwood, Stephen Jones and Boudicca are transforming the palace into a unique & modern experience that has already attracted a hell of a lot of press and many visitors. The palace features some extremely beautiful rooms, the image below shows a dress by William Tempest that takes place in Queen Victorias room.

Fashion is definitely having another one of its moments at the present time, where innovation and the thirst for something individual that we haven't seen before is pushing the boundaries and the result in this case is so fun and interesting.

Fashion Exhibition of the Week

Grace Kelly at the V&A

The exhibition, which is opening in 2 hours!, will be showing dresses that Grace Kelly made famous in the 1950s, including her dresses featured in "Rear Window" and "High Society".

the Oscar dress

the "rear window" dress

Vitis the exhibition here:

http://www.vam.ac.uk/whatson/event/547/date/20100417/

White Gallery Attracts Them All

The new concept store in Rome has already attracted a huge crowd. It takes up a glorious space of 54,000 square feet and sells fashion, accessories, food, books and beauty - something for everyone so noone can complain. It sounds as though it could be just a department store with the "concept" in its name to make it more attractive. But that the White Gallery building is part of a sophisticated development in the EUR district, and they are building their own little town surrounding it, new appartements, stores including hairdressers, boutiques and florists & of course as the name woud have it the store looks like a modern, very clean, very fragile but massive gallery.  

A really innovative and grand way to create a new shopping experience and attract consumers.

The New Marketing Tool Everyone is Excited About

I remember during a research project before Christmas exploring all the new online videos and short films that brands where creating to build on their brand essense. I remember the Nick Night exhibiton that broke the boundaries between fashion and film and the trend took off rapidly.

But now brands are getting smarter at using them effectively as a new marketing and sales tool. Pokeware is a tool that has been used by MTV and Paramount Pictures and it allows viewers can not only admire the video they see but they can click and shop away there and then.

Dazed & Confused have now incoporated this new media and made it work for them.

source: Pokeware

The above image is a snapshot of the new trailor, it displays the designer and in other vidoes they have featured the cost and where people can find the product to purchase.

I think this is such a more interesting and innovative way to sell outfits during an economic downturn, it gets people excited about clothes again, and seeing them being worn right in front of us;  makes them even more desirable.

The Girl Who Sells

She is Everywhere. She Can't be avoided. And everything she is seen wearing sells out fast. She opens and closes catwalk shows, appears to be on every magazine cover, and if not cover she will be in there somewhere - hidden in a photoshoot- and takes center stage on the best fashion luxury brands...

Freja Beha

Chanel Campaign

For Gucci

Numero Magazine - Front Cover

Closing Chanel Catwalk Show

Yet Another Vogue

Backstage at Stella McCartney

Best model around...

And Speaking of Fashionair...

Becoming slightly obessed with Fashionair recently, it is even better than I mentioned in my previous post. It has launched an incredible video with Christian Louboutin tap-dancing away with his recently launched spike shoes, that part is in black and white with only the red sole of the shoes making an appearance. Just finished watching it and it is just so magical and fun. Great to see a designer not taking themselves too seriously and enjoying their creations.

But it gets oh so better. Fashionair allows you to enjoy the film and them right next to it you can buy the shoes featured and many more, By watching the shoes in action it is soo much harder to resist them when they are displayed so close...

I used to think film was just a new way of advertising products by wathcing them move and be worn by glamorous models but Fashionair shows how it can be taken a step further and used as a new marketing tool.

The great video that can't be missed...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Gk5A6q-6NE&feature=related

The New Politics

Online source PSFK has picked on a rather intersting and quite influential development between social media and politics, that is taking place in the much talked about Brazil. Votenaweb , as its called, allows users to "approve or reject the bills presented by the Brazilian Congress".

This seems to me to be such an incredible new develpment, people can go back and have a clearer vision of project ideas, bills and voting. All online, and its all made much much simpler for everyone.

To read more about it visit the site yourselves:

http://www.votenaweb.com.br/

A New Fashion Favourite

FASHIONAIR.COM is combining interactive design along with the best fashion designers, trends, styling tips and most wonderfully interviews with industry experts. Its a great example of online digital media.

The website's USP is listening to what consumers really want and expect from an online fashion service. Items are hand picked by the editors, you can shop by your body shape (i totally love that) and the Personal Style section allows you to view the looks of the most stylish people across the globe (no its not like Vogue.com or Style.com here you can view what they wear 24/7!) and there is a personal space that you can upload your favourite videos, clothing items onto and hope and wish one day they will be yours.

Oh and to add to all this, you dont just buy high street or designer, it mixes the best of both worlds. It's just all about blurring it all together. A trully great site. We need more of them.

Fashionair.com