Lights, Camera, Fashion - Q&A

This is the conclusion to my post ‘Lights, Camera, Fashion – Prelude.’  Here are the key questions and answers from the panel. I should reiterate that the answers are paraphrased and reflect my views more strongly than the views of the panellists. That’s not to say that I have made stuff up. What I’ve tried to do is capture the essence of what was said in relation to fashion in the digital age.

Why are northerners better at e-commerce?

Historically, the city was a hub for textiles manufacturing especially cotton. Online fashion can be seen as an extension of this tradition and the new businesses are true to their roots because they continue to maintain strong ties with fabric wholesalers locally.

Not having the same resources as the megacities like London means that the North has to operate and innovate differently. The panellists appreciated the fact that the business community here is more close-knit and collaborative. Fashion businesses benefit from access to a range of advertising agencies and tech companies at their doorstep, which makes it less expensive to go digital. And this gives them the competitive advantage over other businesses less well-situated.

Mark (Missguided) seems to suggest that a key ingredient to (Northern) success is humility. Missguided are not afraid to admit that they are still learning and they are prepared to have honest and open conversations with competitors on shared problems.

How important is social media?

For Nadine, social media makes an impact by shrinking her marketing budget. Three elements of her marketing strategy include Instagram, blogging and celebrity endorsements. She thinks that this approach is more organic and targeted because she is able to reach prospective customers without breaking the bank. Similarly, for Edward (One Iota), social media creates a level playing field and there is no barrier to access because small businesses can be just as successful as large ones. In this environment, what matters the most is the ability to produce great content rather than the size of your budget.

How do you choose the right platform?

Mark thinks that you have to go native, which means knowing who your customers are and engaging with them on the platforms that they use. This takes a lot of time and effort and perseverance because customers are not simply going to fall at your feet based on one picture or one post alone. You have to make them want to listen to your story so you have to tell it in a way that is compelling, clear and consistent. Leanne (Glamour) agrees that it is important to put your customers first when you use social media. Whenever you want to post something, you should ask yourself this: would you share it with your friends?

Who’s that girl? In order to put your customer first, you have to create a profile of who they are. From there, a business can cherry pick the right platforms that would enable it to reach its ideal customers. For Leanne, the ideal Glamour girl is a 27-year-old and, when she writes or posts anything on social media, she is addressing that person. On the other hand, Missguided is interested in 18 to 35-year-old women based on the data they have about their current customers. Their strategy is to engage with their customers visually (ie Snapchat) and to tell stories (ie Instagram). Nadine is interested in 15 to 50-year-olds and she uses different platforms depending on the age of the customer – Instagram for the younger generation and Facebook for the older generation.

Is all engagement on social media good engagement?

Nadine pointed out that social media is not without its risks. One major issue she’s had to deal with is protecting her brand from counterfeits. She uses Trustpilot and Google reviews to reassure customers that her business is legit and to distinguish her brand from the fakes. This issue with counterfeits is perhaps aided and abetted by the rather underdeveloped copyright laws in the fashion industry. For instance, you can simply change five things on a design (such as a dress) for it not to be classed as a fake / copycat. This includes changing the fabric or the type of embellishments (such as zippers and buttons).

Another risk factor is dealing with online feedback. According to the panellists, no business is immune to negative feedback and social media makes it very visible and impossible to ignore. Missguided is keen to be transparent and they accept negative comments (which are never removed or taken down on their site) as an opportunity to make improvements to the way they serve their customers.

How important are influencers? How do you become an influencer?

Using an influencer is a great way to reach new customers and businesses are increasingly collaborating with them to bring new items to the market. Missguided launched new lines with two influencers and will likely work with more of them in the future. For Nadine, the type of influencer she is prepared to work with is someone with over 50,000 followers. More importantly, the influencer should have a relationship with their followers that transcend merely receiving likes on Instagram / Facebook / YouTube. They should be able to shape (influence) how their followers think about fashion and what they wear or use.

What’s on the cards for e-commerce? How are things likely to change in the future?

Word on the grapevine is that Kim Kardashian is launching Screenshop – an app that lets users find cheaper alternatives to the styles that they love. (Aside: Penny from The Big Bang Theory had a similar idea for a shoe app many seasons ago – I just want to point that out even though I don’t watch that show anymore).  Leanne is optimistic about the app being good for small businesses whereas Nadine is more cautious (perhaps because of past experiences with counterfeits) and is interested in seeing how this type of service will be regulated.

More technology. Edward thinks that technology will have a transformative impact on the way we shop. In some cases, fast fashion is beginning to take root. For example, Adidas do 3D printing of customer-designed trainers. There is better technology to enable visual searches and this will become more common in the future. Similar to the way you can visualise how a room will look with your particular furniture (think IKEA and real estate / architecture firms), you will be able to customise your look before buying with augmented reality.

Mark thinks that we would likely see the resurgence of the retail store as businesses seek competitive advantage elsewhere. It will no longer be enough to simply have an online presence – businesses will have to take into consideration other ways to distinguish themselves either through pricing, customer service, delivery, etc. He is looking forward to the day when websites become obsolete and services are delivered natively via the platforms that people regularly use. He thinks that the UK retail scene currently lacks an identity which will change as businesses grow accustomed to the idea of using a store to create a vibe/experience for customers.