Tag: Michael Kors

New Social Media App, Vine, Could be the Next Big Thing For Fashion Brands and Blogs

Vine is a new social media app that was released by Twitter in January. Three months later, the video mobile app is number one on the U.S.’s list of free iPhone apps.

Vine allows users to create six-second videos and share them with their followers. Many people think of Vine as the “video Instagram.”

The giant increase in popularity for the app should be an indicator of a huge opportunity for companies –luxury retailers and fashion brands especially.

Two weeks ago, I discussed the importance of using Instagram for luxury brands. These companies can engage with their customers and allow them to be a part of their social media campaigns. Like Instagram, Vine allows brands to engage with their consumers and allow them connect on a more intimate level. Vine has the advantage of video and sounds that Instagram doesn’t have and because of this, there are much more creative opportunities.

“And if anything, Vine is even better at capturing “the now” than Instagram.” – Chris Taylor from Mashable

Check out this Vine post from luxury brand, Michael Kors:

 

Vine’s popularity is increasing every day, and fashion brands need to take notice and start creating content that Vine users can engage with. Through video and audio, these companies can create beautiful six second videos of their products that customers can understand easier than a simple photo like on Instagram.

Vine has recently begun allowing users to add hashtags to their videos (thanks to their parent company, Twitter) so users can explore videos much more easily.

What do you think about this new app? Do you use Vine? Is Vine the next big thing? Will it ever have more active users than Instagram (which has about 90 million current active users)?

You can follow me on Vine through my twitter account @JacksonStanley

How Fashion Brands are Using Instagram to Connect to Customers and Promote Brand Image

Fashion brands are looking for new ways to connect with customers more than ever. Across the industry, brands are focusing more on increasing their digital and social media presence. One of the ways these brands are doing this is through the mobile app, Instagram. The app’s website says this about who they are and what Instagram is:

“Instagram is a fun and quirky way to share your life with friends through a series of pictures. Snap a photo with your mobile phone, then choose a filter to transform the image into a memory to keep around forever. We’re building Instagram to allow you to experience moments in your friends’ lives through pictures as they happen. We imagine a world more connected through photos.”

Brands like Michael Kors, Urban Outfitters, and David Yurman are utilizing Instagram and using the app to connect with customers, promote their brand image, and allow their customers to be a part of their content creation.

The luxury accessories and apparel brand, Michael Kors, has one of the largest Instagram following of any retail brand. With over 640 thousand followers, the brand has a giant opportunity to engage with this large following while promoting brand image.

In February, Michael Kors launched a new mobile campaign called “falling in love.” The campaign allowed Instagram users to take a picture of their favorite Michael Kors products with the hashtag #fallinginlovewith.

 

 

Urban Outfitters also took a similar approach and focused its Instagram campaign on the customer. Urban Outfitters told Instagram users that by uploading a photo with their favorite looks from the store with the hashtag #UOonYou they could be featured on the company’s website.

 

 

Luxury jewelry brand, David Yurman, is also increasing their attention on Instagram. With the hashtag #showyourcolors, David Yurman asks customers to show them in David Yurman spring 2013 products (which are very colorful) for a chance to be a part of the campaign.


Instagram is extremely valuable, especially for luxury apparel brands, whose success rely on trends and style. By connecting and engaging with customers on a personal level, customers are the ones who are building brand image.

PR and Social Media’s Opportunity to Improve Accessibility to Fashion

In the January 2013 issue of W Magazine, (one of the leading luxury-fashion magazines in the world) editor-in-chief Stefano Tonchi wrote in his editor’s letter:

“At W, we believe that art and fashion are two of the most important contemporary cultural forces.”

Fashion has a large influence on society and culture; however, fashion is often dismissed as frivolous or obnoxious.

In the fashion documentary The September Issue, Anna Wintour (editor-in-chief of Vogue) said

“ I think what I often see is that people are frightened of fashion. Because it scares them or makes them feel insecure—they put it down. On the whole people that say, demeaning things about our world I think that’s usually because they feel, in some ways, excluded or, you know, not a part of ‘the cool group’ so as a result they just mock it.”

Anna Wintour is correct, unfortunately. The fashion industry has historically been extremely exclusive. Only a margin of the population can enjoy fashion and have access to it.

This is where PR and social media have a huge opportunity. Fashion is such a giant cultural force, but few in our society have access to enjoy it and this margin dominates the industry.

PR and social media in the luxury-retailing world face a dilemma: to focus on this margin and continue the exclusivity of the industry, or, utilize the power of PR and social media and make fashion more accessible to the rest of society.

Social media is extremely important for the fashion industry. Data aggregator website, Starcount, collects information on social media engagement about celebrities, sports teams, brands, and others topics of interest. During the week of January 28th – February 3rd 2013, fashion brands Michael Kors, Dior, Louis Vuitton, and Chanel were all in the top 10 of trending brands.

Social media allows a brand to engage with consumers and become more personable. PR professionals can utilize this strength to remove the exclusivity of fashion to consumers and increase consumer interest.

In The September Issue, Anna Wintour also said: “There is something about fashion that can make people really nervous.”

PR and social media have the ability to challenge this idea and create more positive brand equity for fashion labels and luxury-retailers.