What do you do to stay in-tune with trends?
As a merchandiser, I will be expected to have amazing product aesthetic and be familiar with fashion trends. One of the ways many merchants understand fashion trends is by following fashion blogs; not only ones like Women's Wear Daily, but also others like The Sartorialist, The Cherry Blossom Girl and lesser known ones.
My mother subscribes to every fashion magazine, knows the hundreds of ways to tie an Hermes scarf, and even has a sweater Carrie Bradshaw wore. She’s the reason fashion and shopping have been such passions of mine and I’ve been fortunate enough that I’ve been able to make a career out of it and hopefully will continue to do so once I graduate, so I guess I better stay in-tune with trends and start following more fashion blogs.
According to a study done by Forrester Research, (http://www.marketingcharts.com/online/blogs-influence-consumer-purchases-more-than-social-networks-6616/ ), the number of people who read blogs at least once a month has grown 300% in the past four years, and what people read strongly influences their purchase decisions, more than social networks. Blogs factor into critical stages of the purchase process, mostly at the actual moment of a purchase decision. Companies have picked up on this consumer insight, and are using it to their advantage. So, now instead of merchandisers just picking up fashion trends from blogs to help them set optimal category assortment, companies are influencing bloggers to then influence consumers.
Does this take away bloggers influence on fashion trends?
Are consumers influenced as much by blogs knowing that companies are giving them free merchandise or paying them?
The way companies are using the influence of fashion bloggers strongly interests me and thus is a topic I would like to explore further in my research paper.
Gap recently announced a new global marketing campaign utilizing six well-respected fashion and lifestyle blogs. In the press release issued on February 14th, Gap called it “Styld.by, a first-of-its-kind digital collaboration”. Each of the blogs will style unique looks using key items from Gap’s collection for spring. The looks are intended to give consumers style inspiration and allow them to learn about the featured products. They will even be able to purchase directly from the blog.
“Styld.by is an evolutionary way to take the idea of a traditional catalog and deliver it in a way that encourages people to engage with it in a place where they’re already spending their time, like fashion blogs and music sites. By asking our partners to curate our favorite pieces in a way that’s relevant to them, we’re giving consumers more than just our point of view,” added Farbman (Global CMO,Gap)
According to fashion blogger Janis Galloway, dressmedearly.com, blogs have become a key strategy for retailers. Janis receives emails from marketing coordinators and publicists asking to send her merchandise or requesting her to blog about their product. She feels this leads to credibility issues and will not post anything does not align with her style and vision for her blog, but do others feel the same way? However, as Janis points out, “The marketers are getting smarter, but so are consumers.” I wonder if this is in fact true- do consumers believe this? Do they trust the fashion bloggers they follow?
Marketers are in fact getting smarter and more strategic at that. They are now working to collaborate with bloggers, such as Gap and its new Styld.by campaign. Retailers and some of the leading fashion brands are even having bloggers help design products. In 2010, Coach collaborated with four fashion bloggers, who each designed a custom bag which was then sold online. In 2011, Coach partnered with another blogger, Emily Johnston of Fashion Fois Gras. This time they designed an oversize tote meant to meet the needs of a busy blogger. Last August, clothing shop Farfetch.com partnered with online footwear boutique Six London and launched Six by Six, a limited edition footwear collection designed by six of the world’s most influential fashion bloggers. And apparently brands such as Forever 21 and Topshop have already been working with well-known bloggers.
According to Isa Lavaham, “One of the reasons (bloggers) are seen as authentic influencers is because they blog about what they love and what interests them. They influence their readers because they represent everyday people with real budgets, lifestyles and body shapes. To say that bloggers are reshaping the fashion industry is an understatement.”
Just how powerful is the blogosphere?
Will their influence on consumers change with this increase in collaboration with brands?
How do consumers feel about this partnership?
Will merchants still look to blogs for inspiration?
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