StyleCaster’s State of Style Summit was this past week. It’s meant to be a “counterpoint narrative to the style industry’s current conversation“. Well, we’re not 100% convinced that that’s what it was, but still there were some solid insights and a few really good pieces of advice.
So, rather than addressing each panel individually, here is a list of some of the more interesting observations and better advice that was dished during the day long event.
- Nothing works without emotional connect. You need to move people to shop your brand. – Mary Alice Stephenson (Style and Beauty Expert)
- You must have personality plus in everything you post on social media. – Mary Alice Stephenson
- Nike, Adidas, and Burberry are the top 3 brands on social media. –Mary Alice Stephenson
- You must tell a story that is greater than what your brand stands for. -Kimberly Henderson (Dove Hair)
- Social media can and should be used to perform market research as much as connecting with your customer. Learn their wants, needs, fears, and problems.
- Because of the “Times Square Affect“, people are bombarded with information. It’s imperative to find your story and tell it well.- Brandon Holley (Lucky Magazine)
- Always lead with user experience. Nothing matters if the users are frustrated with their experience with your brand.- Brandon Holley
- Never forget the human element when it comes to your digital content.
- Remember to consider the 360° approach; website, social platforms, TV, radio, print.
- Fashion is changing but there are still rules about how the business is conducted. You have understand them and then jockey the rules with the social media. – Uri Minkoff (CEO Rebecca Minkoff)
- Don’t ever stop studying or learning because then you stop evolving. Evolution is key. – Uri Minkoff
- Collaboration can work but it’s important to consider the timing. – Uri Minkoff
- Diffusion collections can also work but first think about your brand’s life cycle. – Uri Minkoff
- Branded content is crucial. You cannot just have the product, you must have content to accompany it. – Uri Minkoff
- Only 12% of purchases actually happen online. – Jon Steinberg (BuzzFeed)