DIY Fashion PR | PR Couture: Fashion PR, Marketing & Social Media

Free Advice for Fashion Designers from 32 Fashion Industry Experts

September 21, 2011 5 Comments written by Crosby

While there is no one particular road to success when it comes to making it as a fashion designer, thirty-two industry experts including Miranda Almond, Fashion Editor at Vogue UK and Laura Weir, Fashion Editor at Drapers contributed their thoughts to “The Fashion Designer Guide,” a free ebook edited by luxury boot designer Mark Charles. The guide includes everything from production advice to PR as is the result of 9 months of outreach via social media. Here are a few choice PR quotes, including one from me!

People love a bit of provenance, nostalgia – find out the heritage and story behind your product and tell that story. Finally make sure your branding is cohesive, never be over familiar or too bossy on the phone and don’t be sloppy. Look out for grammatical errors in emails, always have contact details on the end of press releases and never forget to pay attention to a journalist’s deadline. Get the basics right and the rest will follow. – Laura Weir, Fashion Editor, Drapers

A good fashion PR agency is proactively seeking out opportunities for you and your brand and making things happen. PR agencies can assist with brand development, photography, web presence, media relations, event management and strategic planning. Like any professional relationship, a relationship with a PR agency works best when there is mutual respect and communication. You can help your agency be more successful by moving quickly on media opportunities, providing them the assets they need and implementing their recommendations. Be sure to require tracking reports and don’t be afraid to interview multiple agencies (and their current and past clients) until you find the right fit. – Crosby Noricks, Founder & Editor, PR Couture

A new designer needs to find out if there is a gap in the market for the new product. Research can be done by conducting surveys, talking to people, scouring the Internet, visiting stores to investigate price points and competition, and new designers would benefit greatly from developing a business plan. A business plan will help put a new business into perspective as far as cash flows, staffing, competitors, short and long term goals, manufacturing, website structuring and on and on. Once a new designer has decided to move forward on a new product, they should secure intellectual property by buying every website domain iteration and secure coinciding social media: Twitter account and Facebook fan page names for instance. – Courtney Blackman, Owner/Managing Dir – Forward PR

This guide (did I mention it’s free?!) is a wealth of information valuable to fashion designers as well as anyone working in fashion PR or marketing. It’s particularly interested to see how editors, designers, brand strategists and PR professionals approach success.

Filed Under: PR Couture, Tips & Strategy Tagged With: DIY Fashion PR, Fashion PR

What Fashion Editors Want You to Know about PR

September 1, 2011 1 Comment written by PR Couture

Written by Taryn Scher

Reporters and editors are jumping ship to play in the PR sandbox. For the publicists out there that have no idea what they’re doing- how to write a successful pitch, and how to appropriately follow up without being annoying, this should be cause for concern. After all, it only makes sense that a reporter- who knows what works and what doesn’t- would come over to PR and be far more successful than most who’ve been doing this for a while.

Over the past 3 years I’ve been lucky enough to serve as the local shopping expert on my CBS affiliate, and most recently as Fashion Editor for Town Magazine.

The lessons I’ve learned from being on the receiving end of pitches have been invaluable.

Read your email

Don’t waste a reporter’s time by asking questions that have already been answered. For example, in each email request I send out for my tv segments – I tell the publicist that I will send a link out to the segment as soon as it airs. Without fail, at least once a month I get an email asking how they will see the segment when it airs. I’m always so tempted to simply highlight the section in the first email where I wrote exactly how they’ll see the segment.

Do your own detective work

Nothing is more annoying than someone asking if a story ran when a simple google search or trip to the local newsstand or Barnes and Noble’s magazine rack could have answered that. If you aren’t resourceful you shouldn’t be a publicist. A simple google search will usually do the trick. On occasion if you still can’t find what you’re looking for, than by all means send a follow up.

Patience is a virtue

Don’t send an email to a reporter the exact same day a story is supposed to air or a magazine is supposed to come out. Take a breath. Give it a day or two. Many monthly regional publications might be behind by a couple of days and don’t have their magazines on auto-upload online. Same goes for TV links. Relax.

Pitch what is being asked for

If I’m looking for gadgets, don’t tell me about your 6 other “fabulous” clients. Especially when it comes to holiday gifts. You must accept that not every product you represent is a “gift” worthy item. You’re much better off to focus on the clients that truly have a great gift idea, than muddle the whole pitch with products that really won’t work (Bed Bug Spray is not a gift- I don’t care what anyone says).

Don’t send unsolicited samples

Bed Bug Spray- I’m talking to you again- no idea who or where you came from, but I did not ask for it.

But, f you say you’re going to send samples, send samples

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been expecting samples that never arrive. I call in just enough for my TV segment that I know I have time to air so if I fall short because I was expecting those samples, I have to scramble to fill the spot. I go back to the same people for TV segments with multiple clients and products because I know if I need samples overnight for an impromptu segment, they can help me out. If you can’t deliver than don’t offer them.

Don’t send daily follow ups and follow those up with phone calls

All of our clients want to know if they’re going to be featured. But you have to realize limitations on journalists’ ends. I respond to every single email once I’ve called in the sample. But when those emails start to become annoying- checking to see if the segment is still going to air, just checking in again- it becomes very annoying. Trust the reporter will do their job and send you the link when it airs. And know that with live tv, anything can happen. Same with print- nothing is a guarantee until you are holding it in your hands.

About Taryn

Taryn Scher is President of TK PR, specializing in luxury lifestyle, travel, food, wine and fashion. Taryn’s media achievements include articles and television features in US Airways Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, NPR, Fox Business News, O the Oprah Magazine, The Doctors, Men’s Journal, Real Simple, Time Magazine, People StyleWatch, Redbook and hundreds of others.

Taryn is a regular on WSPA’s “Your Carolina” morning show where she serves as a shopping expert and on WYFF where she hosts a monthly segment called “Schering Secrets”. Taryn is the contributing fashion editor for TOWN magazine. Taryn was most recently named the 2011 SBA Young Entrepreneur in South Carolina.

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Filed Under: DIY Fashion PR, PR Couture, Tips & Strategy Tagged With: DIY Fashion PR, Fashion PR, Media Relations

DIY Fashion PR: 5 Best Practices for Facebook Pages

July 18, 2011 1 Comment written by Crosby

Fashion Designer Heidi Merrick's Facebook Welcome Tab

Facebook: the most popular way to waste time during business hours in the world! The average Facebook user spends an hour a day on the site, and has liked 2-5 pages. A recent infographic from Get Satisfaction focuses on why consumers follow brands, and the insights make a strong case for not only having to your Facebook Page, but treating it with as much attention and care as any of your other communication activities:

Over 97% of people say that social media has influenced their decision to make a purchase of a brand or product.
Over 18% of people follow a brand on Facebook for interesting and entertaining content.
Over 36% of people follow a brand on Facebook for special deals
70% of those surveyed have entered a social media contest or sweepstakes

Facebook provides an opportunity to engage with customers where they are already spending their time – and used properly, can be a powerful tool for driving traffic (and sales) to your website.

Here are 5 ways to get started:

Create a Landing Tab with a Fan Gate

Much like your homepage, a welcome tab or landing tab provides first-time visitors the opportunity to get a feel for why they should join your Page. Provide a quick brief overview of the value of clicking that like button, and highlight a key promotion, upcoming event or recent bit of press coverage. This is also a great place to capture them into your email program. If you can tease your customer with a coupon, free download or other valuable piece of content, set up a Fan Gate, which is basically a teaser – you dangle the carrot (Swarovski, of course) and your visitor gets access to that carrot, after she clicks Like. This can do great things for your overall fan growth.

Promote Your Page Prominently – Everywhere

Rather than allowing your Facebook Page to be an afterthought, make it a priority. Promote your page on your packaging, receipts, invoices, email signatures, hang tags, email newsletter, postcards and press kits. Whether it’s packaging, clothing tags, etc., asking your fans to follow you on Facebook should be prominent and it should be viewed as a ‘call to action’ in and of itself. Engage your existing community by promoting social media contests via email. Include recent posts made by fans in a social media conversation sidebar.

Create Great, Conversational Content

Part of the draw of Facebook is conversation and community. Every time you post something, ask for feedback. Ask questions of your Facebook community – their opinions, their interests, and which color they like best. Provide a special, fan-only sneak peek or Facebook only extra discount on sale merchandise to show that you value your Facebook fans. Consider creating a monthly content calender with a variety of themes and make sure you promote your email list, mobile site and press as well as thoughts on trends, behind-the-scenes shots of your workroom, secret ingredient for making the perfect Bellini…in other words, find a balance between promotional, and personable content.

Facebook PPC Advertising & Sponsored Stories

Advertising you say? Yes, like you, we were once skeptical. The truth is that there is only so much you can do promoting Facebook without a little help from, well Facebook. And if you understand just how valuable a robust, active Page is, you should avail yourself of the budget-friendly (no minimum, you set your max) Facebook PPC ads and Sponsored Stories. Manage them yourself, target customers via age, demographics and interests and watch your numbers grow!

Facebook Places & Deals

For brick & morter stores, Facebook places and deals provides a great way to drive traffic into your store! Claim your location and offer a special deal for anyone who checks-in via Facebook. The check-in functions like a free promotion and WOM validation from one Facebook user to their friends. If you are a designer, consider working with boutiques that sell your line to run a promotion.

This just tips the iceberg of what is possible via Facebook. Make sure to check your Facebook insights and make note of what is working and what is not. When in doubt, ask your fans for their thoughts and ideas. Creating a collaborative space with fans increases loyalty and drives engagement.

Written in collaboration with Polina Raygorodskaya, an acclaimed analyst and public relations specialist for the
fashion, beauty, luxury and travel industry. As president of Polina Fashion LLC, she has addressed the marketing and public relations needs of countless up and coming designers and international clients. For more information, please visit www.polinafashion.com or email info@polinafashion.com.

Filed Under: PR Couture, Social Media, Tips & Strategy Tagged With: DIY Fashion PR, Fashion PR, Social Media