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Thursday, December 30, 2010

Why the Fashion Industry Is Betting Big on Branded Online Content


The fashion industry’s use of branded content gained momentum in 2010. In 2011, retailers will have three big shifts to consider as part of their branded content strategy. While many brands approach branded content in different ways, Susan Etlinger of The Altimeter Group feels that all retailers and fashion brands must:

■Talk to their customers; consumers expect dialogue with the brands they care about.
■Need to be able to shift between channels — web, mobile, print, broadcast — with a moment’s notice in order to keep a constant stream of communication with customers.
■Maintain a consistent brand experience, no matter where the customers are or what they’re doing. To reach this new empowered consumer, retailers now need to think in three dimensions: social, cross-channel and local.

So what do these guidelines for effective branded content translate to fashion brands and retailers? That answer can be found in four evolving mediums: the use of video, indie fashion and big brand collaborations, Tumblr() as an engagement platform, and possibly giving online customers a healthy dose of reality