FASHION[UNFOLD]: BLOGGERS vs PR/MARKETING

@missSLY & Designer @Ms_DeMoyo Present

The November Edition of Fashion[Unfold]

NOVEMBER TOPIC: Bloggers vs PR/Marketing

Internet and social medias have changed the way we communicate, interact and ultimately do business and it’s no different for the Fashion industry.

Everyone spends more time online, so developing a strong and recognizable “voice”, an online identity for you or your brand is that much more important.

Fashion Bloggers are doing extremely well in the “online identity” department, so naturally Designers & Brands approach them for marketing and promotional reasons (see previous Fashion[Unfold]).

Collaborating with the right Blogger could result in more exposure and media attention for brands, which is in part what PR/Marketing aim to achieve for their clients. 

Two top Fashion houses successfully merged PR & Blogging, the now famous PR girls: @OscarPRGirl and @DKNY.

So does that mean that Blogging is the new way to successful PR/Marketing? Have Bloggers changed the way PR/Marketing firms operate now? How do you see this dynamic evolving? 

Check our what our Fashion[Unfold] panelists have to say, and join us to share your views via Twitter, under the #FashionUnfold hashtag.

Fashion Designer Paidemoyo Chideya of DeMOYO

Fashion Designer Pai Chideya has created her label which encapsulates her vision of the fashion world and her efforts to give back. She genuinely works on infusing help into the infrastructure of suffering economies, creating jobs and sourcing locally in Africa. 

Technology has added a much unanticipated, pivotal role in the way people express themselves. The emergence of the bloggers world has thrown a wrench into a much idealized system that was set in stone for decades. 

As an emerging fashion designer with an extensive history in fashion, I have realized that there are two dynamics at play.

The first being the ascendance of Bloggers, which has shown the ability to cut out the middle man- the PR/Marketing rep. A relationships with an established Blogger could be the answer for designers who may not have the means to afford PR services.

The second notion is that the monopoly of the fashion industry by the fashion elite is quickly being replaced by people establishing their own voice, having figured out a formula to access their target audience, and thus to have an influence.

The world is growing smaller in that there is less separation, less distance, less time, a world where people want to interact with each other more, and make everything more accessible.

Where PR firms bring exclusive and perhaps the elite world to designers, bloggers bring the masses. Both parties are still vital, but the need for the middle man is diminishing as the world gets more connected.

Dominique, Freelance Stylist and Fashion/Style Blogger for http://OhCHCIFancyhuh.wordpress.com .

The way people communicate has and should affect decisions of designers/brands. In order for companies to remain successful they must change with the times and grow with their customers.

Bloggers are having a major affect on consumer purchases because they represent real people giving real opinions that are unedited and unscripted.

Designers teaming up with bloggers reach a new market that may not be familiar with their particular brand.

However, I do feel that as bloggers continue to get attention from designers/brands they will also start to lose the trust of the consumers because it will seem that blogs are being launched just for the perceived perks.

So, do I think bloggers should be the only marketing tool for Designers/Brands? No way!

PR firms are an essential marketing tool to designers because they are the masterminds behind the designers’ evolution into major brands.

PR and Bloggers have both become a major part of the “circle of fashion life” because of the explosion of dependability on accessible online resources and information.

 

Charlene Grace, Fashion & Lifestyle Publicist/Social Media Strategist from www.lebrandediva.com

Having an online identity is very important nowadays, especially for companies that focus on branding.

Though brands hire bloggers, they always keep in mind that whoever they choose will and can represent them well, with that, a PR usually presents which blogger to approach.

In my opinion, I don’t believe that bloggers are the new ways or the right people to represent a brand as a marketer or PR in social media unless that person has such background.

Bloggers’ responsibility is to voice out their personal opinion or to critic the brand they are writing about and also to influence their target audience to purchase or to “like” the brand, while PR put together and create a strategy for a brand to be memorable in public.

Let’s not forget, PRs have relationships with editors and/or the media industry, which a brand needs while a blogger simply just writes about their opinion about a brand.

Brands should hire both PRs and Bloggers as each has its own purpose. In this era, I am convinced that brands will focus on looking for PRs/Marketers that have blogging skills and fans that they can influence.

Erica Diane C, Marketing/Social media/PR fiend, in all things fashion, music & lifestyle!

In today’s digital world with all the social communicating networks, blogger’s are one of the top media sources to be acknowledging and including into your PR and communication.

Their dedication, knowledge and networks of industry contacts make them a fundamental connection and source for your company.

Bloggers bring an individual outlook on fashion & lifestyle. They have unique followers, content and perspectives on topics, events and style.

For example Scott Schuman (The Sartoralist) has 104,772 Facebook “likes” and 61,337 twitter followers. In comparison Elle Canada has 26,409 Facebook “likes” and 13,805 twitter followers.

It goes without saying that a notable and influential blogger has a lot of power and is in a strong position to promote or perhaps criticize your brand.

Marketing and PR is all about networking, if you want your company to do well you need to incorporate all forms of marketing into your plan.

Not only is working with blogger’s successfully going to bring you promotion to your brand but it will also help develop your personal network and connections.

On top of maintaining designers social media sites where I connect with bloggers on a daily basis, I plan events where blogger’s are on the top of my invite lists.

Bloggers are without a doubt a strong persona in the media and working with them is vital to any PR and marketing plan.

 

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