Launchmetrics

Many fashion brands have prioritised manufacturing viral moments meant to create chatter online. But that alone can’t be the foundation of a brand’s marketing strategy.

When done effectively, a cultural partnership can rightfully earn its own place in the zeitgeist. But it’s not so easy as just hiring a celebrity to star in an ad campaign; brands must choose a partner that makes sense, find the format that fits best and amplify that message to consumers.

A New Season for Overseas Chinese Influencers. Ongoing travel restrictions aren’t the only reason why brands are gravitating toward China’s overseas KOLs.

The video streaming platform has attracted Louis Vuitton, Nike and others looking to recruit the next generation of Chinese consumers. But brands need to understand its unique community to avoid making mistakes.

This autumn, labels from Michael Kors to Comme des Garçons to Raf Simons are presenting collections in October in what’s shaping up to be something like a second fashion month. Will it stick post-pandemic?

On sustainability, some fashion brands are becoming more comfortable with growing transparency and finding that acknowledging their shortcomings can make for more effective communications than crowing about their achievements.

Plunging marketing budgets are disrupting the traditional value exchange between fashion brands and the magazines that cover them — with both sides wondering if the fear of missing out on editorial coverage can still drive hefty ad investments in an increasingly digital world.

What you measure is what you get. In a highly unpredictable post-Covid fashion market, business leaders need the right metrics to track the strength of their brands and make informed decisions quickly, mobilise teams and craft a narrative for investors.

Despite efforts made to adapt real-life runway shows and collection presentations for the Men’s, Resort and Couture 2020-2021 season, many failed to have the same impact on brands’ marketing reach.

For brands big and small, there is real value in rethinking the industry’s traditional system of showing, delivering and discounting collections to better match today’s globalised, digital world. But meaningful change may take 12 to 24 months.