6.5 Writing for Fashion

BFD-074 Indira Gandhi National Open University School of Vocational Education and Training COMMUNICATION AND

Block ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Basics of Fashion Communication Unit 5 Fashion Communication: Concept Unit 6 Communication Skills for Fashion Unit 7 Role of Social Media in Fashion Communication

Expert Committee

Prof. Nageshwar Rao Prof. Anjali Karolia Ms. Nandita Abraham Vice Chancellor Professor and Director, President IGNOU Institute of Fashion Technology Pearl Academy New Delhi M.S. University Vadodara, Delhi Vadodara, Gujrat Prof. Banhi Jha, Mr. Vijay Mathur Dr. Rachna Mohan NIFT, Delhi Ex-Additional Secretary General Associate Professor APEC, New Delhi B.N. College University of Delhi Delhi

Ms. Seema Mahajan, Dr. Indu Gupta Dr, Veena Gupta Dean-Academic Governance Centre Manager Formerly Faculty Pearl Academy J D IFT Lady Irwin College Delhi Hauz Khas, Delhi University of Delhi Delhi

Ms. Bhawana Khattar Dr.RSP Singh Prof. (Dr.)Ashok K Gaba Pearl Academy Associate Professor, SOVET Director Delhi SOVET, IGNOU Ms Urshla Kant, Assistant Professor, SOVET IGNOU Course Preparation Team

Course Contributors Content Editor Unit Design and Course Coordination

Ms Seema Mahajan Prof.Banhi Jha Prof.(Dr.) Ashok K Gaba, SOVET, Pearl Academy, Delhi NIFT, Delhi Ms Urshla Kant, SOVET, IGNOU (Unit 5 to 6)

Ms. Anita Bora Pearl Academy, Delhi Format Editing Programme Coordination (Unit 7) Ms. Urshla Kant Prof.(Dr.) Ashok K Gaba SOVET, IGNOU Programme Coordinator and Dr. Divya Ojha Dr.R S P Singh Academic Associate Programme Co-Coordinator Fashion Design Ms Urshla Kant SOVET, IGNOU Programme Co-Coordinator

Proof Reading Dr. Divya Ojha Academic Associate Fashion Design SOVET, IGNOU

Production School of Vocational Education and Training (SOVET) IGNOU, New Delhi Copyright @ February, 2019 ISBN- - - - All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced in any form by mimeograph or any other means, without permission in writing from the Indira Gandhi National Open University. Further information about the Indira Gandhi National Open University courses may be obtained from the University’s office at Maidan Garhi, New Delhi-110 068. Printed at

UNIT 5 FASHION COMMUNICATION CONCEPT

Structure

5.0 Introduction 5.1 Objectives 5.2 Why Study Fashion Communication 5.3 Concept and Definition 5.3.1 Fashion Journalism 5.3.2 Graphic Design for Fashion 5.3.3 Fashion Broadcasting and Fashion Films 5.3.4 Visual Merchandising & Window Display for Fashion 5.3.5 Fashion Styling 5.3.6 Fashion Photography 5.3.7 Fashion Public Relations 5.3.8 Fashion Event Design 5.3.9 Fashion Marketing & Consumer Behaviour 5.3.10 Fashion & Social Media 5.3.11 Cultural Studies and Visual Research for Fashion 5.4 Let Us Sum Up 5.5 Check Your Progress: The Key 5.6 Bibliography

5.0 INTRODUCTION

This is the fifth Unit of this course, and it seeks to introduce and explain various concepts and definitions that have generally been used in fashion communication. Fashion Communication is a means of communicating the message of fashion, culture and lifestyle using various media. It involves applying the communication design strategy to fashion & lifestyle products. Due to the flourishing of fashion industry, it has become important for brands to develop a unique identity for maximum impact and visibility. Areas in fashion communication include graphic design, fashion events & display design, fashion advertising & public relations, fashion journalism, styling, fashion photography, broadcasting, social media and fashion films. Fashion communication thus forms the core of fashion business and is the link between consumers and fashion producers.

5.1 OBJECTIVES

After going through this Unit, you should be able to:

• Understand the basics of fashion communication through media formats such as journalism (print, electronic or new media), events, promotions (public relations and advertising), exhibition design (visual merchandising & window display), styling for fashion and cultural studies for fashion • Relate the fashion communication concepts with fashion reportage in daily lives across various channels • Learn the conceptual framework of fashion business and its relation to the fashion communication process and contextualize influence of media on fashion and vice versa

5.2 WHY STUDY FASHION COMMUNICATION

The basic framework of fashion communication is built around investigation and analysis of the relationship of word to image. With the advent of the Internet and social media in last few decades, information exchange has been democratized. There is now a requirement for professionals who are specialized in the specific area of fashion to communicate the message between fashion designers and customers. Fashion Communication forms a synergy between communication, awareness, historical and theoretical studies. It focuses on the communication & promotion of fashion creatively through different media.

5.3 CONCEPT AND DEFINITION

Since this Unit is concerned with discussing the conceptual foundations of the field of fashion communication, this section has been devoted to basic processes and framework of fashion communication. It discusses the various areas under which this type of specialized communication operates and the skills required to run it. The section also contextualizes the relation between these areas and their relation with reporting on fashion, culture and lifestyle using different media.

5.3.1 Fashion Journalism

Fashion journalism includes reporting on fashion, culture and lifestyle in published fashion media, and involves fashion writers, fashion critics, and fashion reporters. The reportage can appear in as features in magazines, tabloid, journals, newspapers, television and online fashion magazines, websites, and blogs. It includes researching on articles, investigating trends & style, interviewing designers & celebrities, photographers and working with public relations personnel. Knowledge of fashion history, up-to-date knowledge about practices of fashion industry and a keen eye for details in clothing and accessories are of utmost importance to be a fashion journalist. A fashion journalist may work with a publication or a television channel or work independently to publish her blog. It requires one to attend fashion & trade shows, visit stores and cover red-carpet events. Fashion journalists are opinion makers and critique the latest collections of various fashion designers and labels in their articles. It is essential that a fashion journalist have good contacts with people in the fashion industry, including photographers and designers. Through their articles and features, these journalist influence people’s choices by communicating fashion to a vast audience who go through their written or spoken word in various media. Keeping abreast of new trends, attending press conferences writing and editing fashion news stories is part of the job of a fashion journalist. As part of fashion related television shows, fashion journalism also involves writing scripts for shows and edit segments of television programs, which showcase fashion & lifestyle. A fashion editor is the overall in charge of bringing out an issue of a fashion periodical and is responsible for all its content. An editor directs fashion writers, photographers and the graphic designer in implementing the vision of the publication or television program. The editor decides on the theme & topics to be covered, and edits the periodical before releasing it for public consumption. A fashion journalist is required to travel to cover the latest trend and note down all information to accurately portray the news in the publication. They find employment with fashion magazines like Vogue, Glamour, Elle, Cosmopolitan, Femina, Gladrags, Marie Claire or Television channels like FTV, CNN, and BBC or as part of prestigious online magazines and fashion blogs.

5.3.2 Graphic Design for Fashion

Graphic design is the process of visual communication using symbols, words, typography, photography and illustration. Graphic designers use a combination of symbols, words and images to convey a meaning. It is used in print media (e.g. magazines, newspapers), website & social media, outdoor publicity (e.g. billboards), television commercials and mobile applications. The designers use layouts techniques to distribute typography and visual arts to make eye-catching compositions, thus attracting the customers to see the message. The most common uses of graphic design can be seen in corporate design (logos and branding), editorial design (magazines, newspapers and books), advertising, web design, communication design, product packaging and signage. The importance of graphic design for fashion is due to the fact that a fashion product is a recurring purchase. Fashion is dynamic and heavily dependent on trends and preference of the consumer. This leads to new messaging every season depending on the trends of that season. To be able to continue attracting customers to view the brand message, companies have to keep changing their advertisement & publicity material every season. Graphic design for fashion, therefore, involves making a connection with the consumer who has a desire to feel involved with the story of a brand. The principal challenge of a graphic design is that a consumer must be able to relate to the brand and be interested in its product. Fashion, being a fast-changing commodity, it requires the designer to be on her toes all the time by churning out beautiful graphics, which convey the brand values, and yet is different & novel every season. Graphic design creates an image in consumer’s mind, which they identify at some level. Some of the most successful brands carry iconic logos. To be able to understand and appreciate graphic design, it is essential to know about the elements that make up design. These elements include colour, line, shape, texture, size and form. These elements are used along with each other in conjunction or opposition to create designs. Along with these elements, designers also use principals of design, which include balance, emphasis, movement, pattern, repetition, proportion, rhythm, variety and unity. A graphic designer must know the optimum usage of elements and principals of design to create visually striking communication solutions. A graphic designer uses sketching books, computer tablets and specialized software such as Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator to create designs. These tools assist the designer to create illustrations, enhance photographs, stylize text, and synergize all of the elements into the required layout as per the design brief. Graphic design for fashion is therefore an important part of the communication solution for an event, campaign or product.

Graphic design for fashion designer Paul Smith (Source: http://www.100archive.com/article/alan-aboud-paul-smith)

5.3.3 Fashion Broadcasting and Fashion Films

The term 'broadcast media' covers a wide range of different communication methods including television, radio, podcasts, blogs, websites, online-streaming services and digital journalism. Dissemination of programs via audio and video content to a dispersed audience by means of electronic mass communication media is called broadcasting. Initially, it began with radio in the 1920s, before which the electronic communication medium like telephone and telegraph were ‘one-to-one’, with the message exchange happening between only two persons. The term ‘broadcasting’ originated from the agricultural practice of ‘sowing seeds in a field by casting them broadly about’, and was later adopted for describing the widespread distribution of information by printed materials or by telegraph. Initially broadcasting was associated with over- the-air medium, but in recent times, such services are available through cable and Internet. Broadcasting can happen through government funded or managed broadcasting services, community-owned services or privately owned commercial services. Television programs on fashion have utilized broadcasting services in a big way, it has brought information on the latest trends closer to the audience. Unlike a few decades ago, when one had to be a fashion editor or a buyer or a high-profile celebrity, to get a close-up on fashion, this information is now available in anyone with a television and a cable connection. Programming on fashion, live coverage of fashion events and dedicated fashion television channel beaming round-the- clock images of fashion from far corners of the globe revolutionized the dissemination of fashion information to a mass audience. This type of broadcasting has helped brands & fashion labels to market the latest fashion & lifestyle products as well as bring the latest fashion trends in peoples’ home. It has built an enviable cult of personality surrounding fashion designers and models. Besides, the information on fashion, the broadcast of fashion programming has become a source of entertainment, making fashion television into a distinct genre of broadcasting. Fashion reportage from channels such as CNN and BBC has evoked interest in fashion among the audience. It requires a specialized type of camera work, anchoring, interview techniques and investigating besides thorough background knowledge of design, trends, clothes, celebrities and fashion history to construct an informative reportage for fashion broadcasting. High quality reportage in fashion broadcasting has made fashion products popular and has brought high fashion into the homes of millions. These channels have helped fashion information reach variety of consumers and helped making fashion trends a part of mainstream broadcasting. The reach of television has made brands & fashion designers more aware of the possibilities of showcasing products through television broadcasting and has in return improved the quality of runway shows. Boosting the profiles of designers and models, fashion television broadcasting has made them celebrities and influencers.

Invitation poster Fashion film festival (Source: https//nataliebooth.wordpress.com/tag/fashion- film/.jpg)

The high proliferation of television channels, websites and web-channels has given rise to another important aspect, that of fashion films. Films are a medium of communication, which speaks us a story and unlike other mediums like a newspaper or magazines, which requires a person to be literate, even someone who cannot read or write can understand a film. Loosely defined, a film, also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, or photoplay, is a series of still images that, when shown on a screen, create the illusion of moving images. Fashion films as a genre occupy a place between a commercial and a narrative short film. This feature a theme or a collection but don’t explicitly, or traditionally, advertise them. According to ‘The Business of Fashion’, a successful fashion film is “an authentic, standalone piece of storytelling [rather] than a mere marketing exercise.” These films are experimental with a short avant-garde narrative expressing the theme of the latest collection or trends by a designer or brand or a blogger. This hybrid genre of filmmaking takes inspiration from various other types of filmmaking like music video, documentary, and art film resulting in very unique style and expression. Brands and designers are using this medium to promote their brand and merchandise. Although, fashion films have been around for some time, but these are complementary to print campaigns and fashion shows. Filmmaking with mobile phones or other digital devices, being accessible due to availability of high-end cameras & assorted editing applications, makes it feasible to create relatively inexpensive, but high on expression, fashion films. This medium has given greater flexibility and freedom for fashion communicators to creates through filmmaking for fashion.

5.3.4 Visual Merchandising & Window Display for Fashion

The art of displaying products optimally in a store for ease of shopping experience leading to growth of sales is called visual merchandising. Visual merchandising augments the retail design of a store. Visual merchandising consists of mainly the interior (in-store display) and exterior displays (window display). The objective of these displays is to attract the attention of customer, entice them into the store and to keep them in the store as long as possible with the help of a positive store interiors, and influence purchasing decisions. Visual merchandising for fashion requires a sensible display of products in a store depending on the latest trend, arranged aesthetically to attract potential buyers to purchase products. In simpler words, visual merchandising is the art of displaying the merchandise to influence the consumer’s buying behaviour. This requires for a scientific approach to create a positive ambience to the customers for them to enjoy their shopping. Location of the product in the store, assortment according to size & popularity, optimum, lighting, colour of the walls, type of furniture, music, fragrance of the store, signage displaying essential information and thematic display of merchandise are few of the elements which help in increasing the sale of the products. A good visual merchandising display makes for a pleasant shopping experience, thus increasing the sales in the store as well as an increased customer satisfaction. Each fashion store keeps in the mind the brand image and value offered and custom makes the store by giving it a unique image, making it distinct from other stores. Thus, an effective visual merchandising strategy should draw shoppers into the store and keep them in there long enough to buy something. Anything that can be seen by the customer inside and outside a store, including displays, decorations, signs and layout of space is part of visual merchandising. The overall purpose of visual merchandising is to get customers to come into the store and spend money. Visual merchandising includes how merchandise is presented as well as the store's total atmosphere. In a fashion store, it also involves creating dressing mannequins with clothes of the latest fashion and displaying the trends of the season prominently, so that the customer is made aware of the latest products that the store has to offer. Nowadays, sensory inputs (such as smell, touch, and sound), as well as technologies such as digital displays and interactive installations are part of display. The skill set required to be a good visual merchandiser includes knowledge of latest fashion trends, consumer behavior patterns, space design, understanding of signage, colour & patterns and being able to display products artistically according to the required theme to capture the attention and interest of shoppers. Another important aspect of brand & product visibility requires creating stunning display window for the shop. A display window, most commonly called shop window or store window, is a window in a shop displaying items available in the store. This is a direct method to persuade the customer to walk in the store and see the products. A window display is usually the first point of visual contact for a customer and thus it s important that it conveys the theme of the store and brand value faithfully. An attractive window display can either persuade the consumer to walk in the store and try products or to ignore the store and walk by.

Window Display (Source: https://www.davidjones.com/blog/post/7/david-jones-annual-spring- flower-show.html)

5.3.5 Fashion Styling

Fashion styling or styling for fashion involves selection of clothes and accessories for published editorial features, print or television advertising campaigns, music videos, concert performances, and any public appearances made by celebrities, models or other public figures. A fashion stylist is part of the creative team which also fashion designer, fashion photographer, hair & makeup artist to put together a thematic visual project. Fashion styling involves selecting appropriate clothing & accessories for a model to appear in a fashion magazine or select clothing for TV personalities and celebrities. Apart from clothing and makeup, the stylist also advises on photography, selection of locations, props, models, and the overall look for image required as per pre-decided theme. These themes must keep in mind the latest fashion trends, personality of the model, requirements of the picture & media and brand or product values that need to be endorsed. Fashion styling requires up-to-date knowledge of fashion trends, fashion history, celebrities and a keen eye to create the desired ‘look’. As a requisite, fashion stylists must have a strong sense of style, color, texture, and creativity. Fashion styling may further be divided into editorial styling, wardrobe styling, commercial styling and merchandise styling respectively. Editorial styling deals conceptualization of shoots for fashion publications, publicity shoots, advertisements, film posters, or music album covers. Commercial fashion styling involves styling of celebrities, actors, models who appear in films, television, advertisements and other publicity material. A wardrobe fashion stylist works with big television or film production houses and is responsible for creating the look for performers. Personal fashion stylists and image managers work with selected clients to enhance their persona in the media or events. Merchandise styling involves working in a fashion retail store to generate a thematic look of the shop or display window. It involves prop and set styling, retail fashion styling, photo styling, and display styling.

5.3.6 Fashion Photography

Fashion photography is a genre of photography. It is dedicated to showing fashion related items like clothes & accessories or themes that involve fashion trends. The main objective of fashion photography is to highlight the apparel or accessories when photographing a model or a mannequin. Over a period of time, fashion photography has made its own unique place as a specialized form of photography with its own language, grammar and aesthetics. This has been further enhanced by use of novel photography techniques, experimental photography methods, exotic locations and storylines. Fashion photographer is part of a creative team, which also includes fashion stylists, hair & makeup artist and fashion designer. The photographer uses her knowledge of lighting, camera techniques, post-production methods and blends it with her knowledge of the latest fashion trends to construct a unique image keeping in mind the brand proposition or theme of the collection. A fashion photographer’s job requires an understanding of light & colour, inter-personal skills to communicate ideas with the team as well as the model and knowledge of visual communication design. An overall understanding of the product placement, theme of the collection, knowledge of fashion trends and idea of graphic design layout where the picture will be placed are extremely important for a fashion photographer. A good fashion photographer will have an exemplary understanding of how to perfectly highlight the features within a photographic scene. This kind of photography requires establishing lighting mood through images, selecting the model for the photo shoot and converting the artistic vision of the fashion collection or theme into an iconic image for communication. Fashion photography may be divided into four distinct categories, namely editorial fashion photography, high-fashion photography, catalogue photography and the street fashion photography respectively. Editorial fashion photography deals with fashion features, which appear, in fashion magazines, tabloids or journals. This is a visual essay, often portraying a thematic storyline, based on the latest fashion trends. High-fashion photography involves pictures published by iconic brands & labels every season for various products. The product in these images can include clothes, accessories or items of brand extension like perfume. Such image creation generally feature supermodels, famous actors and actresses. Catalogue photography is used by companies to market their products via catalogues or e-commerce website. The image created here must have all the product information, which may be required by a customer before she orders it online or offline. Here the model is made to pose against a clean & contrast background so that the product may be seen clearly. Street fashion photography is relatively new compared to the other three categories of fashion photography and has gained much prominence in the last couple of decades. Street fashion is the fashion, which is worn by the people on streets and is said to have emerged outside the confines of studio spaces. It is generally associated with youth culture and can be observed in urban fashion centres around the globe. Major publications have been giving regular space to this kind of fashion photographs in their editorials. Street style fashion photography captures the essence of street fashion.

Fashion photogarphs by Irving Penn (Source: http://www.buro247.com.au/culture- lifestyle/arts/fashion-photographer-irving-penn-to-be-celebrated.html)

Check Your Progress 1

Describe, in about 4 sentences, the role of styling and photography in fashion.

Note: a) Space is given below for writing your answer

b) See section 5.3.5 and 5.3.6 respectively

c) Compare your answer with the one given at the end of the Unit

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5.3.7 Fashion Public Relations

Fashion public relations (PR) involve promotion of fashion & lifestyle products and labels, creating brand awareness and event management through unpaid media. Unlike advertisement and publicity where one has to pay for media usage, PR material appears through earned media channels — including broadcast, print, and online media outlets. A fashion publicist is an image- maker and her job involves creating a positive vibe around the fashion brand. They keep the audience informed about the latest products or event launched by a company and manages fashion campaigns for a positive and persuasive publicity. Fashion PR liaisons with fashion editors, reporters, and writers at influential media outlets, fashion influencers and bloggers on behalf of the fashion designer or label. PR person helps in developing a positive reputation of the fashion brand and assists a client combat negative publicity during crises, which might affect brand value of the designer or company. The main functions of the publicist include cultivating an image, which portrays the brand’s reputation, idea, product, position, or accomplishment in a positive light. This is done by designing fashion campaigns, writing press releases for news, and arranging interviews for the company, acting as an spokesperson for the company, preparing for press conferences, and social media content. PR professionals may also handle customer relations and internal communication of companies. In the present times, one of the biggest challenges for a fashion PR person is to use online social media successfully to create a positive buzz for a fashion brand or a product. This involves roping in celebrities or people who are admired by the public to wear or endorse an item from the fashion collection of the brand and put it on the social media. When a well-known person wears a certain product, the public, by way of fashion publication or online media wants to know about it. The often seen tweets or Instagram posts by celebrities wearing a fashion product is outcome of PR efforts in persuading the celebrity to endorse the featured product. As part of job, fashion PR person is expect to travel and cover fashion shows, red-carpet events and press conferences to make contacts important people in the fashion industry. In a way, a publicist is a coordinator between people inside the company, the industry, the opinion & newsmakers, media and the public. It is her responsibility to keep the brand and its product in the public’s eye and give a sneak peek into the behind the scenes details of the fashion brand. One of the main attractions of the fashion world is its dynamism and the ever-changing trends; the role of a public relations representative is critical in persuading the consumer to keep her focus on it and view the fashion producer and its product in positive light. 5.3.8 Fashion Event Design

Event design is the process of designing an event and includes activities pertaining to create space design and visual appeal of a venue based on a theme. Creating a space design for a fashion related event requires detailed understanding of fashion collections, trends, aesthetics and purpose of the event. Fashion shows, retail store opening of a fashion brand and event as part of a fashion campaign are all examples of event design. Fashion or trade show is an event to showcase the upcoming collection of fashion products. A fashion show could be stand-alone, but is often part of a fashion week, where collections by multiple designers are showcased to a select audience. Fashion week invites fashion editors, critics, photographers, buyers, bloggers, fashion writers and other opinion makers to view the collection. A fashion show is the place where trends of the season are created. A fashion show consists of models walking on the ramp dressed in clothes & accessories created by the designer. Various kinds of lighting & illumination techniques, sound production and dramatics are created to showcase the theme of the collection. The designer decides the order in which each model walks wearing an outfit. The event designer thus creates a visual story in this ambience. Designers nowadays produce their shows as theatrical productions in unusual locations with elaborate sets, live music and other unique installation. To be a successful fashion event designer, one must know major fashion trends and understand the ‘expression of fashion’ as a unique art form. There is an entire language around fashion and it’s essential to understand colour, fabrics and fit and cut. Good interpersonal skills, understanding of space design, material management and keen planner are other required skills of an event designer.

Fashion Show (Source: https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/milan-fashion-week- roundup/index.html)

5.3.9 Fashion Marketing & Consumer Behaviour

Fashion marketing is the management of advertising campaigns and promotions to sell fashion brands and products. A fashion designer or a label is in perpetual need to communicate the information of their latest product to the potential customers every season so that people buy them. What makes it unique is that unlike other industries, where the same or similar campaign could be run for many years, in the fashion industry due to its ever-changing trends in every season, it requires to continuously create new campaigns every season. The fickle nature of the fashion industry based on in very short cycles, requires marketers to keep up with the latest trends and continually devise creative ways to advertise their newest products. Fashion marketing is responsible for delivering the creative side of fashion products to the consumer by constructing effective marketing campaigns. It is essential for a fashion marketer to understand fashion trends, product life-cycle as well as consumer behaviour. Depending on the feedback from the market, fashion can also influence design based on business performance and market trends. Market research and media planning, as well as branding, product display, ad creative, and photography all fall within the purview of fashion marketing. As a fashion marketing professional, one must be able to conduct qualitative and quantitative research and be able to delve in behaviour of fashion consumers to implement a fashion campaign. An important part of a fashion marketing campaign is to build a story behind a brand, which the consumers can relate and make a purchase decision based on the emotional appeal of the story. The philosophy and visual story of a fashion brand, which appears in its signage, slogans, symbols, retail store design and the brand story is used as a context to make an effective marketing campaign. Thus fashion marketing involves using market research to effectively and creatively communicate advertisements that resonate with their target audiences. It is also the responsibility of the fashion marketer to analyse and implement a media plan. Media planning involves the process of identifying and selecting media channels to use to communicate with the audience. It is media planners job to evaluate media options, strategize campaigns and develop a coordinated plan for budget, so that the money is spent optimally. A media plan is divided down into four stages, namely market analysis, defining media objectives, media strategy and its implementation, and assessment or feedback of the campaign. Fashion marketing also helps the consumers to connect with the brand and encourages brand loyalty. Nowadays, fashion brands use social and online media to effectively talk with consumers and market the products. Most fashion brands have pages or handles on popular social media platforms like Facebook, twitter and Instagram besides having their own website. They frequently post pictures and information about their newest products, locations of their stores and alerts about their latest offers. Fashion marketing of this sort, which is different than the traditional marketing techniques, is called digital marketing. It involves marketing channels on the Internet as well as other electronic devices such as TVs, mobile phones and electronic billboards. The principal difference between digital marketing and traditional marketing is that digital marketing campaigns are executed exclusively through digital channels. It gives marketers more control, tools and data to analyze the effectiveness of a campaign since digital channels such as search engines, social media, email, and company’s website is more focused on individual customer unlike other mass media channels which is targeted towards a broad set of audience. A digital marketing campaign enables an organization to analyse marketing campaigns in real time. Another advantage of digital marketing is that unlike traditional marketing channels, the digital channels are relatively cheap. On the flip side, a digital campaign requires marketers to analyse huge amount of data and make sense of it. Closely associated with marketing activities is the study of consumer behaviour. A fashion marketer must know how individual customers, groups or organizations select, buy, use, and dispose ideas, goods, and services to satisfy their needs and wants. Consumer behaviour is a study of emotions, attitude and buying preference of consumers, which forms the basis of any marketing campaign.

5.3.10 Fashion & Social Media

Social media refers to the tools of interactions among people in virtual online communities and networks. People create, share, and exchange information using social media networks. Unlike other media channels, social media allows people to participate in a discussion and respond to many people at the same time. Some of the popular social media platforms are Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, Vimeo, Flickr and Linkedin. The fashion industry has been at the forefront of using social media to strike a conversation with consumers. One of the biggest advantages of social media has been, that a consumer can now influence fashion by expressing her opinion, which shall be heard by a brand as well as scores of participants. With the advent of this media platform, fashion blogger can influence major designers via social media outlets. Previously the fashion industry had a top-down approach, where a few big names dominated the narrative. Although, television shows like Project Runway have evoked interests of fashion lovers, but it is social media, which has spread the word and made these programs reach millions of viewers. Another big plus of social media is that the conversation between fashion brands and consumers is more intimate and interactive. Social media manager is the person who curates brand’s social media posts, creates & posts shareable information (pictures, video, press releases), and monitors, moderates & responds to audience comments. They are responsible for putting in place a strategy and execute digital marketing campaigns. Social media manager for a fashion label requires one have a keen interest in fashion, understanding of public relations, marketing, and being able to make sense of big data. She is also required to keep monitoring media channels and social media posts to know what’s trending and optimize campaigns based on media analytics. A good understanding of website design, viral marketing methods, lucid writing, research, organizational, technical and developing strong interpersonal relations and being able to handle crisis are few of the skills required to be a good social media manager.

5.3.11 Cultural Studies and Visual Research for Fashion

Cultural studies and visual research in fashion, culture and lifestyle builds a framework to understand theoretical, political, and empirical engagement of the ‘culture of fashion’. It investigates how contemporary cultural practices relate to wider fashion systems. Cultural studies is an interdisciplinary field of research with wide variety of subjects like social sciences, literature, sociology, communications studies, history, cultural anthropology, and economics. Such a framework is required to understand why and how we use and interpret fashion. Instead of looking for permanent answers regarding fashion systems, cultural studies allow to develop flexible tools that may adapt to change. Research in cultural studies, tries to analyze the relation between culture seen as a form of expression and culture as a way of life. Communication has a wider meaning and includes forms other than verbal communication. These include art, music, poetry and dance. Taking this definition further, one may consider the body as a tool with which to create, convey and represent messages. Therefore, what one wears or how one applies cosmetics on one’s body or the accessories that selected to be worn along with clothes are representation of symbolic messages that a person wants to convey. This non-verbal language which has been used by people to express personal things such as race, class, gender, ethnicity and religion but also larger social and political movements have their own language. An in-depth study of this language in relation to fashion cultures help in understanding the basis of fashion of contemporary times. A fashion communicator requires an academic study of this subject to understand fashion and create applications based on its outcome. Fashion at any point in time can be used as barometer to understand contemporary social and cultural contexts of a place. Clothes and accessories worn by a group of people in a society is reflective of their lifestyle, moral and aesthetic values, economy and politics. Fashion like any other language has its own grammar and vocabulary. Like any other language, the language of fashion has the power to convey a message. Cultural studies helps us in deciphering this grammar and vocabulary, thus helping us understand social practices linked to fashion of that time. The study of culture in context of contemporary fashion gives a fashion researcher the clues to understand the artistic vision of a designer or the aesthetic meaning behind a fashion product. In a way, understanding fashion through cultural context can reveal the building blocks of fashion, culture and lifestyle of a society. Fashion being a visual language, it is therefore natural that research undertaken in this field incorporates methods, which is visual in nature. Visual research is a methodology, which uses artistic mediums include, but are not limited to film, maps, diagrams, illustrations, video footage, collage, drawings, photography, drawings, paintings, and sculptures. One of the reasons why this method helps understanding culture better than written text, is due to the fact, that, not all participants are able to express themselves verbally. It becomes difficult to describe a visual medium in words accurately; therefore a visual research becomes important tool of researching in the field of fashion. The basic aims of the visual research methodology is to gain clarity in understanding the context of fashion culture and corroborate the evidence present in the written text.

Check Your Progress 2

Describe, in about 4 sentences, the role of social media in fashion.

Note: a) Space is given below for writing your answer

b) See section 5.3.10

c) Compare your answer with the one given at the end of the Unit

5.4 LET US SUM UP

This Unit has attempted to introduce you to the field of Fashion Communication as a means of communicating the message of fashion, culture and lifestyle using various media. Areas in fashion communication include graphic design, fashion events & display design, fashion advertising & public relations, fashion journalism, styling, fashion photography, broadcasting, social media and fashion films. Fashion communication thus forms the core of fashion business and is the link between consumers and fashion producers. With this knowledge you will be able to understand the basics of fashion communication and relate it with fashion reportage across various channels

5.5 CHECK YOUR PROGRESS: THE KEY

1.Fashion styling or styling for fashion involves selection of clothes and accessories for published editorial features, print or television advertising campaigns, music videos, concert performances, and any public appearances made by celebrities, models or other public figures. Fashion styling involves selecting appropriate clothing & accessories for a model to appear in a fashion magazine or select clothing for TV personalities and celebrities. Fashion photography is a genre of photography dedicated to showing fashion related items like clothes & accessories or themes that involve fashion trends. The main objective of fashion photography is to highlight the apparel or accessories when photographing a model or a mannequin.

2.Social media for fashion refers to the tools of interactions among people in virtual online communities and networks, which discuss fashion, culture or lifestyle. Some of the popular social media platforms used for exchange of fashion information are are Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, Vimeo and Flickr. With the advent of this media platform, fashion blogger can influence major designers via social media outlets. A big plus of social media is that the conversation between fashion brands and consumers is more intimate and interactive. Social media manager for a fashion label requires one have a keen interest in fashion, understanding of public relations, marketing, and being able to make sense of big data.

5.6 BIBLIOGRAPHY

• http://www.100archive.com/article/alan-aboud-paul-smith • https-//nataliebooth.wordpress.com/tag/fashion-film/.jpg • https://www.davidjones.com/blog/post/7/david-jones-annual-spring-flower-show.html • http://www.buro247.com.au/culture-lifestyle/arts/fashion-photographer-irving-penn-to- be-celebrated.html • https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/milan-fashion-week-roundup/index.html

UNIT 6 COMMUNICATION SKILLS FOR FASHION

Structure

6.0 Introduction

6.1 Objectives

6.2 Why Study Communication Skills for Fashion

6.3 Concept and Definition

6.3.1 Communication Skills

6.3.2 Communication Skills for Fashion

6.4 Means of Communication

6.4.1 Mode of Communication

6.4.2 Symbols and Communication

6.4.3 Fashion Journalism

6.4.4 Communication through Image

6.4.5 Event Planning

6.5 Writing a Fashion Press Release

6.5.1 Press Release and its format

6.5.2 Press Invitation

6.5.3 Press kit essentials

6.6 Making Creative Presentations

6.6.1 Presentation skills

6.6.2 Drafting a presentation

6.6.4 Using technology

6.7 Let Us Sum Up

6.8 Check Your Progress: The Key

6.0 INTRODUCTION

The world of fashion is not limited to design. Designers have to constantly communicate with their teams, clients, buyers and media. This unit will introduce you to nuances of communication skills for a fashion professional, concepts and definitions, oral and written communication skills for fashion graduates. It is worthwhile to note at the outset that communication skills for fashion draw most of the terms, approaches from general communication skills. This topic has emerged as an important in the wake of fashion emerging as a vertical in journalism, public relations, business and advertising.

These terms and concepts have applications in the unit that follows this one, and will help you in all your assignments right through final year. After briefly explaining various concepts and its possible applications, we shall introduce you to concepts like fashion press release, presentation skills. The Unit will end with examples of fashion press release, media invitations, press kits and creative presentation. In writing this Unit, we assume that not every body who is studying fashion understands nuances of communication skills. This Unit will help you to systematically improve your oral and written communication skills and apply in your business dealings and transactions.

In the world of fashion, designers have to engage with their suppliers, assistant designers, buyers, media among others. Post design approvals, when production starts, designers need to communicate design details to their teams and be able to give clarity to their teams about design details, production, cost, buyer requirements, if any. They will also need to speak with vendors suppliers for materials.

Similarly, they need to be adept at communicating with retailers, buyers, merchandisers and even floor supervisors. In this entire chain, clear communication with design details is dire to ensure that visual merchandising is as per the theme, sourcing is right and that floor managers are able to cater to their customers with right collection in time. This section will focus on developing clear communication (with no flowery language) with correct design details such as color, fabric etc to help fashion designers in effective communication.

6.1 OBJECTIVES

After going through this Unit, you should be able to:

• Demonstrate understanding of the nuances of communication in fashion • Describe basic elements of fashion in writing – colors, textures and silhouettes • Communicate effectively through written, oral and presentation skills in fashion context • Apply writing skills effectively in different organizational and business purposes.

6.2 WHY STUDY COMMUNICATION SKILLS FOR FASHION

Communication Skills for Fashion is a unit that will help you to enhance your employability skills to seek appropriate employment in the industry and grow. It is important for you to revisit some of the principles of oral and written communication skills for fashion and its application.

This unit gives several opportunities to practice writing and presentation skills. The focus of this unit is also to stimulate students to learn ‘how to describe fashion with regard to look, color, textures, silhouettes and mood.

Most of us in the fashion domain work passionately on our collections and new designs, but communicating with clients, media are at times difficult. Crisp, clear and creative presentations are an important part of a fashion designer’s professional life. This unit will guide you to create content for professional presentations. With effective communication skills, you can work proficiently with your client, business houses, employers, buyers for business goals.

Being able to effectively communicate in a clear, crisp and concise manner is a skill in itself. If you are able to develop this skill, your customers, retailers, buyers and media will be able to relate with your design and respond. For example, if you use fashion jargon or technical language when communicating with clients, they may not understand. This unit will help you to simplify the fashion jargon and communicate in simple, basic ways that anyone can understand.

Further in the unit, few tips to write effective emails will be shared. Most of the communication today happens through emails. Email is a great and convenient method of communication, but the tone of an email can easily be misinterpreted. When sending email to a client, be sure that your message is clear and that the client will not misunderstand. To instill trust and stay clear of miscommunications, make communication a priority and upfront at the start of the design process.

Check your progress 1

Q1. What is fashion jargon? Explain with examples.

Q2. Write five reasons how communication skills for fashion will help you effectively communicate.

6.3 Concepts and Definitions

6.3.1 Communication

The communication process begins with the sender that is the source of the message. The sender selects a combination of words / symbols presented in written, oral, visual forms. This is called encoding. The encoded message is sent to the receiver through various media channels. These channels could be fashion advertising, word of mouth, journalism, fashion shows etc. The receiver’s task is decoding or interpreting / decoding the meaning of the message. Noise refers to the external factors that interfere with the transmission of the message or distort the fashion message. And when the receiver send back a response, or feedback, the sender will know whether the message has been understood.

There are five main types of communication:

• Written communication is the exchange of information by forming in words (paper / computer).

• Oral Communication uses voice to exchange information. Conversations, interviews, speeches, debates, are among the types of oral communication.

• Nonverbal communication means exchanging information through actions, gestures to convey meaning.

• Visual communication is a powerful tool of communication and very dominant in fashion industry. It uses color, line, silhouette, illustration etc.

• Multimedia communication uses several methods of communication using information technology to communicate the message. For example, broadcast media, podcasts, videos etc.

6.3.2 Communication Skills for Fashion

The art of communication has surpassed the pen tip and its results have increased accordingly, reaching to that phenomenon so criticized but nevertheless practiced worldwide: manipulation. Fashion is worn, fashion changes, fashion communicates. We are part of a complex value system, part of a streak, with both creators and consumers involved. Fashion is essentially defined by the notion of "change." Its dynamic nature, its continuous transformation, adaptation, innovation lies in the multitude of creations (of all kinds, from fashion product to image and communication) on which it is based and which are appearing on the market at an increasing pace. The frequency of change, claimed to occur once a decade, is then reduced to a much shorter term, even dissolving into a continuous mix of styles and trends. The sequence of increasingly rapid launching of new products determines a much faster production pace and a continuous adaptation to the requirements of the market.

Fashion, itself, is an expression. And fashion industry is a long value chain starting from the primary level (raw material producers) to the consumers.

It is important for students of fashion to know the apparel manufacturing process as part of fashion and textile terminology. In the next section, we will learn more on basic fashion terminology to help you to communicate effectively.

Check your progress 2

Q1. Describe the communication model with diagram and an example.

Q2. Differentiate between written and oral communication.

Q3. Define multimedia communication.

Q4. Sequentially write down apparel manufacturing process.

Q5. What is greige fabric?

6.4 Means of Communication

In this section, we will concentrate on learning the basic means of communication used for better and effective communication.

6.4.1 Mode of Communication

Communication has often been defined as the activity of conveying information (regardless of the means) from a sender to a receiver. “Inter human communication requires a practical and symbolic relationship, a mirror interaction between participants in a dialog in which they simultaneously or successively find themselves as senders and receivers who, by resorting to a sign system - defined by certain explicit or implicit rules (a common code) - and a means (channel) of communication, manage to converse, that is to exchange information, messages and significations”

In fashion, the conveyed message is the personal creation of each individual who manages to define him/herself in a different structure from the verbal one. The structure itself is a multitude of symbols brought together in a personalized harmony with a powerful sense of representation which often overpasses that of the linguistic representation. The image of man, as he defined it himself resorting to elements from his surrounding environment, “from the first vine leaf to the ermine cape ”, must be perceived through the complexity of sensation, feelings, ideas and connections it triggers.

Based on the way in which an individual or individuals take part in the communication process, Tran and Stănciugelu point out the following types of communication:

- intrapersonal communication (the communication with the inner self, used by one within one's consciousness);

– interpersonal communication (communication within a group, between individuals of the same group or organization. Organizational communication is included in this category as well);

– mass communication (addressed to the general public, used by specialized institutions and achieved through specific means).

Check your progress 3

Q1. Define mode of communication.

Q2. List types of communication.

6.4.2 Symbols and Communication

What was ‘in’ yesterday is ‘out’ today is the definition that fashion journalists prefer in order to illustrate the dizzying dynamics of the field. The pace of life is hellish and fashion submits itself to it bringing forth its very nature as the "Queen of change." "What you wear defines how you present yourself to others, especially today when human contacts are under the pressure of speed. Fashion is an instant language, the language of the moment." claims Miuccia Prada, defining fashion as a primer means of communicating what we are.

Fashion between symbol and communication Fashion represents a system of significations, with clothes as a textual form which can be read as any other written text. Understanding fashion is generally based on this assumption. The gender/class/race/age structure is “read” based on the shape of the garments, the designer’s signature, the habit of wearing the clothes and the price on the label. The visible form of the bodies is shaped by fashion trends and adapted in the fashion industry. The fashion mechanisms and the complexity of the fashion communication language are matters of high importance to fashion providers, as well as to the consumers. Communication in fashion relies not only on PR, but also on an entire global communication network, including fashion areas to which the public has less access.

There are neither ad texts, nor slogans in fashion. Advertising relies on the visual impact as photography conveys the message. Due to this aspect, a fashion ad campaign needs to focus on the following:

• the persons involved in the campaign process - fashion photographer, stylist, makeup artist, hair-stylist, model, creative director, event organizers • ad context – background, ambiance, clothing items and accessories, non-verbal communication, emotional impact.

6.4.3 Fashion Journalism

Fashion journalism is a special type of communication it carried out as part of the fashion media communication. We have attempted to establish systematization and a definition of the main terms related to fashion journalism based on the classical definitions taken from general journalism and personal experience.

Fashion journalism is not a novelty in the present scenario. The oldest French fashion magazine, La galérie des modes et costumes français, dates back from 1778. Still, in 1829, at only 23 years and under the patronage of the young duchess of Berry, Emile de Girardin launches the most representative title, La mode.

In fashion, paradoxically, it is not the clothes that fascinate us. They are almost invisible, eclipsed by the even more fascinating backstage show. And its master of ceremonies is none other than the fashion journalist.

Based on a relatively traditional structure, as well as on personal experience, we structured and defined the elements of a fashion magazine as follows:

Editorial, pictorial, advertorial, portrait, brand profile, product presentation, fashion trends, critique (event, collection, styling), interview, news, shopping and trends pages, technical pages, humor and not to forget the latest instrument – the blog. There are examples for every section, provided especially from personal experience for a more precise portrayal.

6.4.4 Communication through Image

This section focuses on the strategies involved in Visual communication. It has been emphasized on the theoretical study of a related field more specifically that of fashion photography, a field that constantly supports the artistic fashion creation process.

Fashion photography is a type of photography that mainly highlights the clothing and items related to fashion. It highlights the beauty of the clothing, focusing on its details. The captured image should tell a story that is easily understood, regardless of who the viewer is. Bearing a commercial purpose or taken in order to illustrate certain themes in fashion publications, this type of photography requires more than the mastery of technical and theoretical knowledge of photography – it requires a degree of familiarity, knowledge and experience in the fashion field, and communication beyond the traditional meaning of the term.

Since the early years, fashion photographers have aimed to capture both the model, the clothes and style and their work has gradually evolved hand in hand with the development of fashion itself.

In the following we shall offer a classification of fashion photography as follows:

Fashion runway photography, photo catalog (or campaign), product photography, pictorial photography, photo book, beauty photography, street style photography, with example of works and photographers.

6.4.5 Event Planning

This section presents the general theoretical event planning, including a brief history of what we know as the fashion show and tracing and explaining the characteristics of a fashion event. All we need to organize an event is: planning, press conference, discourse planning, media files, press release, and the agenda and finally, in post - event - press monitoring and assessment. Establishing your event’s budget is one of the most important parts of planning an event.

6.5 Writing for Fashion

6.5.1 Press Release and its format

A press release is an official communique of a fashion designer or an organization that conveys newsworthy information about your organization to the news media. In this section, you will learn how to write a press release for a fashion brand / designer’s collection / new store.

Most of the written communication allows for creativity, press release is an official document of the organization and it follows a specific structure. And, importantly, this is always issued on the company’s letterhead. Structure of the press release is as below:

FashionX Limited

K G Marg, New Delhi – 110001

Tel : 011 42929291

Write Headline Here in 5 to 8 words

Write Strapline / Sub Head here in 8 to 10 words

The Lead paragraph is the most important paragraph. This part answers the most important Ws of the press release. Your release follows an inverted pyramid style which means the most important information is at the top and the least important is the last paragraph.

Rest is the body of the press release that covers other important information that builds on the Lead paragraph. It also covers quotes of senior management or experts or chief guest (in case of event).

This continues to be part of the body. Dummy text here. This is dummy text and dummy text here to explain. Dummy text, Dummy text is here for explanation only. Dummy text is pasted here to explain. Only dummy text, dummy text, dummy text is here. Dummy text dummy text Dummy text dummy text Dummy text dummy text Dummy text dummy text. Dummy text dummy text Dummy text dummy text Dummy text dummy text Dummy text dummy text Dummy text and dummy text is here for explanation only.

New Delhi

5 Feb, 2019

About FashionX Limited FashionX Limited was established in the year 2011 as an e-commerce fashion company for plus size. Today, it has a turnover of Rs 520 crore per annum and serves more than 560 cities, towns and districts across India. It has won several awards and has been recognized as the best fashion ecommerce company of India by CIIE IT Forum of India.

For More information, please contact : Ravinder Sharma

For immediate Release [email protected]

Mobile : 8787876540

Headline and Strapline (subhead) combo

The headline is your key announcement. It’s the most important information of the press release, and the hook that will encourage media to read further. So, make it a compelling one in about 5 to 8 words.

Strapline is the second most important information of the press release in about 8 to 10 words. It could be names of some important people slated to attend the event or a record profit etc. [Also called subhead]

For example, there are two combinations of a headline / strapline give. Which headline / strapline would lead you to read further? "'Launch of B2B app for Fashion Start-Ups' with a Strapline ‘More than 200 Fashion Designers from Indian and Europe to congregate at the event," or "’Fashion Body Announces Event for a B2B App Launch’ Launch Event to happen for the first time in New Delhi."

The first set is more compelling because it gives important information on what it is (B2B app for fashion startups), who will benefit (fashion designers), who will attend (fashion designers), how many (200) and from where (India and international).

Opening Paragraph or the Lead Paragraph

A release should begin with the dateline1 or could end with a dateline (as shown in example above). The lead para should be a one-sentence summary of the announcement. Primarily should answer 5Ws (who, what, where, when, why) and 1H (how) in about 40 to 50 words. Usually ‘Why and How’ are not as important as the other 4Ws. This can include information similar to what’s in your headline and strapline, just with a bit more detail.

For example, "New Delhi, March 31, 2019 – ABC Fashion body today announced its launch of B2B app for Fashion start ups with more than 200 fashion designers from India and around the world slated to congregate at this event. This is the first time an app to support B2B networking of fashion designers and vendors in the value chain will be on one platform.”

To continue to draw the reader in let the the opening paragraph follow a KISS rule ‘Keep it Short & Simple’. It is important to note that dateline could be either before the lead para or at the end of the press release and above the boiler plate.

Body

This is the flesh of your announcement, where you can elaborate on the who, what, where, and why. Write short paragraphs that give all of the key details pertaining to your announcement, with the most relevant points first. This section should be no more than 3-4 paragraphs.

It is ideal to include a quote from senior officials of the company or an expert from within the company in one of the body paragraphs. This adds a face and authentication to the announcement.

Boilerplate

A boilerplate is a standard 40- 50 word paragraph at the end of the press release that is a standard explanation about your company like when was the company established, operations and brands. It could include your mission statement, key facts about your company that you want to highlight which could be awards that you have won, or the number of customers you have served.

Here’s an example of a boilerplate :

About ABC Fashion Co.

ABC Fashion Co. is a first of its kind online B2B marketplace that allows fashion designers to connect with embroiders, fabric manufacturers, colourists from all over India. ABC is setting up offline coordination offices in 20 cities across India. Headquartered in New Delhi, ABC Fashion Co. is funded by the Fashion Design Body. For more information, please visit www.abcfashion.co.in

Contact Details

Finally, clearly mention name, email and mobile number of the person who has complete information on the announcement related questions that press may have, usually an in-house PR representative or a PR agency representative.

Check your progress

Q1. Write a boilerplate for Indira Gandhi National Open University

Q2. What is a headline and a strapline?

6.5.2 Press Invitation

Press invitation should be crafted carefully such that it inspires journalists to attend the event. Let us understand structure of the invitation and then let’s write a successful invitation email. The invitation letter must must include all the details that the invitee needs to know. It is a formal communication with warm greetings. The following are some of the important points that you have to keep in mind while crafting an invitation letter for the press :

Clear subject for your event:

Writing a clear subject line that will make your email relevant to the target media list because this is one of the first things a recipient sees upon receiving the email.

For example, a subject line like “You are Invited or Invitation” is not at all appealing for one to know more unless the sender is personally known. However, a subject line like could be “Press Conference : First Fashion B2B App Launch. 31st March, Taj Palace, New Delhi.” This subject line captures the essence, clearly states invitation and shares date / place.

Such an invitation email is a perfect professional setting for the host organization.

Greetings and salutation

A formal salutation that is ‘Dear Mr Surname’ is advisable and first name to be used only if you have met the person earlier and know the person one-on-one. This could be followed by ‘Warm greetings from New Delhi.’

Body & contact

The five-Ws-approach is the best one for media people who are being inundated with a humongous amount of information everyday. The goal is to design an invitation that can be read easily, is specific, and communicates in one line about the event. Full details should be mentioned at the top of the email, followed by a brief explanation of what it’s for, why it’s relevant to the specific person, and what to expect if he / she attends. Complete contact information with email, mobile should be mentioned with the signature.

Check your progress 4

Q1. Draft a press invitation for the press conference organized to announce opening of India Fashion Week, 2019

[Hint : Ref FDCI.org for sponsors, designers participating, venue and dates]

6.5.3 Press kit essentials

A media kit is a package of information prepared by the company / organization to share news stories / information about your organization. These are prepared to provide important news, company backgrounder, facts, look book / catalogue, photographs etc.

It is a one-stop shop for all of the information that journalists would usually need. In the past, a media kit was often presented in a folder or a box, but it has become digital now.

Depending on organizations, contents of media kit may vary. But there are a few regular items as part of the media kit.

• Information brochure / Annual report / Catalogue • Bio / profiles of important people in the organization • Press release with relevant quotes • Images of the collection, senior designers • Other interesting facts • Samples of your product / fabric swatches / miniatures

6.6 Making Creative Presentations

6.6.1 Drafting creative presentations

Preparing for a presentation for the jury / final selection process to present at the India Fashion Week. As a fashion designer, you were convinced that your designs were relevant to the client brief and innovative. Your work was good but the committee did not select you. Why? Did you work hard on presentation of your ideas as well as your collection? This section will focus on developing professional creative presentations so next time whether it is your classroom or your client, go well prepared and present the best. Most common tools are Microsoft’s PowerPoint, Presi and google slides that are used to create presentations, you could generate more interest in these conventional tools with simple things such as including pictures, movements, impactful fonts and at times minimal (depending on the theme) etc. Let us apply some tips to grab your audience’s attention and effectively communicate your idea.

1. Draw attention with the most interesting statistic on the opening slide or the slide after title.

“72% North Indian women buy outfit in Red or shades of red for wedding”

“Tweens don’t buy layered clothing for the fear of looking overweight”

2. Large visuals for a design presentation will give a fillip (unless it is a bad, pixelated visual)

Be ruthless while designing and keep asking yourself ‘Why?’ It’s a game-changer for the quality of presentations.

3. Black and white and just a dash of bright color. Adding a bright color to a black and white colour scheme could draw attention to your presentation. But maintain a balance throughout.

4. A minimal design composition will instill calm, keep attention of audience on the content and your collection. Slide design should not be loud such that it takes away the attention from your collection.

5. Add your hand illustrations Hand illustrations add originality and a desired visual element to the slide backgrounds. You can choose the best ones that match the theme.

6. Thick and bold fonts

Do pay attention to titles on slides. You could try to place letters vertically along the slide or horizontal but bleed over the edges. Try fonts that have strong corners.

7. Pathway transitions could be interesting to explore. Create interesting transitions instead of just sliding in one direction. 8. Tell your story

Not everyone knows the story behind your inspiration and the uniqueness of your process. It will be interesting to show your effort by presenting short videos / pictures of your work in various stages, from initial sketches to final designs, before showing the final design solution. Remember – You must focus on ‘WIIFT’ – What’s in it for Them (your client / audience).’ Because your presentation isn’t about you.

9. Using quotes between slides that goes with your theme / story / inspiration could be a good breather between your design slides. You could use them to create new sections of information within the presentation.

10. Be attentive and listen to all questions and comments carefully with an open mind. It is very important to address every question from every committee member. Don’t ignore the youngest one or the softest one. If you disagree with something, reason it out but do not push it.

11. Incorporate Music. Or Video : A video that documents your research or some interviews of what customers want or a trend video could be very interesting to get the committee focused on to your work.

12. Brainstorm, Revise and Revisit : Spend good time brainstorming all the out-of-the-box ideas you have and map it with your audience. Hash out all the ideas and revise them. Think in "what ifs."

Remember, your presentation is story of your work. May be create a video presentation of your story, process and ideas and invest enough time preparing for a good presentation.

6.6.2 Using technology

PowerPoint is the most common tool for making presentations, but technology has given way to several platforms that help us in creating interesting presentations. PowerPoint is certainly an effective tool however, there are several new presentation solutions on the internet that have templates to engage your audience and communicate key ideas.

This section will discuss technology to make your presentation interesting and some alternate platforms.

Presentation tools :

1. Prezi

Prezi is a template-based, zooming, online presentation tool which is very visual and can be edited by others online as well as downloaded. It creates presentations with unique movement between slides. It zooms in and zooms out. The presentation is mapped on a track as fed in by the designer. When one switches slides, it doesn't simply advance to the next one; it takes the viewer through the presentation track to the key point. You can arrange content under different sections and create an overview so your audience can see your entire presentation plan. This method keeps the presentation organized and your audience engaged. (source : www.prezi.com) 2. Visme

Like Prezi, Visme is also a cloud-based presentation tool to create visually heavy presentations. It has a drag-and-drop tool to create presentations. Visme also offers a built-in analytics system, so you can see who has viewed your presentation and who finished it. You could even create your own narrated slides. Adding an audio narrative can turn a presentation into an experience. [Source : Visme.com]

3. Canva

Canva is an online platform that provides templates for a wide range of presentations with infographics. It’s a simple drag and drop tool to create impressive presentations. You just need to fill the professionally designed templates and the tool supports with images stock, photo filters to fonts. There are endless possibilities to put together stunning and engaging presentations. You can upload your own images or choose from more than 1 million of Canva's stock images. (www.canva.com)

4. Haiku Deck

Haiku Deck is a platform that helps designers to create professional creative presentations with high- quality images. It provides instant access to 40million+ royalty-free Creative Commons license images that match your ideas. What differentiates Haiku Deck from other presentation tools is its stock of images and fonts. It makes it easy to create simple, powerful presentations that are accessible on any device. It easily imports photos from your G Drive, Facebook, and share instantly to any social network or connected device. Sizing, formatting, and attribution are all handled seamlessly. (Source : https://www.haikudeck.com)

5. Pitcherific

Pitcherific is a template-based program that is not only a presentation solution, but also a platform for building and practicing your presentation. When you start building your presentation here, the tool prompts you to write down each part of your speech. Atleast the outline of your talk, for example, includes an opening, challenges, issues, solutions and closing. Pitcherific has a interesting feature that guides the designer on character count and a time clock. (http://pitcherific.com)

6. Powtoon

“Captivate... Engage... Explain! Amazing videos and presentations created with Powtoon!” is the branding statement for powtoon.com. Powtoon is an animation-based presentation and video platform for creating short videos / presentations about your design, brand or product. The ease of editing presentations and videos, adding voiceover, makes it a tool used by several students also.

Powtoon offers a free version too.

7. Creedo

Creedo makes your presentation listened to and remembered. It’s entirely possible with the help of Creedoo. Ask questions to and poll your audience, then get their responses in real time. This tool also gives you the option of creating additional back slides that connect to any of your main slides, so that if you need to go more in depth into a topic. (www.creedoo.com)

8. Stop-motion

The stop-motion technique can make your presentation unforgettable. There are lots of ways to use stop-motion for example, create titles that move into place.

6.6.3 Sharpen your delivery and make your presentation interesting

• 10-20-30 Rule – This is a slideshow rule offered by Guy Kawasaki. This rule states that a presentation should have no more than 10 slides, last no longer than 20 minutes and have no text less than 30 point font. You may have a game changing, earth shattering idea but spell it out in a few minutes, a couple slides and a several words a slide.

• Slow Pace – Nervous and inexperienced speakers could start rattling without a pause. Consciously slow down pace of your speech down and add breaks / pauses for emphasis.

• Eye Contact – Maintain eye contact with everyone in the room. Do not focus all your attention on the decision makers or front rows only.

• Don’t Read – This one is very critical. There is no need to memories the speech. Note down important points in the notes section of the slides. If you read, you will appear to be in confident.

• Reach much earlier – Set up and get ready. Don’t fumble with PowerPoint or allow projector challenges interrupt or dampen your presentation. Come early and run through your slideshow and make sure there won’t be any glitches. Well preparedness could remove a lot of speaking anxiety.

• Practice, practice, practice – Practice your speaking skills in front of an audience. Inject your passion and enthusiasm for the subject into your presentations.

6.8 LET US SUM UP

In the world of fashion, designers have to engage with their suppliers, assistant designers, buyers, and media among others. Post design approvals, when production starts, designers need to communicate design details to their teams and be able to give clarity to their teams about design details, production, cost, buyer requirements, if any. They will also need to speak with vendors / suppliers for materials.

Crisp, clear and creative presentations are an important part of a fashion designer’s professional life. This unit will guide you to create content for professional presentations. With effective communication skills, you can work proficiently with your client, business houses, employers, buyers for business goals.

Most common tools are Microsoft’s PowerPoint, Presi and google slides that are used to create presentations, you could generate more interest in these conventional tools by simply including images, creating slide movements, fonts, title placements, color, music or video to grab audience’s attention and effectively communicate your idea.

1.9 CHECK YOUR PROGRESS: THE KEY

1. Read Section 6.1

2. Read Section 6.3.1 & 6.3.2

3. Read Section 6.4.1

UNIT 7 ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN FASHION COMMUNICATION Structure 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Objectives 7.3 Whu Should You Study Social Media? 7.4 Concept and Definition 7.4.1 What is Social Media 7.4.2 Shift in understanding the medium 7.4.3 Criticism and Acceptance 7.4.4 Check your Progress 1 7.5 Various Kinds of Social Media 7.5.1 Social Network 7.5.2 Media Sharing Networks 7.5.3 Discussion Forums 7.5.4 Bookmarking and Content Curation Network 7.5.5 Consumer Review Networks 7.5.6 Blogging and Publishing Networks 7.5.7 Social Shopping Networks 7.5.8 Interest based network 7.5.9 Others 7.5.10 Check your progress 2 7.6 Role of Social media in Fashion 7.6.1 Instagram 7.6.2 Twitter 7.6.3 Facebook 7.6.4 Pinterest 7.6.5 Youtube 7.6.6 Check your progress 3 7.7 Future of Fashion through social media 7.7.1 Influencer marketing 7.7.2 Branding in social media 7.7.3 Blogging and Vlogging 7.7.4 Check your progress 4 7.8 Let us Sum Up 7.9 Check your Progress: The Key 7.10 Further Reading

7.1. INTRODUCTION

Social media has become an integral part of our everyday lives. It is the quintessential means of connectivity of people across the world. The internet is not new to all of us, but it is perpetually evolving and as a means of communication it has become an extension of human behavior. Many of us are giving up traditional media in favor of social media.

Phone calls may not have become redundant but a chat app is preferable, especially for the young. Millennials and Xennials have adapted to this change of technology even faster, using social media to make their everyday decisions. What to buy, what clothes are trending, what accessories to use with what looks? All these decisions are being made by the tech savvy generation through social media.

Fashion brands have recognized this behavior and are capitalizing on this medium. Even the luxury brands have changed their stance of exclusivity and made their wares available and accessible to everyone by using promotional strategies on social media platforms.

It is then even more essential to understand how social media works, how brands can communicate their ideas using these platforms with optimum understanding of social interactions and global trends.

This module focusses on looking at the different social media platforms, their strengths and shortcomings, and how the fashion industry is using them as an asset to collect and dissipate information.

7.2. OBJECTIVES

After going through this unit, you should be able to:

• Define what is ‘Social Media’ and the various popular platforms of social media. • State and define the numerous concepts used by fashion brands and how they use social media strategies to attract consumers of today. • Explain the relationship between the fashion industry and its communication on social media. • How the modes of blogging and vlogging have changed the way fashion brands are marketed as opposed to traditional marketing. • Understand what and who are influencers and influencer marketing in the fashion industry.

7.3 WHY SHOULD YOU STUDY SOCIAL MEDIA? There is a general consensus that the use of social media as the primary mode of consumption of news and media in general has increased. The fashion industry has adapted to this change and adopted social media strategies to engage their potential customers and consumers directly instead of relying on the traditional advertising platforms. Media like billboard advertisements, posters, and print newspaper, magazine and television commercials had the advantage that the advertisers had complete control over them. There was no feedback per se. However, with the advent of social media, regular average customers, consumers of the campaigns can post feedback. And this feedback is almost immediate in the form of comments, whatever platform you choose. This mass availability is because of the increased utilization of online networking in the last decade. Online networking is an ongoing progress that transcends international borders. This has greatly affected how purchasers interact with the fashion businesses. Internet based lifestyle has made sure of new channels of publicizing for fashion houses to reach their target markets. Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and in the last few years even YouTube, are all part of this social media game. When a brand posts online now, it can use various ways to do it. Whether they want to post styled photographs, videos, interactive digital art, mix media, audio visual media or text posted visually – all these are part of the social media strategies that are utilized by brands today.

7.4 CONCEPTS AND DEFINITION

7.4.1 What is social media? Social Media can be defined as Online communication channels that build on the society dedication to interaction between communities, based on their inputs, which includes but is not limited to content sharing.

Websites like Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter all come under the umbrella of social media. These websites have also now converted to mobile based applications (apps) with the advent the multi utilitarian device and the growth in mobile technologies. They can help people communicate across the world with forums, personal connect, microblogging, video sharing, social bookmarking, image sharing etc. It allows ‘one to one’ or ‘one to many’ interaction via the internet.

7.4.2 Shift in understanding the medium The global financial crisis that hit the world in 2008, saw a decline in the consumption of luxury goods, hitting the fashion community pretty badly in the process. Sellers needed to now concentrate on classic strategies to recover their lost market, as shoppers were less inclined to spend their money that show opulence, especially as disposable incomes were at risk and people were struggling just to keep their jobs. Not willing to take risks, the populace refocused on genuine and classic pieces rather than investing in avant garde fashion items. The advertising techniques and strategies have changed, the essential style continues as before, everyone is trying pulling in and holding on to clients.

Fashion brands reworked to reshape their advertising methodologies to gain the shopper’s attention, the age of social media. The paradigm shift from traditional mediums of advertising and promotions to electronic media on the internet happened at this very time.

7.4.3 Criticism and acceptance Because of the interactive quality of social media and the immediacy of the reactions, the fashion industry used to believe that it could be damaging to the business. The most feared aspect of it was the negative reaction and criticism of people that brands would have to face for their products or designs. But labels soon realized that this also allowed for them to reach a larger audience. While traditional media and even pop up ads are controlled by the brand, PR agency or the brand’s agency, Social Media is controlled by its users and participants. Brands realized that lasting relationships with consumers can be built through it, at the push of a simple image. Word of mouth was easier to achieve on social media with understanding the global consumer behavior. Your reach did not need to be localized. A more diverse group of people can be engaged and drawn to brands with good strategies with fewer restrictions than print or traditional media.

Consumer decisions are easier to influence with balanced portrayal of brands, especially the fast fashion brands like H&M or Zara. Conversations and interactions of social media help consumers enter the purchase funnel more easily. It has been observed that fashion consumers corroborate with the social circles, on social media, what they have learnt through promotions and advertisers through traditional means.

The internet has also allowed more accessibility for consumers. Many brands have started delivering offshore through their websites or through websites like Amazon, Flipkart, Snapdeal etc. People also have more access to the advertisement itself as they don’t need to go out and buy fashion magazines to consume and access imagery. They are able to view latest trends through Instagram influencers, and talk about the latest fashion events on Twitter. Comment and network building apps, plugins like Disqus allow immediate feedback on collections and celebrity fashion also trickles down much faster through worldwide network apps like Facebook. This is in spite of the fact that both good and bad images can go viral on social media networks.

Whether brands make high fashion couture lines or prêt collections, digital media and social networks have allowed them to create a better brand awareness than before and also to study consumer behavior in a shorter span of time. The consumers too have easier access and more choice about what pieces they would like to buy depending on their socio-cultural environments and their personal choice depending on trends that they are now able to follow more diligently through these websites or apps. 7.4.4 Check your Progress 1 How has social media changed the way fashion brands communicate with their consumers in the last two decades? Discuss with examples in 500 words.

7.5 VARIOUS KINDS OF SOCIAL MEDIA

There are different kinds of social media networks that are accessed and utilized by users from across the world. They are categorized according to what kind of content goes in there and what they are used for:

7.5.1 Social Networks Examples - Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn

These sorts of Social Media are utilized to connect people (and brands) with other people on the web. They urge people and organizations to communicate on the web and offer information for guaranteeing mutually profitable connections. They are communities that thrive on casual interactions, and are always around us with 24 x 7 opportunities to build connections and ‘friends. They started with services like AOL, Prodigy and even Orkut; but have now metamorphosed into global networks like Facebook and Twitter that allow people to share their views all the time. With mobile networks and Wi-fi becoming a part and parcel of the society today, these websites have now transcended into mobile apps.

Brands can now channelize distinctive styles of online networking efforts on these apps that enable them to augment their span of the market. These brands can also go for a paid approached to do this on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn communities along with organic growth.

7.5.2 Media Sharing Networks Examples - Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube

Media sharing Networks of Social Media are employed to discover and share photos, videos – whether live or prerecorded, graphics, and other kinds of primarily visual media on the web. Fashion brands generally prefer these mediums as they are visual in nature and grab the attention of the consumer the fastest. Brand image can be built over these means and they have quite a wide reach. These channels will help fashion brands run well-thought-out promotions to create leads and broaden their audience base.

These networks also can be targeted at specific audiences and use a variety of techniques to reach the intended interest groups that can be focused on and converted to associate with the fashion brand. These networks also are the best means to study consumer behavior and preferences. A simple example of this is how you can use hashtags to look for your personal interests in a certain item of clothing, and algorithms in these networks then target specific brands that have the same visual tastes of the images that you have looked for online. YouTube also showcases ‘related videos’ after you have watched a certain video and the advertisements are also often related to what you watch on the website.

7.5.3 Discussion Forums Examples - Quora, Digg, Reddit

Discussion forums are one of the oldest forms of Social Media where the news, information, opinions and of course discussions are dissipated and shared in a commenting format on these channels. Before the entry of popular Social Media players like Facebook, these forums were the places where professionals, experts and enthusiasts used to do different kinds of discussions concerning a variety of fields. One of the first forums Planet-Forum Systems, was developed in the 1970s and the earliest internet-based forums date back to the 1990s. Forums have a big database of users who can reply or post a user-submitted message on threads for relevant discussions. Often tech companies and gaming websites have forums dedicated to problem solving and resolving of issues based on user experience.

This can help businesses, including fashion brands, do research and study consumer behavior and responses to advancement in technology and design. This medium is one of the primary ways to find answers in many domains.

7.5.4Bookmarking and Content Curation Networks Examples – StumbleUpon, Bundlr, Pinterest, Flipboard

Content curation and bookmarking can help in bringing together interests that target specific interests in consumers. It helps share, curate and optimize visual as well as written content in a simple format like boards. For example, since Pinterest is a public forum, the users can easily re- share a brand’s image on their own wall creating a potentially viral post.

The archival quality of content curation networks can save older trends that become classis, or can target nostalgia marketing options as well. It helps drive customer engagement as well as bring in website traffic. Brand awareness can be raised through these channels by providing unique shareable content across users and by making sure it’s related to your brand, the impact could be quite positive.

They are very helpful in creating inventive, out of the box campaigns for a brand’s customer base and can provide access to many in a short time.

7.5.5 Consumer Review Networks Examples - Zomato, Google My Business, Yelp, Trust Pilot

These are not traditionally social networking sites, but they serve a great purpose of helping customers find new and/or trusted places to avail certain services. For example, after visiting a restaurant/or ordering food from are restaurant, Zomato users can leave real time review on the restaurant’s profile. This can be viewed by other users who are interested in availing the restaurant’s services later and add their own comments. These are ‘star rating’ based websites and apps and consumers are encouraged to leave their comments and information about the service, product or brand. A brand with mostly positive reviews on these sites are credible and trusted more because of the reviews from the customers, which acts as a social proof for them. In today’s world, a smart social media marketing campaigner would definitely rely on the review platforms. Good review content encourages and influences other users and buyers to go for one brand than their competitors because of trust factor. In fact, vendors on shopping apps like Amazon and Flipkart are also relying on customer reviews to increase their sales by providing them with increasingly good services.

7.5.6 Blogging and Publishing Networks Examples - WordPress, Blogger, Tumblr, Medium

Short of Weblog, Blogging is a powerful means of content curation. Users can create blogs on free sites like the traditional blogging sites Wordpress.com or Blogging.com or through newer apps like Tumblr etc to create unique content. Writing, publishing, discovering and commenting on articles can reach millions of people all over the world who are discovering these blogs and articles on the world wide web every day.

These are means of sharing personal stories online which engages people and the content can be easily shared through links on other social networks like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn to further the reach. Brands have also realized the effectiveness of bloggers in reaching niche audiences because of their personal connect with their dedicated readers. Even though blogging became a popular means of communication across the world by the late 90s, the real rise in the ‘blogosphere’ was seen after the turn of the millennium. In the last two decades, blogging has turned into a full-time career rather than just a hobby for youngsters. Many brands have started investing in bloggers to promote their brands through their websites, often paying a handsome amount to them in return.

7.5.7Social Shopping Networks Examples – Crowd storm, Listia, Polyvore, Etsy

Many brands rely on the shift in consumer behavior by enlisting on social shopping sites like Polyvore or Etsy to lure in customers. Consumers are shifting to buying online more than ever before rather than sift through the mall and spend hours trying on new outfits. Many millennials and Xennials prefer to shop online and social shopping networks aid them to go through the latest trends, follow diverse brands, share attention-grabbing things and make a direct purchase on these social shopping networks. These sites comfortable incorporates the changing social scenarios of product sharing and front-facing user engagement of brands. These networks especially help small businesses or fashion product start-ups to start selling without investing too much in terms of storage etc.

While selling products is the primary aim of any fashion businesses, social shopping networks also acts as other social networks to boost brand awareness and create engagement amongst its users. E commerce is made even more interesting by adding social engagement through sharing and trend analysis by the end users. 7.5.8Interest-based Networks Examples – Goodreads, Shelfari, Tastebuds, Houzz

As the name suggests, these sites are for people who want to discuss and share similar interests. These sites have been gaining popularity in the last few years due to increased internet usage among the youth who are targeting to connect with people with similar sorts of hobbies. Thus the audience on these networks is more niche thus creating a narrower target and more specific consumers with similar behavior. This makes them ideal for research and finding the right audiences.

These networks has people who share information and discuss their topics of interest and further connecting on various social networking sites. It primarily works on the concept of reverse socializing, which as a phenomenon is trending today. These networks encourage individuals to first exchange views based on similar interests, familiarize themselves with each other and ultimately become ‘friends’ with more common topics to discuss.

7.5.9 Others There are more types of networking on the internet, like Anonymous Social Networks such as Sarahah, Whisper, YikYak, that allow users to share anonymous content without revealing the identity of the user. Many of these started as confession sites that were later also used for venting, gossiping and/or for entertainment purposes. However, they have been controversial because online trolling, use of abusive language, predatory behavior and threats are believed to be common on these sites.

There are also Sharing Economy Networks, like Uber or Ola Cabs, UrbanClap, CanYa where service providers can sell, share and advertise their brands to the consumers. These are not strictly social media networks but can be shared among users.

7.5.10 Check Your Progress 2 Based on your reading above, what are the different kinds of social media?

7.6 ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN FASHION

The fashion industry cuts across social media platforms today because of the average internet user’s interest level in the subject. Not only does Social Media allow more access to information now, it also has become an easier, cheaper and faster way to find the information. There was a time that a fashion enthusiast would have to buy expensive magazines, only available in select newsstands, to follow the trends and find out what was happening on the runway, especially with their favorite designers. The other means was to follow fashion trends through the typical trickle- down theory, i.e. follow the celebrity styles. International trends were even harder to follow as international magazines were tough to find.

Television too had limited access to the hardcore fashion industry meant only for the affluent. With the advent of the internet and Social Media, the fashion industry has had to do a U-Turn in their strategies and how they reach out to the audience. Admittedly, the audience too has become larger and the brands have realized that they have more spending power than before, especially the erstwhile ignored markets, like India, South Korea, China, and Latin America which, according to some studies, are likely to overtake North America and Europe in terms of sales.

The emergence of Social Media has become a boon for many of these brands because it is much easier than before to spread word about established brands to these regions. For example, Zara and H&M already had an interested market ready and aware about their brands before they set up shop here. Their marketing team did not have to work too hard to establish their reliability in the Indian market. Whether they are Premium, specialist or mass, Social Media platforms will keep on developing in reach and scale making sure that fashion businesses continue to find ways of engaging more through them.

Fashion blogging as a career too emerged because of Social Media becoming a global phenomenon. Many fashion bloggers drive their readers to their blogs through a combination of Instagram, Facebook, and other channels. Some use YouTube as the medium to create a niche audience for them by creating fashion and beauty videos. Consumers are ever more looking towards online platforms as the first point of search. They are enticed by the convenience of these apps and platforms especially attracted by the relevance and breadth of offering of these platforms.

7.6.1 Instagram Because of fashion is so reliant on visuals, Instagram, as a social network is unquestionably the biggest asset that any brand can adopt. As of June 2018, Instagram boasts of 1 billion users worldwide. The popularity of this network is not likely to diminish any time soon, and fashion brands that aspire to any substantial measure of success are trying to use it to its full potential. It also aids in nurturing relationships with a community of prospective clients.

New features on the app have allowed companies to realise Instagram's power to drive sales. It is increasingly becoming an undisputable means to get global exposure fast with the right strategies. It also made it easier for smaller brands to establish themselves. Previously brands had to work around pricey marketing strategies, advertising and promotional costs in magazines, Instagram has allowed the right collaborations to work in the favour of startups. Business pages on Instagram can offer users to shop from the images and reach directly on to the brand website, giving a mix social shopping experience to the ends users. Instagram Stories, which is a non- archival form of sharing images and videos, and IGTV, offer more variety to them too.

Visual storytelling on Instagram, thus, is easy as a fashion brand can build its image as well as create trend boards and generate interest amongst its followers. Influencer and celebrity collaborations add another layer to how fashion and this network overlaps. Celebs promoting a fashion brand can organically increase customer engagement and is much cheaper than being feature in a fashion magazine. According to Forbes, “Instagram images posted by influencers and celebrities earn an additional 4 X engagement rate, for an 8x increase.” The credibility of the brand itself increases when a fashion influencer endorses it.

7.6.2 Twitter Created in 2006, Twitter’s popularity today as a news curation site is something no one would have believed possible then. It started as a microblogging site with users sharing their views and opinions which were limited to 140 characters.

Many brands have since then used this platform to study and engage people to increase brand awareness. Twitter also acts as a discussion forum and is a great place for feedback from the brand’s customers. The hashtags on Twitter allow topics to trend in specific regions and worldwide, which can be used to promote a brand. This allows people who don’t follow a topic to take a look at what the others are talking about. Many events are reported live by users on Twitter and it has now become a coveted space for transmitting product launches live, which has been utilized most by mobile tech brands like iPhone. Newsworthy articles also tend to go viral on Twitter easily with retweets and endorsements. 7.6.3 Facebook Facebook was launched in 2004 and has gone on to b one of the Big Four technology companies of the world. With over two billion users worldwide, it surpasses the other social media networks by quite a margin. Even though detractors have often predicted its downfall, there has been a steady increase in the number of Facebook users over the years.

Brands are able to share videos and images of their products and are even able to now sell through Facebook, especially if they are able to connect to their customers via a well-run page. Real time reviews on the platform allow customers to connect and engage with the brand and each other, and dynamic targeted ads are one of the biggest revenue sources of the company itself. Many luxury brands too have started interacting on Facebook with users across the world to build their brand image or reinvent themselves to reach out to newer markets. Features like Facebook live allow audiences to have peak at runway shows and red carpet celebrity looks from other pages to understand and follow trends. 7.6.4 Pinterest Pinterest has become a gold mine for fashionistas to browse trends and products online. Curation of images from across the web help shoppers aspire to buy products that are new to the market or generate interest for particular brands. The term Fashion accounts for almost half of Pinterest searches and pins and it makes it easier for the brand to direct their customers to shopping sites where they can buy the particular product from.

Most people look for inspiration on Pinterest, and much of it converts to actual buying decisions especially when it comes to fashion. Tags like ‘street style’ ‘prom dress’ ‘earrings’ are one of the highest used on the network and fashion brands that create these popular boards also tend to have good turnovers from the app.

7.6.5 YouTube One of the major contents consumed today on the internet is videos. It is being studied that many internet users are shifting their focus on video content rather than written or photographic. YouTube is the most used site for consuming video content. And it provides a variety in that regard. Whether it is generated by users in form of audio-video presentations or through blogs, the regulars on YouTube tend to be more engaged than other mediums. Vloggers, or Video Loggers, are becoming strong influencers often giving reviews of products they are using and fashion brands have identified the potential market. Sponsored videos are on the rise and a well followed vlogger can easily influence her followers through her channel. YouTube live feature allows many events to be telecast live to the world to follow trends and latest fashion styles.

7.6.6 Check your progress 3 What are most used social media platforms on the internet today? How does a fashion brand use the different platforms to their advantage?

7.7 FUTURE OF FASHION THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA

7.7.1 Influencer marketing Influencer Marketing is an amalgam of long-standing and new marketing tools. It takes the notion of the celebrity endorsement technique and mixes it with the use of technology and internet’s reach to the mass audience. However, there is dissimilarity between influencer marketing campaigns and the age-old celebrity endorsement campaigns. The celebrities on the internet do not need to be A-listers, their reach could be universal and often they are. The influencers may not be industry giants or known faces. The collaborations between brands and influencers are mutually beneficial, apart from the monetary factor and Return on Investment. Influencer marketing helps build trust between the brand and the customer.

Influencers can be literally anyone. It could be a popular TV star, a photographer, a social worker, a traveler or a respected executive of a tech company. The only factor that brands look at is the niche that these influencers have and what is the number of followers they have. For example, a traveler who post photographs on the Instagram of her travels, may be endorsed by a Hotel booking website which she can then post on her handle to influence her followers. A beauty vlogger on YouTube may be sponsored by a new skin care brand which she can review on her channel thus prompting her subscribers. A tech blogger may be approached by a mobile app for an instructional video on how to use the app. A financial executive may talk about a new insurance company offering a particular service.

These Influencers are individuals who have built their own brand image and an audience base on their social media sites. Their reputations as people who have expertise on their subject is also at stake with these collaborations, and brands often make the mistake of trying to manipulate them into endorsing a substandard product that can harm the rapport of the influencers.

Fashion and beauty brands have especially been criticised for trying to extract a quick payout. Influencer marketing is much cheaper than traditional forms of marketing, but brands have to be patient about the ROI they get through this medium. This does not directly convert to sales, but builds a steady credibility in the market. Collaborating with influencers whose brand image aligns with the brand is a better idea and a thorough analysis on the influencer is important before investing, even though it may be small amount. Many new bloggers and influencers too try to make a quick buck by trying to persuade startups to use their services, which can often backfire.

7.7.2Branding in social media We have already studied that the personal engagement that social media allows has reshaped the strategies that brands have adopted in the past decade. The fashion industry can directly connect with the customers on a personal level which, while having its clear advantages adds the risk of a small mistake of an individual ruining the image of an entire brand. The audience eating up the content online has become bigger. In fact, it has become a global audience. The rapport built on social media between retailers and the customers can eventually drive sales in the future. PR strategists are changing the way they look at online marketing by trying to engage consumers personally with a direct approach. Many brands have created their own social media handles to have that connect.

As the world is becoming more aware of social issues and consumers are becoming pickier, fashion marketing promotions are also becoming more careful about their social image. For example, Dove started a social media campaign ‘#Speak Beautiful’ in 2015 to boost self-esteem on Twitter, which was then further pushed on the Academy Awards show that year. Since then, Dove has steadily created more social media campaigns around positive body image issues and racial discrimination with many viral videos and campaigns that have created a positive image in the minds of the consumers. There has been a dramatic shift in how the fashion weeks are also functioning around the world. Many of these events used to be closed to the general people and only buyers and senior journalists or other fashion insiders were allowed to be part of them. But Social Media Influencers are now regularly invited to these events and many organizers even encourage them to promote the event on their handles to create more buzz. Many bloggers have now started getting front row seats because of how their positive reviews may affect these designers’ credibility. Digital PR Trends allow fashion brands to editorialize and make their own content that can directly reach their targeted audience through social media reaching millions on a much smaller than before. 7.7.3Blogging and Vlogging The world of blogging has had a tremendous impact on how fashion is consumed in the world today. It has enabled regular people to access the world of fashion outside of how they have done it historically, i.e through magazines, newspapers, billboard advertisements and television.

Whether fashion blogs and vlogs are owned by individuals or by companies, they allow a peak into the industry that was generally out of reach. Now there can be opinions discussions and they are granting limitless access to the fashion world to anyone with a desktop (or even a mobile phone) and an internet connection.

Most fashion bloggers operate on a combination of social media platforms whether it is Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, YouTube and other channels. Fashion bloggers now have a significant role to play in the industry as they have a prominent voice of opinions that can in turn influence thousands of others. They are considered to be thought leaders and have a voice in the industry. Bloggers have become a bridge between the consumers and fashion brands giving real-time and fast feedbacks on their products and their images and build trust for the brands easily. They are also thought to be more reliable than magazine or television advertising. This system is likely to grow in the future too, as Bloggers and Vloggers are providing the fashion watchers with innovative content every day, with individualistic organic insights from real people who are more relatable rather than scripted ones that they were getting from celebrities.

7.7.4Check your progress 4 You are the agency handling the launch of a new fashion brand Kiddy Fashions, which deals in kids wear for both girls and boys from 5 to 12 years of age. What would be your social media strategy? Which networks will you use and how? Discuss in 500 words.

7.8 LET US SUM UP In this unit you learnt how social media and the fashion industry are intrinsically connected. With the advent of social media fashion brands have had to change strategies to study and understand consumer behavior as well as reach out to new audiences. You learnt what the various kinds of social media platforms are on the internet today and how brands can utilize them to their advantage.

You also learnt about the most popular social media platforms like Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube and how that has become a crucial part of the fashion industry to communicate its identity.

Brands have had to work on their image and build a rapport with their consumers directly and react to social issues judiciously and carefully to a more aware audience now. The connect between the consumer and the fashion brands have increased due to the advent of social media.

Influencer marketing, Blogging and Vlogging are major shifts in the fashion marketing and PR business and they are currently growing avenues of how social media is used on these platforms, constantly changing the rules of the fashion world.

7.9 CHECK YOUR PROGRESS: THE KEY Check your Progress 1

• Social Media has allowed fashion brands to reach a larger audience. • While traditional media and even pop up ads are controlled by the brand, PR agency or the brand’s agency, Social Media is controlled by its users and participants. • Brands have realized that lasting relationships with consumers can be built through social media. • Word of mouth is easier to achieve on social media with the understanding the global consumer behavior.

Check your progress 2

• Social Networks • Media Sharing Networks • Discussion Forums • Examples - Quora, Digg, Reddit • Bookmarking and Content Curation Networks • Consumer Review Networks • Blogging and Publishing Networks • Social Shopping Networks • Interest-based Networks

Check Your Progress 3

• Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, YouTube • Social Media allows more access to information. It is an easier, cheaper and faster way to find the information about consumers, therefore leading to better research about consumer behavior. Social Media allows users to have a better and wider audience.

Check Your Progress 4

• Use a combination of social media platforms to promote your products. • Use influencer marketing and to create a buzz around the launch event. • Create niche content for your own social media handles to engage with new customers through common interests using various social media platforms. • Collaborate with bloggers and vloggers to create a credible brand image and engage with a wider audience.

7.10 FURTHER READING

Consumer Behavior The Indian Context (Concept and Cases); S Ramesh Kumar; Pearson; 2017

Fashion Media Past and Present, Bloomsbury, 2013

Social Media Marketing An Hour A Day, Dave Evans, Times Groups Books, 2010

Social Media Metrics for Dummies, Leslie Poston, Wiley India, 2012

Social Media for Fashion Marketing: Storytelling in a Digital World, Wendy K. Bendoni, Bloomsbury, 2017