Fashion Industry Insights Quiz

Brand Positioning

• Brand positioning: luxury versus mass
• Level of communication: product, brand, corporate
• Communication objective: awareness, image, reputation

How to Create the "Dream Factor"

• Designer ambassador
• Heritage storytelling
• Product focus
• Celebrities, KOLs & influencers
• Creating the buzz
• Visual communication

The 'Dream Factor' Communication: What is Special

• Importance of visual
• Advertising campaigns, as collections, change every 6 months
• The collaboration is sought with Art Directors
• Event = fashion show, store openings, anniversaries
• Media = magazines (adv. and editorials) + Instagram
• Idols, KOLs, and influencers. The designer's role
• Videos are the way to create storytelling
• Collabs are a way to create cultural aggregation across the brands' communities
• Constant experimentation on digital platforms

The Italian Narrative in Fashion Communication

• Entrepreneur ambassadors
• The making of
• Experiencing the culture
• The glamour of celebrities
• Genius loci
• Aesthetic

Communication Identity: The Message

• Communication identity is a combination of visual codes that are permanent within the brand identity
• Concept: Originates from heritage or storytelling (e.g., "The Art of Travel" for Louis Vuitton)
• Tone of Voice: Friendly for mass-market brands; formal and bold for luxury brands
• Colors: Iconic shades, like Tiffany Blue
• People: High-profile figures, such as top models and music artists for Versace
• Location & Atmosphere: Studio settings for designer brands, dreamy aesthetics for Hermès
• Media: Platforms like Instagram, videos, KOLs, and influencers
• Concept (Examples)
  • Hermès: fairytale and playful dream
  • Gucci: empowering the self-expression
  • Balenciaga: a dystopian universe to break the Internet

Tone of Voice

• Designers brands: "come on, challenge me", conceptual tone of voice
• Skin care brands: friendly and informative tone of voice
• The Four Dimensions of Tone of Voice: Funny, Serious, Formal, Casual, Respectful, Irreverent, Enthusiastic, Matter-of-fact
• How to write an error message (example messages)
• Which of these versions works best?
• Tone of voice depends on brand personality and users

Visual

• Colors
• Models
• Location

From Influencers to Content Creators

• Thoughtful creators diffusing educational content
• What to consider when choosing a talent
  • Value match & Relationship Building
  • Profile Strength
  • Audience Benchmark

From Influencing to Deinfluencing

• Deinfluencing is when online creators try to convince you not to purchase certain products
• Content creators and influencers are different because of social movements and creative focus

Facts about TikTok

• TikTok represents a key gateway for Fashion & Luxury players
• 51M posted videos for #Fashion
• 9.8M posted videos for #TikTokFashion
• 36% of TikTok users are interested in fashion
• 45% consider buying a fashion/luxury product within the next month after seeing a video
• Short Videos are not only for entertainment but they also drive Shoppertainment

Challenges for Brands on TikTok

• Creation of authentic content that resonates with the audience
• Rapid adoption of trends while reflecting brand values and identity
• Measurement of campaigns efficacy on fluid and dynamic platforms
• Speed is crucial (creative trends can be born in less than 48 hours)

Moncler: From Luxury to Hype Culture

• Specific examples of Moncler ventures in different years (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
• Details on each venture

The New ROI (Return on Investment) is ROE (Return on Empathy)

• Captive conversations
• Conscious communication
• Thoughtful creators
• Key takeaways
  • Communication Identity
  • The 'dream factor'
  • Role of talents
  • Events' target
  • KPIs

Disrupting Communication

• Top of mind: create immediate recall of a name or brand
• Attribute: highlight an attribute of a product
• Benefit: emphasize a benefit for the consumer
• Territory: stake a claim to a territory, either physical or virtual
• Value: reflect on value
• Role: take on responsibility for a role in society
• A way to create disruption is to shift toward a different communicational focus
• Disrupting Fragrances' Communication (Example: Paco Rabanne)

Paco Rabanne Community Universes' Evolution

• Music
• Sports
• Tech

The Ray-Ban Journey

• Specific years and events related to Ray-Ban's history and evolution
• Ray-Ban has combined design excellence and function innovation
• The turnaround. Specific years and initiatives

What Happened Before/Problem

• Bausch & Lomb's unpreparedness for change in market dynamics in the 1990s
• Difficulties in effectively capturing fashion trends, increasing advertising investments without product innovation.
• The brand's significant potential but diluted perceived value due to low-quality standards
• Inconsistencies in policies
• Ray-Ban put up for sale and solution is Luxottica collaboration
• Ray-Ban experienced double-digit growth after Luxottica acquisition
• 2000 - 2005: Resetting fundamental

Understanding Conventions in Eyewear Communication

• The high similarity of creative messages makes it difficult to distinguish among different brand images

Ray-Ban Disruption

• The "Never Hide" campaign to portray a bold and authentic brand message
• The shift from one-way advertising to two-way conversations with consumers

From One-Way Advertising to Two-Way Conversations with Consumers

• Demographic to psychographic target
• From passive sponsorship to creation of proprietary platform
• Less broadcasting and more audience participation
• Constant dialogue and entertainment for consumers

From "Never Hide" to Product Stories

• Specific years and themes of product storytelling
• Examples of marketing initiatives
• Example of 'Never Hide' era (2007-2016)

2023: From 'Never Hide' to 'Proud to Belong

• Brands' popular sunglasses with enduring legacy and fashion-forward innovation
• Showcase the iconic styles that have defined generations: the Clubmaster, Wayfarer, Aviator, and Round

The Last Mile: Creating a Unique Consumer Experience

• Ray-Ban's efforts to create a unique consumer experience (e.g., specific store formats, online platforms)

Continuing to Innovate: For the Best

• Ray-Ban's strategy based on technological initiatives and brand building
• Innovation is not only a strategy for growth, but a key element for survival in the market
• Resistance to change is natural, and tolerance for mistakes is key to overcoming it

What Retailers Do

• Commercialization of goods from manufacturers or wholesalers
• Specialty chains sell their own branded products, some are chain stores (direct) and franchise (e.g. Zara, Benetton)
• Fast fashion is about reactions not just production, having control of the supply chain logistics

Multichannel Distribution

• Brands approach customers through a mix of formats to maintain consistency in tone of voice. (e.g., flagship stores, wall units, pop up stores, e-commerce).
• Business models: direct channel (property and franchise), wholesale channel, and transitional channels

Digital Platforms: Reason for Success

• Demand aggregators with a vertical value proposition
• Learn from the customer: the customer database has intellectual value
• Innovation in content development: media companies with attached e-commerce platform

Business Models of E-talers based on their Go-To-Market Strategies

• Direct-to-consumer model
• Hybrid model
• Wholesale/DTC model
• Online and offline model
• Multibrand retailer model
• Online only model

Reasons for Retail Integration

• Fashion companies increasingly vertically integrated
• Reasons for transformation
  • Convey a coherent brand identity within stores
  • Gain deeper insights into the end consumer
  • Enhanced profitability

The Role of Client Advisors

• Ensure cross-selling and up-selling
• Maintain product replenishment and physical inventory
• Participate in organizing in-store and promotional events
• Adhere to company standards and policies
• Provide exceptional customer service
• Build and strengthen relationships
• Manage boutique's community outreach program
• Proactive actions to maintain relationships
• Achieve individual and store goals.
• Support the brand's visual standards

The Phygital Store

• Hyper-localized assortment: hyper-localized stores provide personalized product selection.
• Use of digital tools: enhanced store displays, endless aisles, new shopping assistance services.
• Clienteling with experience and service: immersive brand experience, value additional services
• Store as a brand hub
  • Provides clients with more reasons to visit
  • Encourages clients to spend more time in-store
  • Delivers a highly personalized service experience
• Stores as tourist destinations: specific examples and location

Pop Up Stores

• temporary retail stores to capitalize on trends or generate buzz
• retailers are increasingly impacted by technologies and social interaction

Gamification as a way to Engage Customers

• Balenciaga's digital skin collection and physical line
• 3D videos highlighting fashion items

Stylistic Identity & Merchandising

• Definition of Stylistic Identity
• Balancing seasonal and permanent stylistic codes
• Relationship between management & creativity
• Ratio between innovation and collection classics
• Role of a Merchandiser

Examples of Recognizable Stylistic Codes

• Classic: bindings, corset;
• Modern era: loose fit etc.

Bvlgari Use of Stylistic Codes in Brand Extension

• Specific aspects of each brand extension (e.g., Stretch Parenti, Mediterranean Nights, etc.)

The Relationship between Management and Creativity in Product Development

• Short term vs Long term variables
• Dressing styles (modern vs radical/avant-garde, classic)
• Visual Impact. strong vs. discrete

Burberry's Stylistic Identity Evolution

• Comparison of old and recent designs in terms of colors, fabrics, form, and patterns, specifically the role of Riccardo Tisci and Daniel Lee.

Fashion Collections Key

• Collections: an assortment of items, carrying the same label
• Seasonal collections: size (total number of SKUs)
• Structure/architecture : the number of parts/groups, deliveries, color stories.
• Level of innovation: new patterns, fabrics or product refreshes.
• Balance between innovation and the evolution of the classic part

Different Types of Merchandisers

• Product Merchandiser: manages product lifecycle (concept to store)
• Retail Merchandiser: maximizes sales through effective store stocking and organization
• Visual Merchandiser: creates appealing display and window displays. Includes factors like brand image, and customer journey

How Merchandising interacts with Other Functions

• Different functions (style, merchandising, industrialization, brand management)
• External/Internal research on fashion trends (SOCIO-CULTURAL TRENDS,TECHNOLOGY)
• Defining collection guidelines, merchandising plan, collection development
• Presenting the collection

Monitoring Competitors

• Made in (e.g., locations and costs)
• Pricing (for various competitive products)
• Analyzing needs by area (e.g., customers of different countries or regions)

3. The Merchandising Plan

• Desired level of complexity, product range, pricing, target gross margin, and product cost structure.
• Inputs for MP, such as market approach, past experience, preliminary projections
• The entire company and design department as a reference outline

4. Collection Development

• Markets feedback and performance analysis, including Collection Structure, Fabrics selection, Sketches definition
• Prototype and fitting, Design to cost, and timelines

5. Collection Presentation

• Presenting the collection at trade fairs, to sales networks, and key clients, including specific presentation methods for each target.

Sustainability

• Definition of sustainability, 3P Model, 5Ps
• ESG criteria (Environmental, Social, and Governance)
• Sustainable development in the fashion industry
• Challenges of overconsumption, synthetic fibers, and agricultural pollution.

Transparency and Traceability

• Processes to improve transparency and traceability in fashion (e.g., mapping supply chains, providing details for suppliers).
• Importance and necessity of disclosing environmental and social impacts
• Key sustainability initiatives in the EU (e.g., Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), etc.)

Inspirational Sustainability Initiatives

• New fibers (e.g., Orange Fiber, to create sustainable materials)
• Regenerative sourcing (e.g., Timberland, partnership with Savory Institute)
• Design (e.g., Nike's Flyknit athletic shoe, which uses a fully automated production process)

Manufacturing

• Water usage reduction (e.g., Levi's optimization practices to reduce washing water)
• Transparent pricing (e.g., Everlane, providing cost details of materials, manufacturing)
• Packaging (Puma, reducing packaging materials, or introducing reusable bag options)
• Reuse (e.g., Allude Cashmere clinic)

Inspirational Sustainability Initiatives (e.g., Patagonia's activism and supporting grassroots.)

Certifications

• Importance of B Corp Certification in evaluating brands' social and environmental impact
• Communication strategies to highlight sustainability actions

Big Events (e.g., Copenhagen Fashion Summit)

• Main goals of event
• Speakers, and main ideas presented
• Impacts from the event

Luxury Brand Management

• Trademark aspects, distinctiveness, and legality
• Line extension vs Brand extension
• Reasons to extend lines
  • Increasing competition
  • React to declining markets
  • Similarity of brands offers attributes
  • Decreasing brand loyalty
  • Costs and risk associated to launching a new brand
  • Financial community’s demand for short term results

Emotional Associations

• How consumers associate with a brand (e.g. emotions, experiences, memories)
• The brand's signature
  • Heritage
  • Stylistic identity
  • Communication identity
  • Retail identity
• Internal consistency and external relevance of the brand signature

Test your knowledge on the trends and dynamics of the fashion industry. This quiz covers topics such as garment production, brand imagery, sustainability, and market positioning of major brands like Zara, H&M, and Luxottica. Explore how these factors influence the retail landscape and consumer behavior.