People ask me quite often, ‘why make the leap from fashion to digital marketing?’ when they don’t see the career connection, but for me it was simple. We live in a digital age. The consumer rules, and people want and expect the instant gratification that digital marketing and social media help facilitate. And with that expectation comes changes in trends and new technology to continually optimize the customer experience. This is not unlike the ever-changing styles from the runway or the different, many times hectic, day-to-day in the fast paced world of fashion. I thrive in such an environment where the only constant is change. The two worlds are more connected than many realize. And if the digital world is where the business seems to be moving to me, why wouldn’t I want to be a part of the movement that helps bring all things luxury and glamour to my fingertips?
Having been the face of multiple designer brands in the past and a current consumer myself, I recognize the importance of establishing a credible online presence to the customer and am intrigued by the power it has to effect a business’ image, sales, etcetera. With three billion people online today and nearly two billion of them involved in social media, it is hard to ignore the need for a company to market their product or service in this space and stay connected to their customer here. Many surveys show how even over the past two years, online sales growth has drastically increased and more people are willing to shop online for things like clothing and accessories than they were before. While people were hesitant to buy an item online such as a dress that they could not try on a few years ago, this fear has faded as processes have improved and customers feel confident in their purchase decisions. A large annual retail study conducted this June by ‘Pulse of the Online Shopper’ even showed that 51% of all sales tracked over the past year by their respondents were through e-commerce.
While I personally believe there will always be a need for brick and mortar stores in the fashion realm (and beyond) and personalized face to face interaction to truly provide the best level of customer service, the power of a company’s online presence through digital marketing can not be denied. These marketing tools are here to stay, and when harnessed properly, can increase business exponentially. So here I am in the complex and ever-changing business of digital marketing to hopefully inject some of my personal style into it.
UPS Study: Avid Online Shoppers Making More Than Half of Their Purchases With Ecommerce. (2016, June).