ALL ABOUT YOU: Customization Trend Report

FEBRUARY 2017

CPPR

TREND REPORT

ALL ABOUT YOU THE INCREASING DEMAND FOR CUSTOMIZATION IN BRANDING

ALL ABOUT YOU

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FEBRUARY 2017

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL CHANGING DEMANDS FOR CUSTOMIZATION AND PERSONALIZATION

The fashion industry is no stranger to tailoring products, but things are getting more personal than ever. Initialed apparel and accessories were once tightly associated with preppier and more traditional lifestyles, but now the look is trendy across the board.

From Instagram feeds to IRL street style, custom items are proving to be the hot commodity of the future. So one question remains: If hipster culture is dying out, why aren't they taking the bespoke trend with them?

The answer is simple. Consumers are dialed into technology like never before.

In fact, hipsters are nowhere near this trend. Early adopters from the fashion and technology industries are responsible for the new coolness of personal touch. The new level of personalization is beyond handmade or artisanal. It's technologically one-of-a-kind. It's engineered for only you. And that, my friends, is the future of everything.

As they often are, the fashion industry was the pioneer behind this consumer-first revolution. I know, I

know -- "revolution" seems like a pretty dramatic term.

Customization has always been the peak of luxury, so what makes this trend new and exciting? We're glad you asked.

Again, technology is your answer.

Consumers are more informed than ever. In a quick Google search, your audience can identify where you manufacture, sniff out your company's scandals or research all of your competitors. When it comes to your industry (and every industry), consumers are educated.

Technological capabilities for production, customization and communication are growing at the quickest rate to date, and your audience wants to hold you to it. In short, consumers expect brands to be ahead of the game.

Especially in the luxury industry, consumers expect brands to provide the ah-ha moment. Your audience wants you to educate them -- to provide them with a conversation piece. This isn't just about iron on patches and DIY jean jackets anymore. We're talking personal shopping services included with subscription boxes. Or makeup created specifically for one consumers' face. Or handbag customizations, down to the hardware choices. We're talking seriously disruptive customization.

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ALL ABOUT YOU

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FEBRUARY 2017

" A STORY IN EVERY BOX Every person is unique, has their own style, and a story to tell.

Share Yours. Choose your favorite model, colors & material, and create your story with miadidas customization.

Find inspiration in the stories of other creators."

-Adidas (1)

So, we'll start from the beginning. The sneaker industry was arguably one of the first to fully embrace customization made possible by technological advances. Both Nike and Adidas have built serious customization aspects into their businesses. In fact, both have created separate brand names for the experience: NIKEid and miadidas.

Subscription apparel brands like Stitchfix and MM.LaFleur have since embraced customization as it applies to customer service. The brands don't actually create any one-of-a-kind products like Nike or Adidas.

Instead, their customer's experience is personalized with personal shoppers. Consumers can even contact their stylists directly to talk about personal needs, taste and general closet dreams. The experience is one-of-akind, and truly provides consumers with a shortcut to shopping. (2)

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ALL ABOUT YOU

FEBRUARY 2017

PUTTING THE PURSE IN PERSONAL HOW HANDBAGS TOOK PERSONALIZATION FROM CUTESY TO TRENDY

Cult-favorite accessory line, Edie Parker was a loud and proud brand to notably roll out custom clutches. The super high-end line was even sported by Taylor Swift and her girl gang on a red carpet to promote a music video in the past. The clutches are also a blogger favorite, with influencer queen Chiara Ferragni at the top of the list. Last year, Pop & Suki entered the game with a very competitive angle. Their brand cut out the middle man, working directly with factories to provide the customized trend with a more accessible price tag.

Edie Parker and Pop & Suki are customized with names of catchphrases on their bags or accessories.

Another vein of the customized accessories trend lies within Mon Purse, a brand that allows users to design their handbags down to the hardware choices. Founder Lana Hopkins' inspiration for the brand comes fantastically from Build-A-Bear.

" IF I’M GOING TO MAKE A BIG INVESTMENT IN A BAG, I’D RATHER GET SOMETHING THAT I REALLY WANT, NOT SOMETHING THAT IS SECOND-BEST. " - LANA HOPKINS, FOUNDER OF MON PURSE

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PUTTING THE YOU IN BEAUTY PERSONALIZATION IN THE BEAUTY INDUSTRY

ALL ABOUT YOU

FEBRUARY 2017

Lana Hopkins reportedly (3) left a department store, unimpressed with the handbag selection and passed a Build-A-Bear on the way to hear car. She was delighted by the opportunity to create something from start-to-finish -something that was truly hers.

"I was really disappointed walking out of the Westfield department store, but as I was leaving the building, I stumbled upon the Build-aBear Workshop. On a whim, I spent an hour building a tiny teddy bear from scratch. I picked out his little body, then chose a beautiful pair of eyes and a nose. I watched him come to life. As I walked back to my car, I couldn’t believe that I felt excited about this bear I had just built. I mean, come on, I’m a 30-year-old woman."

That's why Mon Purse asked the question "If kids can build their own bears and men can customize their own Nikes, why can’t women design their own bags?" To the same tune, the beauty industry wondered why people can't customize their own makeup shades. Now, we can.

Customization applied to beauty felt extremely futuristic right off the bat.

Technology plays a huge part in the customization of beauty products, and brands are event partnering together to forge this path. Pantone and Sephora teamed up years ago to form Color IQ technology. The concept is simple: You visit a Sephora, have your face scanned by an employee and receive your custom Pantone shade. This information will lead you to every product in the store that matches your skin. Since then, the beauty industry has taken customization even further.

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ALL ABOUT YOU

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Personalization is all about attention to detail. And you'll never forget it, since modern brands are adding custom names to packaging for each consumer. Function of Beauty is an Internet favorite, developed by scientists for maximum customization.

Seriously, the brand was developed by MIT engineers and uses algorithms to create customized haircare products. (4) Details such as your hair type, hair goals, scent and bottle preferences go into creating a product that's for you and only you. Of course, the products are sent to your doorstep so your personalized hair journey can truly begin.

A similar strategy is used by MATCHCo, a company that formulates foundation specifically for each and every order. In short, you download the app, scan your face, and are prompted to order a customized blend for your skin at $50. (5) That's extremely competitive, considering the Sephora/Color IQ route (which isn't custom-created) starts around $40.

Both brands have expertly utilized social media and influencer relations to spread the word about the efficacy of custom-made beauty products.

ALL ABOUT YOU

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FEBRUARY 2017

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TL;DR KEY

TAKEAWAYS

Okay, so this was a lot of info. It's almost impossible to memorize all of this, so we made a cheat-sheet for you. :)

TECHNOLOGY

FASHION

Consumers want brands to

From sneakers to virtual

Customer service will always be

Beauty consumers rejoiced

blow them away with

styling services, the fashion

an integral part of any business

when Sephora and Pantone

innovation. You can bet that

industry has evolved to be

but with personalization on the

introduced an in-store

your audience has new

more personalized. And

rise, brands are innovating to

strategy to identify the

expectations about

we're not just talking

compete. Brands like

perfect concealer. Things

technological customization,

customized bomber jackets

MM.LaFleur and Stitchfix have

were taken up a notch when

especially if your company is

anymore. Consumers will

provided at-home and on-the-

brands like Function of

in the luxury sector.

invest in products made

go styling services. The brand

Beauty and MATCHCo made

Consumers want brands to

solely for them, and not only

don't just sell products, they sell

it possible to buy affordable,

wow them with innovation,

because their name is on it.

a service with personal touch.

custom-made products from

new ideas and advances.

This industry will continue to

This has created a new normal

the comfort of your home.

Brands that are ahead of the

quickly evolve, as virtual

in the land of retail and fashion,

Beauty brands must follow in

game will provide consumers

reality is becoming a more

but the standard will quickly be

these footsteps and stay

with a high-value Instagram

permanent part of our day-

set across industries.

ahead of the game to

post or conversation piece.

to-day.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

BEAUTY

survive.

- Sources 1

2

miadidas: Customized Adidas.com link Adidas Testing out MM.LaFleur, the Fortune.com link clothing brand that’s also a personal styling service

3

The Build-Your-Own-Handbag FastCompany.com link Startup That’s Perfected Mass Customization

4

What Is Customizable Beauty FabFitFun.com link and Why Are We Freaking out Over It?

5

Does MATCHCo Customized Bustle link Foundation Really Work?