At Clarion Retail, we often speak about the impressive resilience and astonishing adaptability of our industry who, no matter the conditions, always find a way to band together and bounce back stronger. That said, the pace at which hurdles have been thrown at us in recent years has been, to use 2020’s favourite word, unprecedented. At a time when our community is still recovering from one obstacle before the next one appears, we’ve realised our responsibility is to create opportunities for connection, inspiration and shared learning not just at our four annual live events, but every day in between too.
In this, the first edition of Retail Revealed, we felt it wasn’t enough to report simply on the state of the market. Instead, we wanted to create a handbook that identified the industry’s challenges and opportunities (based on the experience of 300+ retailers) and pair them with immediately actionable guidance. We hope that, within these pages, you will gain all the insight you need to see success in your retail business in the remainder of 2023 and beyond.
From trends and affiliate marketing to social media’s impact on the sales funnel and creating heritage brands with modern appeal, we’ve accessed some of the industry’s most impressive minds to inspire, motivate, teach and excite you for what’s next. We’re not here to direct you through the tunnel in the hope of light at the end – we’re here to help you smash it down so you can see that, with some new thinking, the light is already all around.
We hope you enjoy the first issue of Retail Revealed – we can’t wait to see what you do with it!
Jordan Pace Editor, Clarion RetailWe’ve all seen the headlines, but we wanted to get a true depiction of how our community is feeling and navigating the retail industry at the moment. We asked 330 boutique owners and professional buyers that attend our portfolio of events–54% who identify as independent and the rest across department stores, museum/ gallery shops and garden centres–what their retail reality looks like right now.
Those who answered Brick & Mortar only said:
Respondents who have online-only businesses answered:
Those who do both told us:
Your business in the current climate
How are you feeling about your business in the current climate?
Which of the following would you consider to be a challenge to your business?
What areas of the business are you responsible for or interested in developing?
Buyers who aren’t currently sourcing internationally said…
Late last year, a TikTok user called Laini Ozark commented that it felt like “nothing is trending right now, because everything is trending right now”. Over the past few years, we’ve seen the trend cycle shorten rapidly; where it once took 20 years for a style to reappear en vogue, it now takes just five.
As self-identity is increasingly linked to online personas and displays of style, it’s of little surprise that people are desperate to define their aesthetic preferences, despite how micro they may be. The most effective way to do this in 2023, it seems, is to simply attach the suffix ‘core’ or the word ‘aesthetic’ to any theme, no matter how niche–resulting in an ever-growing rotation of trends that bring new iterations of established concepts to the forefront, but fade just as quickly. Cottagecore – a celebration of slow, rural living – emerged across social media and more traditional editorial during the height of the pandemic, paving the way for Cabincore, Regencycore, Fairycore, Balletcore, Barbiecore, Normcore, Gorpcore, and, most recently, the rather droll Recessioncore. Running alongside this has also been the advent of the Clean Girl Aesthetic, Coastal Grandma, Dark Academia, Y2K, Coquette, Vanilla Girl and Old Money, to name just a few.
So how does a generation of shoppers increasingly focused on sustainability justify jumping from trend to trend at such speed and with such ease?
Trends expert and co-founder of The Better Trends Company, Louise Healy-Adonis, explains, “This adoption of cores or clearly defined microtrends makes trends more accessible to the masses. More often than not, even though these microtrends feel different and new, they are underpinned and connected by something bigger that we’re seeing at a macro level.”
The desire for cosy, tactile, slow living that defines cottagecore is the same driving force behind Coastal Grandma and even Dark Academia; they’re just being broken down into even more niche applications. Similarly, the difficult economic climate and lack of trust in those governing sit beneath both the want for an escape that Fairycore brings as well as the paired back styles synonymous with recessioncore.
Being on top of these nuanced iterations helps people feel more culturally savvy and connected to communities with similar interests. It only becomes a negative thing when customers or brands wildly reach for anything that is ‘trending’, even though it’s outside of their signature style. When they are only attracted to the look but don’t connect with its drivers, that’s when it becomes unsustainable.
In response to the initial thought of ‘how can anything be trending when everything is trending’, Louise says, “It’s not that there are no trends, it’s that there’s no singular vision. What we hope to see is personal style return to the forefront, where everyone takes elements of trends that truly speak to them and apply them in ways that are authentic and unique.”
The halfway mark of 2023 is fast approaching and, as it’s one of the most challenging years the retail industry has ever faced, we want to help you finish it strong. If you’re lacking inspiration or are in need of motivation, pick a prompt from the below to try.
If you have a physical storefront, add a QR code to your window linked to a landing page of products featured in the display. That way, those passing by when the store is closed can still shop anything that catches their eye easily and in the moment.
Look through your social comments and DMs and create a series of FAQ content to address anything that comes up repeatedly.
Reach out to other like-minded businesses you love and ask them if they’d be interested in partnering for a giveaway or joint promotional campaign.
Make sure your POS area (both digitally and in-store) is set up for impulse or complementary purchasing i.e. a lighter alongside a candle or a fabric care kit alongside a sofa.
Look through your social tags and save your favourite images so you have a library of user-generated content to share, created by people who genuinely love and use your products.
Review your product offering for any opportunity to implement a subscription or refill model.
Run a personal shopping session via your social media stories. Ask your customers for a brief of what they’re looking for, then showcase your most relevant products in response.
Review your photography library and get a plan together for your next photoshoot. Think about upcoming trends, seasons and occasions for which you might want imagery.
Think about how you can use automation to better improve the experience for your customers. Forget selling; think about how you can educate your community through content. Think about interesting uses of products, styling, gift wrapping or upcycling to help your customers better connect with what you stock.
Brainstorm some events (in-store or online) that you could run to give added value to your community. You may want to partner with another like-minded business of a similar size to expand your audience.
Review your most-returned products, and identify and rectify factors leading to dissatisfaction. Do the product descriptions need to be more accurate? Is the quality different from other products? Do any product images you’ve featured truly depict the product?
Consider thinking about a loyalty plan for customers who keep coming back. Recognise their passion for what you do through early access to sales, discount codes or a referral programme.
Give live selling a go! TikTok is the most popular place for this at the moment, but if Shopify backs your website, you can also use integrations.
Go through your website and any marketplace listings with a fine-tooth comb. Make sure descriptions are up-to-date, SEO-friendly, and free of spelling mistakes. The same goes for images; ensure they are the most recent, labelled correctly, and high-res.
Download a bunch of podcasts by retail experts and have them ready for whenever you’re feeling like inspiration is lacking.
Block out a few hours for creative brainstorming. Whether designing products or planning your next VM display, allow yourself to turn off the emails, get away from the office and let the creativity flow.
Are you prompting customers to sign up for your emails or newsletter at every possible touchpoint? Don’t forget that your database is your marketing gold, so always be looking for ways to help it grow.
Review your packaging and put a plan together for any changes you may want to make. Is it aesthetically aligned with your brand? Does it meet your sustainability goals? Does it safely protect your products? Is it the most affordable option?
When was the last time you switched up your entry displays if you have a physical store or header images if you’re an online retailer? Now might be the time to refresh.
Indulge in a bit of self-research. See where your business has been mentioned or listed online and, wherever possible, ensure links are up to date, and your social handles are included.
Are you focusing on the why and how as much as the what? Remember, your customers want to buy from brands with purpose and seek solutions to problems. Make sure you’re storytelling impactfully at every point.
Make sure your social media accounts are SEO-friendly. Have an accurate description, location and website link in your bio, and ensure your captions on individual posts touch on all of your key messages.
Surround yourself with positivity. Unsubscribe to any emails or unfollow any social accounts that don’t bring you joy, teach you something or inspire you.
Review your influencer marketing approach. Make sure the people you partner with are well-matched to your brand, ensure you’re getting ROI on any investment, and, if you’re not already, perhaps give affiliate marketing a go.
Tell the press about your most recent collections. Writing and pitching a press release isn’t as daunting as you think; just remember to stick to the facts and give as much information as possible alongside a selection of high-res images.
Don’t shy away from the numbers! If you’ve been putting off financial forecasting, now’s the time to face it head-on.
Are you in a position to implement a try-before-you-buy model? It may help your customers take the final step to commit to your products.
Remember, people love seeing the nitty gritty. Don’t wait for finished products or perfect displays; document every part of the process and take your customers along for the journey.
Is it time to increase your prices? Your margins are where the magic happens, and you must protect them at all costs.
For years now, the retail industry has been told that creating experiences is the key to captivating modern-day customers. However, examples of executing this approach in a way that is both authentic and commercially viable can be trickier to track down. As you step into Häxan’s Stockholm-based store or spot their product displays in any retailer, it’s immediately clear that Mikael Soderlindh and Lovisa Tingman, who purchased the brand in 2020, have the magic touch.
Having spent much of their careers in the fashion space–CEO Mikael is the Founder of Happy Socks, and Lovisa was previously the In-house Agency Director there–the duo were seeking something different when they returned to Sweden from LA around the time of the pandemic. When the opportunity to buy Häxan, a cleaning brand that began in 1913, arose, they knew they’d found their next challenge.
Anyone who has spent time in Sweden will likely recognise Häxan; not only is it found in most supermarkets and home-goods retailers across the country, its 100+ year history means that it has had a small but poignant place in the lives of many. In fact, for Chief Product Officer Lovisa, memories of products being used throughout her childhood were part of the appeal. “The knowledge surrounding the brand is really strong in Sweden. I mean, most people over 30 will have had it in their houses and we remember our grandparents or parents using the products, especially the metal polishes.”
What’s more, Lovisa explains that it is the familial connection that is also helping to engage the next wave of customers, “Now, especially online, there are so many ‘hacks’ being shared, which, back in the day, it would be your granny passing down their tips and tricks. There’s an emotional aspect with everyone having memories of polishing silverware for Christmas with their grandparents or whatever it may be, and we don’t want to lose that.”
Much like how their new product range and sustainable product offering is centred on reusing and recycling, Mikael describes the desire to ‘recycle’ Häxan by giving it new life, rather than creating something new. “Our approach is taking something very ordinary and making it sexy. You look at the cleaning business and products look quite masculine or dangerous. Instead of putting energy into a new brand, we’ve taken something old and are re-doing, reusing, and repurposing it. Doing something sustainable, for both our brand and our products, was very important to us. We’re doing both sexy and sustainable.”
Lovisa adds, “For me, having worked in fashion previously, it’s been exciting to take an easy-access product that everyone has in their homes and make it more focused on the environment as well as design. We were seeing that in the US, but not in Sweden yet. Like Mikael did with Happy Socks, it’s cool to see how you can change how people perceive a product”
If the Häxan team is anything, it’s proof that, even if you have a brand with heritage, you can’t be afraid to shake things up. The team saw the opportunity to tap into Häxan’s history and evolve it for the next generation as one of the most exciting parts of relaunching. Häxan translates to ‘the witch’ and it was within this exploration of magic, potion mixing and spirituality that the team saw an amazing opportunity to extend the brand beyond cleaning supplies and instead make it a lifestyle.
On why the witch symbolism, which has appeared on products since the very beginning, has remained so intrinsic to this iteration of the brand, Mikael explains, “Our interpretation of a witch is very positive. We view a witch as someone who has a bit more power and connection, and it’s something that we think our customers can associate with. It’s very fun to add a magic touch to what we do–and that magic cannot be replicated or copied by competitors because it’s integral to the Häxan brand; we are The Witch.”
This magic can be seen across all of the brand’s touchpoints, from bottle labels to in-store displays at distributing retailers, but nowhere is it felt as strongly as in their own shop. However, as a brand that already has powerful recognition, a good market share and is stocked
in retailers large and small, the question of why have a store at all comes to mind.
Mikael actually believes a physical presence is integral to their wholesale business, as it’s how stockists can truly understand and connect with the brand. “I think you have to have a store. And I think that’s one of the reasons we’ve got all of these retailers. They visited us, they’ve seen us, there’s something to talk about. It’s costly and it’s a lot of energy, but it gives more depth to the brand so it’s very important. It’s an experience and, you know, they leave saying ‘oh, that’s cool’.”
Many will think cool is an understatement. Häxan’s only store, dubbed the Häxoteket, sits at the heart of one of Stockholm’s trendiest districts. Created in collaboration with Studio Peter Lundbergh who, coincidently, was sharing the same co-working space as the Häxan team whilst they were devising their plans, the space, as Lovisa puts it, “Balances being beautiful with being functional perfectly.”
Turning what it means to be a purveyor of cleaning products on its head, the bright yellow store (more on that later) has an expertly merchandised window that sees their products styled alongside neon signs, decks of cards, Persian rugs, vintage interior pieces, and one very impressive-looking ceramic tiger.
When you step into the store, you are not met with clinical displays but, instead, a curtained-off corner where you can have your tarot cards read. In addition to an all-purpose cleaner or wood polish, customers can pick up sage smudges, books of fables, and bottles of matchsticks. For those curious about what crystals and cleaning products have in common, Mikael thinks the answer is obvious, “It’s
inner and outer cleaning. Everybody knows that if you clean, you feel better. If you have a bad day, it’s a good idea to clean and get organised and then the spiritual products–stones, healing and tarot–help to do that within yourself too.”
In their approach to the store, you can see the effects of Mikael and Lovisa’s fashion experience. Where they are now working with seasonless products that have longevity, they have found other ways to keep things fresh. Aware of how cumbersome carrying bottles of detergent can be, the team have found different avenues to entice customers into the Häxoteket; whether that be to have a spiritual reading, pick up a gift, or simply connect with like-minded people in-store.
Empowering visitors to channel their inner witch, potion-mixing takes place in the form of customers tailoring the type and strength of scent they want in each product. Lovisa explains, “I love the do-ityourself aspect and so do our customers. When you look at reviews of competitors, a lot of the complaints are to do with scent. Not to their liking, too strong, not enough, or they are allergic so they can’t use the product at all. So for us, being able to say ‘here is the scent, you can have it super strong or just a tad’ means the customer will always get exactly what they want.”
It’s of little surprise that Mikael and Lovisa have led teams at some of the most recognisable and successful customer-facing brands because, amidst the taxidermy and tarot, is a refreshingly fast and fearless approach to business. Just last month, they did what many retailers wouldn’t dream of – risking their brand recognition and painting their store from black to a sunshine yellow, just to see how customers would respond. Mikael says, “If you’re running a web page, you’re going to change up the top banner, you’re going to do A/B testing. You need to do the same for your retail store. You need to track everything; what worked… what didn’t… who did we attract when the store was black… what kind of customers came in when it was yellow.”
Of their experiment’s success, Lovisa explains that, with the new colour, they welcomed a lot of customers who frequent the area and didn’t even know they existed. “It’s not like these customers don’t live in the area or passed the store before. It’s just that it had been painted black for a year and they didn’t see it any longer. We’ve had a lot of people asking if we’ve just opened, all because of a new colour.”
Inside the store, Mikael and Lovisa leave the additional product offering up to their customer service team. Mikael says, “they know what our customers come looking for, so we take their advice and stock those products.” Another area the team get great satisfaction from monitoring is their refill station, which has been hugely popular. When asked what could be next for the brand, Mikael firmly sees growth in this area, “It’s difficult to sell large bottles of detergent to people walking by and we see that people are preferring not to buy plastic, so we have developed our next bag-in-a-box product to essentially bring refills into the home. This new offering is based entirely on what we’ve seen work well in the store.”
Balancing good business with brand experience is no easy feat and if centring your customers’ joy jeopardises margins, it can be a costly mistake. However, as proven by Häxan, it is possible. As Mikael and Lovisa have so artfully done with The Witch, identifying what it is that makes your brand unique and experimenting with its definitions is the key to creating something that customers will truly connect with and can’t be copied. So long as you have genuinely good products, a clear brand vision and a willingness to experiment can make buying even the most unassuming products an unforgettable experience.
Author: Jordan PaceContributors: Mikael Soderlindh and Lovisa Tingman
‘Permacrisis’ was recently announced as the Word of the Year by Collins Dictionary and this trend presents a defiant response. Consumers look to embrace joyful, nostalgic and creative outlets through bright colour and bold pattern. Fluid prints mix with hypnotic structured patterns, adding much needed moments of design joy.
The simplicity of the shapes in this trend belie the multiple complex ways in which they are used. Repetition and texture work together to create a meditative space. The feeling conveyed through this style is authentic and artistic in muted earth tones and desaturated brights.
Psychedelia evolves into a surreal expression as our world gets stranger. Designers are playing with the shifts between realities and fantasies, nostalgia and the future. Dreamlike movements, layers of colour and morphing shapes all contrast to create a hypnotic and surreal aesthetic.
Late last year, news broke that Gen Z is increasingly replacing Google with TikTok as their primary search engine and just this month, we’ve seen iOS add a TikTok search widget to its functionality. All social media platforms are taking notice, trialling and implementing features that aid their new-found roles. So if you’re a retail brand, should you prioritise making your social media profiles SEO-friendly in 2023?
In a similar move, Instagram users have been updating their names to describe key aspects of their accounts, whilst the app itself has been seen to be doing some experimentation with the text featured in Stories. Where Instagram appears to be making its biggest moves however, is its location functions; enhancing its interactive map and making it an attractive feature for users.
Ad Week reported that 40% of Gen Z users preferred TikTok and Instagram to Google. What’s more, this behaviour extends across categories, with users using the platforms for feedback, reviews and advice for everything from resume writing to restaurants.
While social media hasn’t been a direct contributor to SEO rankings before, if these platforms are transforming into search engines of their own, then it’s crucial to make your brand as discoverable to prospective customers as possible.
With both TikTok and Instagram making it clear that they’re prioritising in-app e-commerce, it seems only natural they would develop the social media sites to strengthen discovery and purchasing in the same place.
Though neither of the two main platforms, TikTok and Instagram, have spoken out about their search engine aspirations, it’s clear that experimentation when it comes to keywords, profile optimisation and location tagging is taking place.
TikTok recently removed one of their creator’s favourite features; the pinned comment. The move left many people questioning why, however, there has been speculation that this all links back to SEO. Having also recently increased the character count in captions, it seems this move could be to encourage longer, more detailed, and key-word heavy descriptors of videos. Some of the platform’s biggest creators are also adding their job titles or areas of speciality to their names, making them more discoverable and searchable.
•Update your name - As explained above, a quick but effective move is to update your name (not handle) to include not just your business name but also key elements of the business i.e. children’s clothing, handmade ceramics, or products for cat lovers.
•Optimise your bio - It’s easy to get caught up in the desire to have something witty or whimsical as your bio, however it’s not worth the potential loss of customers. Don’t lose your personality but make sure that people landing on your page know exactly what you’re about.
•Keywords everywhere - If there’s a place to pop keywords, add them! Post captions… text overlaid on stories or videos… alt text…. these are all valuable places to add searchable words that also explain more about what your brand is and does.
•Use every feature - Whether it’s location tagging or linking, native text or poll stickers, use every feature that the apps offer you that you can.
•Don’t forget hashtags - Whilst there’s some debate over how useful they are these days, the fact that the main platforms still have space for them means that hashtags shouldn’t be neglected. Be sure to regularly do your research about the ones that your community is using most and use a combination of them across your posts.
Whilst there’s always mystery surrounding where the main social platforms plan to take their business next, all signs point to more searchable and discoverable content. As we move into the new year, be sure to make optimising your profiles a priority when it comes to your social media strategy.
Influencer marketing continues to be one of the most powerful digital tools for brands. However, in 2023, the landscape is set to shift dramatically. Creators may be here to stay, but their influence this year depends on their abilities to not only drive aesthetics, but also truly connect with, excite and engage audiences.
Before you finalise your new-year social strategy, be sure to familiarise yourself with the new wave of influencers who could drive customers to your brand.
Where quitting full-time employment to pursue their channels was once the ultimate marker of an influencer’s success, it seems that, in 2023, we’ll be increasingly looking to creators with 9-5 jobs for inspiration.
Whilst there will always be a place for aspirational accounts, amidst a cost-of-living crisis like none seen for generations, the authenticity and relatability gap between influencers living lavishly and the everyday person struggling has only widened. 2022 was a year that began with one leading influencer stating that “we all have the same 24 hours in a day”, and ended with another proudly declaring that she was heading to The Savoy due
to her heating breaking. Simultaneously, parts of the UK saw food bank usage rise by 40%, so it’s of little surprise that followers are finding the long-established approaches to being content creators uninspiring in the current climate.
Social media users are seeking creators who, even if living a life vastly different from their own, mirror some elements of their reality. Juggling the pressures of work, home, and creative and leisurely pursuits is a shared experience. Through admiration for sharing their journeys, those who can give insight into their busy, complex days will build new audiences of engaged, inspired followers.
By their very nature, these working influencers don’t have excess time to spend on brand deals that don’t excite them. This discerning approach to agreeing to work only adds to the sense of trust they are building with their audiences and, from a brand perspective, means that partnerships and promotions are wellaligned and more exclusive.
Non-human influencers aren’t new (Buddy and Boo, anyone?), but with the terms AI, AR and Metaverse entering the mainstream rapidly, it’s of little surprise that our definition of an influencer is evolving too.
SylvanianDrama isn’t an example of a digital influencer exactly, but a creative new take on one nonetheless. Despite an irregular posting schedule, the account, which posts satirical scenes acted out using the nostalgic flocked Sylvanian Families toys, has more than 2 million followers on TikTok. The videos tap into trends, pop culture moments and internetfirst language and expressions. Whilst this might all sound like fun and games, trust us when we say that it’s big business. In 2022, brands like Burberry and ASOS allocated part of their influencer budget to having the account include them in one of their videos–and we can’t wait to see which home interiors or furniture brand become the first to partner with them (a natural fit) in 2023.
On their channel, @plastic_by_sisters_lapay, artists and sisters Maria and Ekaterina Lapay create content led by animated plastic dolls. Tapping into the zeitgeist and digital culture much like SylvanianDrama, they’ve managed to redefine what it is to be an influencer in a skilful (each video takes 1-3 weeks to animate), exciting way. Burberry, River Island and Netflix have all partnered with the talented pair to create social ads with their digital dolls.
To niche or not to niche? That is the question that has plagued social strategists since creators started monetising their accounts across platforms. However, for many creators, particularly on TikTok, the answer is a resounding yes.
More than falling into broader categories, such as fashion or cooking, travel or gaming, modern creators are hyperfocusing on the specific areas of interest within more general subjects.
Andrea Cheong demonstrates this perfectly. Despite having a successful multi-hyphen career across fashion, including writer, illustrator and consultant, her sharp rise on TikTok is attributed to refining the focus of her videos to garment construction and fabric quality, amassing a highly engaged following of more than 220k.
Whilst no brand should be taking its attention off influencer marketing if it works for them, they should certainly be thinking about it in new and different ways. The key to doing it right in 2023 is collaboratively working with creators (as hard as it can be to relinquish creative control, you’re paying them for their unique take), and being honest about what messages will actually resonate with your audience at times of societal shift and economic difficulty.
By niching down, platform algorithms know exactly who to show a creator’s content to. In reaching fellow enthusiasts, amateurs and professionals alike, communities of ultra-enthusiastic and passionate followers emerge. These niche audiences, whilst potentially smaller in number than historically, hold a lot of power by being made up of people who are likely to buy, engage or subscribe based on the views of creators they trust.
As the guardian of one of the world’s most iconic brands, Global Head of Marketing & Communications at Paul Smith, Lucinda Westbrooke Reed, is responsible for striking the perfect balance between heritage and innovation. Here, we ask her what it takes to have global recognition but make local impact, and seek her expert tips for those with similar aspirations but smaller resources.
Lucinda, tell us a little bit about your background and professional journey - did you always know you wanted to work in marketing and communications?
Growing up, my parents worked in Communications so I was always aware of it as a job so to speak, but I actually studied Menswear Design at University. My mum taught me to sew, so that had always been a dream to go into the design side.
During school and Uni, I interned in various Comms Departments, and that was where I really discovered how Marketing and PR departments work, and I then knew that was the route I wanted to take.
You’re now the Global Head of Marketing & Digital Communications at Paul Smith; how did you work your way to this position and what does it entail?
My background is in Digital Marketing; I started with purely online retailers and learned a huge amount about growth, scale and managing a customer base. I worked with the digital teams at both AllSaints and Hunter but also developed a broader understanding of the production and operational side of larger-scale businesses, as well as working closely alongside buying and retail on a global level. I’ve been at Paul Smith for nearly 7 years now and look after all digital communications, as well as retail, franchise, licence and wholesale marketing.
It’s never dull! We constantly have something to talk about, both through our own collections and also working with partners on collaborations, artists on exhibitions as well as key
calendar moments like our Fashion Week shows. No two days are ever the same!
What do you find most challenging?
The fight for space and noise in the market, out there in general. There are some incredible brands doing amazing things and so I think it’s key to know who you want to talk to and get that message out there in an authentic and relevant way to the consumer.
What is it about working at Paul Smith specifically that gets you excited to go to work each day?
My team! There is a real culture of collaboration and creativity at Paul Smith, which means we get to work with so many areas of the business day to day, from Design and Production through to Buying and Retail.
Collaborations and partnerships are a key part of the Paul Smith brand – you’ve worked in partnership on products as varied as cars to desk lamps, luggage to bike helmets and even a football club – what does Paul Smith look for when deciding who they want to partner with and what do you think makes for great brand collaboration?
I think there needs to be a synergy and an energy between the two brands to really make a collaboration click and feel authentic to both customer bases - the opportunity to reach a new audience whilst telling a story together is really exciting and powerful.
Paul Smith is a brand with great heritage, is it ever difficult to honour this whilst still being revolutionary? How do you strike the balance of traditional and innovative so well?
Having over 50 years of brand history gives us a huge archive to tap into and reinvent with. Recently we have been exploring the history and craft of the Paul Smith Signature Stripe - in the first instance taking to the skies in a Signature Stripe balloon made by hand in the last remaining British workshop of its kind. Last year we also ‘unwrapped’ our iconic hot pink Melrose shop to reveal the stripe underneath, hand painted by a team matching the 40 colours by eye, the giant mural took 5 days using 15 gallons of paint!
What did Covid-19 look like for Paul Smith? Have patterns that emerged in lockdown stuck around?
We found we had to constantly adapt to the changing situation as was the case with most industries, having shops all over the world meant we had to keep on top of the live situation to ensure the staff’s wellbeing and also how to respond to customer needs where we were able.
The shift in Loungewear during the pandemic was huge and a category we saw significant growth in. In more recent times we have seen the day-to-day way people dress change and something we responded to with our Modern Working Wardrobe - rethinking what people wear to work and how our routines have evolved around the split between office and home. The resurgence of Tailoring postpandemic with wedding and event dressing coming back has happened at great speed also.
As an iconically British brand, how do you ensure that you maintain a consistent worldwide reputation and positioning whilst still successfully engaging with customers at a local level?
We stay true to our brand values and voice but localise the context to work in different markets. Consumer behaviour and the way people shop (from payment options to in store vs online) varies so much in our markets that we need to apply our messaging in the right way.
What impact do social media and the quickening of trend cycles have on your work?
Do you have to plan and review campaigns with shorter lead times to ensure outputs and creative are still ‘on trend’ or current?
I think it is about creating content for each channel rather than trying to make the same or hero content work across everythingresponding to how users engage within each space is something we are constantly reviewing and looking to tailor our content where possible i.e. the growth of TikTok and that very specific type of content that resonates on the platform.
From all of the campaigns and initiatives you’ve worked on, which has been your favourite and why?
I actually don’t think I can pick just one! The Signature Stripe work we have done recently is something I have enjoyed immensely, reinventing a classic - with a twist! The work we are doing with MINI, exploring the possibilities of sustainable design while respecting the heritage of an iconic car is a really exciting journey to be on.
Based on your expertise and experience, what 3 things do you think make great marketing and communications?
1. Stating the obvious but communication is key, being present in the space for relevant calendar moments.
2. Delivering targeted and tailored messaging to consumers - putting what they need in front of them.
3. Keeping the customer journey as seamless as possible
What’s your biggest piece of advice for smaller brands reading this who are inspired by what you and your team do but don’t have a Paul Smith budget to support their campaigns?
Whatever size your business is, always bring it back to acquisition and retention and do this through brand awareness, digital and retail (where relevant). Simple things make a huge difference to a customer and will keep them coming back and talking about you to other people.
Make sure your Google listing is up to date and maintained, such a simple thing that will make sure you come up in searches, people know when your shop is open etc - there is nothing more frustrating than wrong information on that Google result!
Partnering with other companies, small or big to increase your awareness to a new customer base - looking at your neighbours near your shop - a florist, restaurant or coffee shop and working together is a cost-effective way to reach new people.
Top Tip - Repetition of messaging - find what your brand values are, and what you are really good at and stick with it!
With the economy in flux and customers feeling the pinch, marketing for interiors and gifting brands needs to be more effective and efficient than ever. Affiliate marketing can be a low-risk, high reward strategy for brands looking to reach new audiences and avenues for sales. Having recently added a dedicated affiliate network to their platform, Press Loft’s founder, Nicola Snell, is here to explain how and why retailers may want to add this exciting approach to their marketing mix.
In the most simple terms, affiliate marketing allows publishers (journalists, bloggers and influencers) to promote brands’ products and earn a small commission from the sales they generate. When the customer makes a purchase within a timeframe set by the retailer, the publisher will get a percentage of the price paid.
One thing to bear in mind is that if you only do PR for SEO benefits, then affiliate marketing is not for you. This is because those trackable links needed to monitor the sales from the publisher quickly bounce to another affiliate-owned website in order for the tracking to work. This means that no SEO value is attributed to those links for the brand by a search engine like Google. However, if you are doing PR for sales generation, then affiliate marketing is the best form of PR as it means the publisher is engaged to promote the content, select the right products for their audience and design the content for maximum sales generation.
Typically, for retail brands you can be expected to offer 5%-20% to be appealing to the media. The more commission you offer, the more coverage and features you will generate as the incentive for the media is greater. The average commission on Press Loft is 10%.
Understandably, publishers are fast embracing this channel for generating income, particularly in the face of radically declining print revenue. Early adopters of this model, such as IndyBest, and the king of the affiliate model, Future PLC who own large interiors titles such as Livingetc, Ideal Home, Real Homes, Homes & Gardens among many others, have seen record growth and now generate billions of dollars of sales each year for the brands they write about. Other publishers are jumping onboard and affiliate marketing is now the key growth marketing area for consumer titles. As a result, brands who offer affiliate opportunities are more likely to see their products featured digitally across key titles.
On the brand side, this performance-based marketing has been widely used by financial, technology, gaming, and insurance companies for many years, but many interiors and gifting retailers have yet to embrace affiliate marketing. However, it presents a huge area for growth as, aside from any service subscription, retailers are only paying a percentage of sales generated, not huge sums for unknown advertising or more traditional PR. Affiliate marketing can be a vital tool in a times of difficulty to generate sales with lower risk of wasted spend.
There are many different types of publishers as well as many ways for publishers to feature these affiliate links. Here are some of the most common ones:
Editorial placement from large publications represents one of the best affiliate marketing channels for a number of reasons: the traffic volume, the target audience and value of the thirdparty endorsement from a respected publication. Examples of editorial articles with affiliate links include gift guides, ‘get the looks’, product reviews and comparisons.
Similarly to editorial placement, bloggers like Love Chic Living and The Design Sheppard (both of whom use Press Loft’s affiliate network) feature links in their articles to generate affiliate revenue.
Influencers using affiliate links can feature links in video reels and live content, particularly on channels like Instagram. They also use links in their bios to shoppable pages, or directly to products featured on Pinterest, Instagram and TikTok. YouTube features video reviews with affiliate links in descriptions. Like editorial affiliate placements, good quality influencer affiliate linking is also great third-party endorsement.
Set up your own affiliate network, platforms like LeadDyno and Tapfiliate provide the technology for your own tracking links. Or you can join an affiliate network like ours. Joining an existing network allows you to connect with publishers and influencers who are part of the network, saving valuable time and driving increased ROI. Press Loft has set up their own affiliate network, which is used by large editorial websites including Livingetc, Homes and Gardens, Ideal Home, Good Homes. You can currently join the affiliate network for free by signing up to any PR package. Find out more at www.pressloft.com/affiliate
Coupon sites share discount codes with their audience and get a cut of any sales generated from those codes. Although popular with cost-sensitive buyers, this form of affiliate marketing can cannibalise sales. This is because buyers already with items in their basket can seek out discount codes for sales they would make regardless, so this should be used with careful consideration.
Price comparison sites like Moneysupermarket.com and PriceRunner showcase the same products from different retailers. These readers have high intent, but you will have to compete on price to generate sales. This tends to work well for financial and technical products sold across many retailers.
Author: Ami Rabheru
The challenging climate of the last couple of years has brought many twists and turns for the retail sector, and with the current challenges that we are facing right now, it seems unlikely that we will see any major shifts in consumer behaviour and demands anytime soon.
With inflationary pressures on consumers and the cost of living crisis, consumer sentiment and purchasing power is at an all-time low and businesses are having to navigate a whole load more obstacles than ever before.
As we enter into this new phase of normal in retail, this is no time to sit back and hope for the best, but think outside of the box, take a punt and remain agile so that you can switch direction and protect your business when you need too.
With challenges, also come opportunities, so I’ve put together some ideas to help you navigate some of the problems you might be facing in your business right now.
As the cost of living crisis gets deeper, for many families they will be thinking twice about making those non-essential purchases and most will even put a complete hold on additional spending. Consumer recessionary behaviours like switching brands, looking for alternatives and more affordable options are likely to get stronger. But be careful…there is a fine balance between devaluing your brand and offering a balanced choice!
Purchasing of those items which will protect customers’ lifestyles and see them through the tough times are also likely to see higher demand. We’ve already seen a spike in electric blankets, warm clothing and even air-fryers! So, think about the product categories that might do well in your business, and think about how you can enhance them and capitalise on the trends. Those brands who have the ability to switch their product ranges and messaging to empathise with what their customer is doing, thinking and feeling are more likely to be successful at riding out this storm.
This one is a sticky subject, and one which has to be faced head on in my opinion.
As a short-term solution, we’ve seen businesses simply hike up retail prices in a bid to deal with the inflation and to cover their business costs.
As this starts to become the norm and consumer recessionary behaviour becomes a real thing, this strategy will no longer be sustainable and businesses should look at more nuanced approaches to deal with rising costs, like reviewing their price architecture and product ranges.
Keep a check on your range architecture; have you suddenly become top price heavy due to all the price hikes in your business? If so, you may see an opportunity to rebalance your range to ensure that there enough choice at your customers favourite price point and ensure that they can easily trade up and down the range.
Are there products overlapping or just not selling for another reason? Perhaps you need to make some tough decisions about what you may need to walk away from or even need to re-source to ensure you stay true to your values as a brand, and offer a balanced mix to your ideal customer.
Just as we have seen in the pandemic, customer choices were driven by value and connection.
This has only become stronger, and we are seeing those brands who are making an effort to create meaningful connections with their customers make huge leaps over their competition.
Technology has evolved fast enabling small businesses to use things like video selling as a simple app connecting to their online stores and shoppable ads, for example. Connecting journeys, especially those from online to offline to create those lasting connections, for those who don’t have a physical store with concepts like pop-up shops and concept stores is a great way to meet the customer where they are at, and how they want to shop and engage with you. Consider other areas of opportunity to grow your revenue by paying attention to the ever-evolving retail calendar. Traditionally we’ve thought of the retail calendar as Valentines, Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Christmas as being the main events. Over the last few years, we have seen that evolve into including awareness days and other events which are likely to connect and resonate with customers.
Recently we have seen this further evolve and we’ve seen retailers tapping into events and festivals outside of Christmas like Diwali and EID to create additional revenue, as a result we’ve seen them include more diversity in their product offerings and seen them stocking cultural products and promoting these festivals.
Whatever you choose for your business and, It’s more important than ever to ensure that marketing efforts and your business branding encapsulates the values of your customer and therefore the reason that they make a purchase with your brand– is not down to if they can get that product somewhere else cheaper, but one of loyalty, value and connection with your brand.
Whilst the world is continuing to evolve, remember the core principles of retailing of having the RIGHT PRODUCT, RIGHT PRICE, at the RIGHT TIME in the RIGHT PLACE has never changed!
Authentically and genuinely recognising periods of celebration, faith and awareness is a great way for brands to connect more deeply with their community, as well as reach new audiences. Whether it’s across product development, promotional campaigns, social media or PR, these are a few examples of dates you could commemorate to strengthen relationships with your customers…
National Walking Month
7th - World Laughter Day
15- 23rd - Mental Health Awareness Week
July
Plastic Free July
1st - 2nd - Independents’ Weekend UK
September
Organic September
18-24 - Recycle week
2nd – Yom Kippur (Jewish Faith)
November
5th – Bonfire night
12th – Diwali (Hindu Faith)
24th - Black Friday
June
Pride Month
5th - World Environment Day
10th – Global Wellness Day
18th – 29th – Eid-al-Adha (Muslim Faith)
18th - Father’s Day
August
International Happiness Month
9th - International Day of the World’s Indigenous People
October
Black History Month
Global Diversity Awareness Month
10th - World Mental Health Day
December
7-15th - Hanukkah (Jewish Faith)
25th – Christmas (Christian Faith)
31st - New Year’s Day/ Hogmanay
Whilst gold will always have its place, in 2023, it’s time for silver and bronze to shine too. Trickling down from runways to store rails, metallic statements will continue to captivate customers right through to Christmas. Whether it’s high-shine futuristic finishes or muted organic tones, it’s time to mix those metals.
1. Vurchoo
2. Beca Beeby
3. Pivot
4. Formation Co. Jewellery
5. Tutti & Co
6. Dripped Goods
7. Studio Lowen
8. Scatterbox
9. Love Cocoa
10. Toasted Crumpet
11. Home of Beds
12. Venjakob
Fashion Brand Consultant, Elizabeth Stiles, is here to share her expertise about all things content, customer service, turning followers into purchasers, and building successful brands in 2023’s social media landscape.
In 2023, do you think brand owners and retailers should be investing in social media?
Yes, definitely! If I bumped into a business owner on the street and said, ‘do you want to hear about this magic tool that won’t cost you a penny but will connect you to millions of people around the world’ they’d be desperate to know what it was –and that still is social media.
The most important thing is to always remember your sales funnel and the importance of filling the top of it continually as you push others further down it.
Creative people, in my experience, tend to be a little bit introverted when it comes to selling, so they may not particularly enjoy that part of the business - but in my experience, these types of people do better than others at the top and mid-funnel level.
Despite social media platforms starting to prioritise photos again, video seems to still be where it’s at in terms of engagement - why is that?
If the pandemic taught us anything, it’s how much people crave connection with one another, and when the ability to be in rooms together was taken away, video is what we had. I push video so much because it really is the next best thing to meeting or seeing someone in person.
For many brand owners, TikTok is still considered the new kid on the block. You jumped on the platform a while ago now, how are you feeling about it as a platform?
ELIZABETH STILES
ELIZABETH STILES
ELIZABETH STILES
ELIZABETH STILES
In 2022 there was a mass exodus from Instagram to TikTok, but I feel that’s plateaued slightly now from what I’ve noticed. The platform did have a period where brands were able to go very quickly, but that’s slowed down not and people are realising that it’s not some sort of magic pill to make your brand go viral overnight. If they didn’t really know what they were doing on Instagram, they’re certainly not going to feel more comfortable on TikTok.
Now that Instagram has prioritised rebalancing a mixture of photos and videos, I’m noticing that people are returning, which makes sense if they’re already familiar with it and have built up a community. That’s not to say brands shouldn’t be using TikTok, but I think it’s more about understanding how they want to use social media as part of their strategy and picking the platforms that make the most sense for those goals.
I will say, though, because you can’t message people unless you follow each other on TikTok, it can make it trickier to build connections with people or bond with them in the same way you can on other platforms.
For example, because TikTok is not necessarily about following accounts, it’s more about the For You Page (FYP), which means users are there expecting to see something new. You could encourage those who have liked these videos to follow you over on Instagram, where you have more tools for direct messaging and can start to build those deeper connections.
From there, once those relationships are better nurtured, you would direct them to your website where they can sign-up to your email newsletter or make sales directly.
You should never feel like you’re shouting into an empty room when it comes to sales, it’s about getting more focused and strategic. It’s so important to be maintaining the flow of new people at the top of the funnel whilst you nurture relationships at other levels at the same time.
Because of tests done on several platforms, we can speculate that platforms are experimenting with long-form videos. Do you think users are getting bored of the constant scroll and are looking for something meatier?
I myself can find TikTok and Instagram Reels a bit shallow and the constant scroll can be too much at times. These videos are a very specific type of content, and it’s ok to admit that it’s not for you - there are so many other channels that may suit you, your brand and your customers better.
I think another reason Instagram is seeing people return is that it does offer a place for different types of content to be shared, so it feels like a safe space for more people. It’s about going back to the funnel again and figuring out what works for you at each level. It could be a combination of videos and images at the top, but then pieces that hold attention for longer – like newsletters, podcasts, and Youtube videos – at the next stages. Don’t see creating content for each of these stages or platforms as separate jobs. If you’re doing it well in the place that feels most natural to you, just keep expanding on what you already have.
How important do you think it is for retail brands to offer services, not just products, in 2023?
If you want to be successful in today’s market, there is an expectation to offer more. It doesn’t need to be advanced or expensive, but it does need to provide more value. If I wanted to see a page of product images with details of what it is, how much it costs and how to buy it, I would just visit a brand’s website - so you need to ask yourself, why would someone actively follow me on social or sign up to my newsletter if they’re just seeing the same there too.
Share the story of how something was designed or teach your audience how to use it. Rather than gifting a piece of clothing to an influencer and asking them to post a pretty picture, interview them about how they would style it and how they curate their wardrobe. The quick-selling content will always have a place, but it’s by mixing it with these passive-term pieces of content that you’ll see better engagement and long-term success.
We all know how difficult things are economically for many at the moment, but we’re also living in a time when supporting sustainability and indie business is so important, which comes with a cost. How important is storytelling when it comes to balancing these perceptions of cost and value?
I’ve actually noticed on TikTok that the number one thing brands get tolled about is the cost of their products, and then they’re left feeling like they have to justify it. We talk about using social to take your audience behind the scenes a lot and I think this can be an example of what happens when brands haven’t taken the time to truly tell the story.
I always say that if you’re posting a picture of a finished notebook or a dress, you’re just jumping straight to the end. What happened first… what was the development process like? Did something go wrong? Did you travel to another country where you saw the colour palette that inspired you to start this journey? How did you find your suppliers? This all matters when it comes to having your audience understand just how much goes into running a business. A good exercise would be to imagine that you are being interviewed by a journalist. Think about the kinds of questions they would ask you about your brand and create some content around every answer.
We know that the pandemic really shifted people’s views on shopping small, but ultimately convenience always wins out. What people say and do are two different things and even though people would love to shop locally, sometimes if it’s easier and cheaper to
do it elsewhere, there’s always going to be a temptation to do that instead - especially in a cost of living crisis. Especially when we’re talking about elevated lifestyle products, we need to remember that commodity products, such as candles and stationery, can be bought at supermarkets - so you need to remind your customer why what they’re getting from you is different.
You need to have an additional level of service that will save your customers either time, money or effort. You don’t need all three, but doing one will encourage people to buy from you more.
I know it can be a controversial topic, but I have seen people have more success offering things like Klarna or Clearpay, but anything you can do to help spread the cost will make buying from you more attractive. That being said, for many, convenience always wins out, so look to add various shipping and collection options to allow for speed, even if it comes at an additional cost. Another option could be to add a reminder or refill service to any relevant products.
What’s your number one piece of advice for any retailer reading this who just feels like they are in a bit of a slump at the moment?
Firstly, if you’re feeling like you need a bit of motivation, remember to always act like people are interested in your products - because they are. Just because you’re not seeing them, doesn’t mean they’re not watching so, whilst it can feel a little uncomfortable at first, it’s so important to sell through the silence.
I would say go back to basics and really think about any barriers to buying your customers may be experiencing. I know it can be frustrating to be asked the same questions again and again by customers when you feel all the information they need is clear on your website or marketing materials, but rather than let it annoy you, use it as a jumping-off point.
If you’re selling a fashion product, showcase it on models of different sizes and with different skin tones. If you’re selling furniture, share how it looks up against different colours or textured walls. When it comes to sales, you should be saying the same thing over and over in different ways - so don’t be scared of that message repetition.
Always be seeking that next level of customer service. If you’ve seen a comment questioning how see through a dress may be, film a video demonstrating it in front of different light levels and send it to them or, better yet, post it for your wider community to see but tag them in the caption so they know you’re hearing them.
Remember that some people are more visual than others and won’t read each and every detail on your site, so why not mix up your product image carousels with an info card stating the key facts they need about size and shipping? It’s also so important to make sure that your images depict the product accurately to avoid disappointment, so think about how you can style it to give a size perspective.
For more from Elizabeth, follow her @elizabethstilesUK
An unrecognisable departure from the lip-syncing app it once was, TikTok has cemented itself as a conduit of culture, and source of inspiration and education for professionals and enthusiasts within every niche. For retail brands, it is not just an amazing way to foster connections with customers and grow reach, but also an exciting way to learn. From trend forecasters to customer service, e-commerce to marketing, TikTok is filled with experts providing advice that can really make a difference for retail brands and product designers.
If you’re not quite sure where to start, we’re sharing some of our favourite, most inspiring creators for you to follow:
A brand strategist by trade, Clara breaks down what some of the world’s most recognisable brands do to engage their customers and foster sales. Follow her to find out how Zara encourage cross-category purchasing and IKEA create a sense of trust, as well as how to use customer archetypes and colour theory to shape your brand.
Juliana, the owner of gift store, GASP, epitomises understanding your customer. Documenting everything from stock management to product sourcing, best-sellers to unexpected flops, she is unashamedly herself, which is exactly what attracts people to her store.
If you’ve ever wondered how you can take high-quality, captivating product images yourself, then this is the account for you. Not only does Alexandra detail key elements like lighting and positioning,she also shows how you can use everyday items (think tin foil, baking paper, and a shirt) to elevate your photography to a professional standard.
Having created an industry-leading brand herself, Anaita uses her TikTok account to share her top tips for e-commerce success. Dropping the veil of online retail, Anita breaks down everything from how to structure your business banking and dealing with vanishing suppliers to digital marketing top tips and how to upsell online.
Distilling years of industry experience into short videos with actionable takeaways, Nickeisha guides business owners through in-store design and VM principles that will captivate customers and encourage sales. She’s particularly passionate about supporting small, women-owned businesses.
3. 4. Alexandra Cojocnean | @sorana.studioWhether it’s for entertainment or education, inspiration or a laugh, podcasts have a unique way of building connections, creating communities and motivating the masses.
Portable and friendly to multi-taskers, with these 10 series, those passionate about the retail, design and interiors industry, professional and amateur alike, will get to delve into the minds and benefit from the experience of some of the best names in the business.
Since launching notonthehighstreet in 2006, and then Holly & Co in 2017, Holly Tucker MBE has dedicated her life to empowering small businesses. In this series, she explores the highest highs and the lowest lows of business owners, creators and entrepreneurs who are brave enough to bare all in these powerfully honest conversations.
As one of the world’s leading authorities in trends, WGSN’s podcast gives listeners unique insight into what we’ll all be wanting next and why so that we can all make smarter decisions for ourselves and our businesses today. Each episode focuses on a single market, topic or trend that the expert team unpack and dissects to arm their community of design professionals and knowledgeseeking individuals with the understanding needed to navigate the changing world around us.
Dubbed The Retail Adviser, Melissa Moore has worked in the industry for more than 20 years. Channelling her own experience into insightful, informative conversations with other experts and designers each week, The Retail Tea Break guides listeners through every aspect of successful retail.
Despite being celebrated interior design specialists, hosts Sophie Robinson and Kate Watson Smythe have created a warm, welcoming community for all interior enthusiasts, no matter how experienced or knowledgeable. With a fluid format that features trend updates, practical advice, expert interviews, and interiors-based, agony aunt-style Q&As. This series really can be summed up as a celebration of all things interiors. This series is filled with candid, revealing conversations with design visionaries, culture-makers and creative forces.
Presented by The Gift of the Year and supported by the Giftware Association, this series places the spotlight on the UK’s thriving gift industry; profiling brands, founders and industry leaders, and exploring their success and lessons across all aspects of the creative and sales process, from concept to retail and everything in between.
From the creative minds behind Design Milk, the Clever podcast peels back the layers to discover the gritty, authentic and sometimes surprising details of their guests’ creative paths. This series is filled with candid, revealing conversations with design visionaries, culture-makers and creative forces.
Having successfully launched her own product-base business from scratch during lockdown, host Lucy Hitchcock knows a thing or two about entrepreneurial spirit. Here, she helps others build, grow and maintain careers within the retail space by picking the brains of other experts whilst injecting knowledge from her own experience.
Nick May is not an interior designer, but he sure knows a thing or two about business. Knowing that talent only gets so far, Nick endeavours to find out what top designers from across the world believe have helped them in their journey, and how they’ve decided to run their firms. Through a host of talks with industry leaders, he delves into what elements lead to true success.
Hailed as the ‘Net-a-Porter of interiors’ by the Financial Times and The Daily Telegraph, LuxDeco has fast cemented itself as a must-visit online destination for consumers on the hunt for high-quality, stylish interiors. In their latest venture, a monthly podcast series titled The Tastemakers, they access their vast network of specialists and leaders to connect their customers to the inner workings of the design minds they admire most.
Focusing on the unnoticed design that shapes our everyday life, 99% Invisible explores the thought process behind the designs we rarely think aboutwith episodes on everything from highways to the hashtag, host Roman Mars cleverly unpacks the impact that even the smallest, seemingly insignificant design has on the world around us.
Colour trends come and go, but the hue that captivates us year after year is a passionate, persuasive shade of pink. From runways to room renovations, pink is set to continue its design domination for some time to come.
Last year, the saturation was turned up tenfold when Valentino, partnered with colour authority, Pantone, to create a brand new shade – Pink PP. With the Barbie movie not even hitting cinemas yet, don’t expect to say goodbye to this punchy pink anytime soon.
Future-proofing pink, we’re in the year of Viva Magenta according to Pantone. The shade sets the scene for a new era that embodies both offline and online living; where lifeforms are readily found in indoor areas, focus is placed on restorative outdoor spaces, and life straddles virtual and physical realities.
Author: Olivia Brabbs
As a photographer but also a small business owner myself, I understand all too well the pressures that exist when it comes to marketing yourself and your brand. It always feels that social media needs feeding with a constant stream of witty, engaging content and show-stopping images. I know I have the advantage when it comes to coming up with the goods on the image front, but I can be guilty of brain freeze with content. I wanted to therefore take the opportunity to share 5 tips that I hope will help get you a little further with your visibility and consequently social media effectiveness. These are the things I have learnt along the way and the approach I am striving to
I’m sure I’m not alone in finding it difficult to post out on social media without re-writing a draft a million times! Over the years (and as I get older and wiser) I am making peace with the concept that it’s ok to be in the moment and let things go a little. The most beautifully curated Instagram post is of course and always will be desirable but how many opportunities are you letting slip through your fingers by lack of confidence and time management? Your ideal customer and the super fans out there are interested in pretty much everything you have to share. They really don’t care if the image isn’t perfect or if there is the odd spelling mistake - what matters are showing up and being authentic. Great examples are all of those brilliant behind-the-scenes moments that show the day-to-day realities of your business. A good honest phone snap is fine and if you’re really not confident try it out as a story first to see what engagement you get.
follow in my own business.
Balance is everything and when it comes to your online presence it’s good to know where your strengths and weaknesses are. As mentioned above, there is nothing wrong with an in-the-moment phone snap or for those with a bit more experience some decent SLR imagery. However, it’s important to know your limits and understand that professional photographers and gear can help take your brand to another level. I believe strongly that all the gear in the world doesn’t make you a good photographer and that it is the person that takes the image. This is what you are investing in when you call in a pro - someone who can bring fresh vision and ideas. Someone who sees your environment and products (and you!) in a whole new light. Someone with industry experience who is aware of trends and pitfalls. Someone who understands that great images not only feed ever-greedy social grids but also open up opportunities for editorial exposure and wider marketing/advertising. A great brand shoot is so much more than photography. I would definitely recommend working with a pro for website rebranding, business launches or formal marketing campaigns. Social media content should naturally come through the back of the above requirements but always make sure you flag this requirement when chatting through your photography brief. You need to make sure your photographer knows exactly how and where you will be using the images. Otherwise you run the risk of having images that aren’t composed correctly. Wide banners for websites for example need a very different approach to an upright images for a magazine feature.
There are countless more qualified experts out there who can talk you through the mysteries of social media algorithms. However, what I will share is that regardless of changes and trends the one approach that does always seem to stick is consistency. Consistency does not mean quantity - simply showing up at a regular time period to share your content. Work with what fits comfortably with your own commitments. Once a week, once a day…only you know what will be best. The posting part is the easiest element, it’s the planning and composing that is the time killer. There are various schedule apps out there now to support you with this though. The ideal is to sit down for half a day and get a few posts nailed and ready to go. You can then always add in the spontaneous stuff in between but feel smug knowing that whatever happens there is something in the bag.
It’s always interesting to keep track of the images that get the most engagement on your social media platforms. I can guarantee that for the majority this will be portrait-based images that I’m afraid will feature you! (Or your very cute dog!!). People love to buy from people - it builds confidence and trust as well as giving that feel-good buzz when making a purchase. For small business owners, this is the edge you have on the high street and you need to exploit it to the max.
The buzz phrase often use for portraits of yourself in your business is ‘personal branding’ photography. In a nutshell, this are portraits that capture you in a very honest and authentic way. This style of portrait has the ability to tell stories, give background, explain processes, show environment - in other words all of the things that make your business and products unique and help you stand out from the crowd.
There are very few people that relish having a camera pointed at them, and I understand that it can take a lot of courage for some people to get more visible. There are ways and means of doing a personal branding shoot without feeling you have to be a contestant on America’s Next Top Model! For makers and creatives, I would suggest a studio-focused session. You can start with documentarystyle images of you doing your thing. As your confidence grows with the camera you might feel ok about some looking to-lens portraits. I always suggest creating a secret board on Pinterest of portraits that inspire you. This is such a useful tool to then share with your photographer. It isn’t about copying what you have pinned but instead pulling out common themes and feelings that can be used to curate a shoot bespoke to you and your needs.
Of late, I have personally been using the stories function on Instagram to share more images of myself in action. I am considering getting a bit braver though with my grid so watch this space for 2023 as feel it’s time to start breaking my usual approach up a bit! Again, it’s the Virgo perfectionist tendencies that I need to overrule.
Phone camera technology is improving all the time, and with some understanding of light and general photography principles, it is possible to create some pretty decent images for your social pages. I would suggest jumping online and searching out some instruction videos on phone photography if you feel you struggle. During Harrogate Home & Gift 2022, I ran an informal workshop covering phone photography skills. We got stuck into composition, angles, how to find good light, controlling light and editing. The in-phone camera apps can work really well but if like me you find them a bit limiting I can recommend having a play with Adobe Lightroom. The ‘pro’ settings are really good and will help replicate the steps you would consider with SLR (ie big manual) camera photography. Again, you’ll easily find tutorials online that will help you understand the settings.
When it comes to editing I would suggest avoiding heavy reliance on filters - they can look gimmicky unless done well. Again, Lightroom has a great set-up for editing. Lots of photographers run workshops to help people build their confidence with their picture-taking. This could be a really good investment if you are feeling stuck and frustrated with the results you are achieving. Or perhaps you have a good basic knowledge but want to be able to photograph your products in a more consistent way for social media.
I hope you find the tips helpful and provide some food for thought as you look to the upcoming year and new strategies and habits you could build into your business.
