As reported exclusively in Ragtrader magazine last month, fast fashion retailer Sportsgirl again made digital history in Australia with the introduction of QR codes to speed mobile buying in-store. But while fashion retailers are pushing forward on the digital front, back-end businesses seem to to be taking a more cautious approach. It’s an issue fashion agent Phoebe Garland of Garland & Garland Fashion is familiar with, and she recently voiced her concerns via a blog on www.ragtrader.com.au.
“Coming from a background of advertising into fashion, I am still shocked at how slow the garment industry is in this country embracing the internet and online marketing,” she says.
According to Garland, it’s possible the nature of the industry as a “trade” sector as opposed to “white collar” could be partly to blame for the delay in back-end businesses evolving to incorporate social media in their operations. But the good news is there is change on the horizon.
“I think a lot of people in the fashion industry, especially manufacturers and suppliers, have not been brought with computers and have been stuck in their ways in terms of technology. But with retail conditions getting very difficult and not easing up any time soon, I think it has forced companies to become a lot more innovative to get their brand out there into the market and to hopefully increase sales,” she says.
“The good old days of the ‘70s and ‘80s are over in terms of wholesaling and retailing. It’s very competitive, customers are being taught to shop on sale, and with more cheap chain stores like Zara and Topshop coming to Australia it’s also teaching the customers to buy at a price point. So some businesses are thinking of new ways to understand customers through social media and take on the feedback.”
Eclipse Textiles, a national fabrics wholesaler based in Sydney, is one supplier taking significant steps to maximise its presence in the social media landscape. Marketing and product development designer Vanessa Kirk says the company has recently invested in a number of social media incentives to advertise, improve and expand its offering.
“We have just launched a range of social media platforms, so customers can now ‘like’ us on one of our three Facebook pages, follow our Tweets, interact on our informative blog, and network with us on LinkedIn,” she says.
The platforms combined create a hub of information accessible from various points to provide textile tips, trend watches, product reviews, up-and-coming product launches, industry news and events, video clips where relevant, and customer competitions. A suggestion box on the blog, along with a technical support area, also allows potential and existing customers to navigate the site easily and provide feedback. It’s an economically viable strategy which increases the connection between the company and customer – and, ultimately, leads to sales and brand awareness.
“Social media is an area in which the majority of people now interact and network, and if this is where our existing and potential customers are connecting, then we should be there too,” Kirk says. “It is a massive wave of communication that has been embraced, and this is the ‘new-age’ way to build brand awareness and connect with our clients. But the main advantages of these platforms is that they are market specific, they have the information that people in the industry are looking for, they allow us to be transparent as a company, and best of all, these tools allow us to listen and network with our clients.”
Back in Sydney, the local Hong Kong Trade and Development Centre (HKTDC) office has also upped the ante, pushing its suite of mobile applications to domestic players. Users of iPhone, Blackberry and Android handsets, as well as the iPad, can download a Product Magazine App for product ideas and planning trips to Hong Kong trade shows, as well as source from 120,000 suppliers through HKTDC’s online marketplace. There is a market news section, research papers and a partnership with Hong Kong’s largest Wi-Fi service provider, PCCW, which allows clients visiting the country to download the mobile apps free of charge.
HKTDC marketing business manager Aries Lee says it has been an integral platform in connecting with new and existing clients.
“As a pioneer in the B2B market, we understand buyers’ sourcing behaviour is evolving quickly, so we took just a few months from the research stage to launch,” he says. “Having a presence in the online and mobile sourcing platform is the expansion of suppliers’ reach to buyers since buyers’ sourcing behaviour has shifted to these two platforms as well. And while traditional means for product promotion, such as trade fairs and product magazines are still key channels, the presence in online and mobile sourcing platforms is something suppliers can’t miss. Not leveraging on the new technology means their competitiveness in the market will be lowered.”
Of course, there are challenges and disadvantages to jumping on the tech bandwagon also, but Garland says that these issues are miniscule compared to the significant gains to be had.
“The only disadvantage is that you are very transparent to your competition so you can leave your strategies open to be copied, as well as they can view previews of your product if you put images on your page, but if you have a good enough product that performs well and is selling well this should be such a small disadvantage,” she says. “Social media creates brand loyalty and a following which really helps you sell fashion much easier and it’s completely free. Manufacturers, retailers and consumers all benefit. So I get quite cross when I hear complaining about how bad business is and yet they do nothing to embrace digital mediums.”
In parting, Kirk offers some poignant advice for back-end businesses about to embark on their social media discovery.
“Do your research, and take the time to set up the great tools that are available, post content that will help your customer base, and listen to their needs. The key to social media is to interact with your followers, be transparent, and feed them information that is relevant to them. Remember, it’s not all about you.”