PR 2.0 and storytelling for fashion brands

@danpinch@workofsocietywww.theworkofsociety.com

Welcome to the age of disruption

Is your brand on this list?

Welcome to the age of disruption

Or on this list?

Fashion, the early days

Elitist, celebrity-led, high barriers to entry. Long trend cycles. Disrupted by peasants and guillotines.

Fashion, Mad Men-era

Still pretty elitist. Rise of fashion media. Seasonal fashion cycles. Disrupted by free-thinking hippies and other counter-culture types.

Fashion, Mad Men-era: news cycle

Fashion now

Open (but elitist because of competition for influence), dominated by consumer media (online/offline). Being disrupted by hipster web entrepreneurs and 16 year old girls with blogs.

The new fashion news cycle

A story

Print media

Website/blog

Twitter Facebook

RetweetsComments/likes/shares

Pinterest

Repins

youtube

Video response

Blog post

Blog post

Tumblr

Radio

TV

@danpinch

Blog post

Blog post

Blog post

Tumblr

Tumblr

The point at which you realise you have no control any more…

The anatomy of a PR 2.0 story

The anatomy of a PR 2.0 story

• Tuesday AM: Spot a public conversation to tap into• Tuesday AM: Some quick research to see if anyone else is using

the same angle and to understand the elements of the story• Tuesday PM: Pitch to the client and get approval• Weds AM: Work with the ad team on a print ad / write a press

release• Thurs AM: Production on the print ad / approval of press release• Friday 3:30: Print ad is back and approved • Friday 3:32: Sent to bloggers, newswires, key media contacts• Friday 3:45: First tweets appear (one journalist tweets the press

release)• Friday 4:20: Hits the newswires and generates coverage as far

away as Malaysia• Saturday: Front page on Weekend Argus / The Star, trends on

Twitter• Following week: coverage spreads globally (dead within the

week)

A quick user’s guide to PR 2.0 and social storytelling

Understand the public dialogue already taking place (and guess how it’s likely to take place)

Understand the public dialogue already taking place (and guess how it’s likely to take place)

Get everyone working together

Be remarkable (have a unique idea)

Be remarkable (in realtime)

Be remarkable (and useful)

Keep it simple (but have layers for those that want to engage)

Think visually

Understand the viral nodes

Bloggers:• Driven by passion (and ego)• Don’t have to obey any editorial (or

grammar) rules• Work quickly, at odd hours (have day

jobs)• Social channels can be more important

than the actual blog• Work in multimedia and often visually

Traditional media:• Often the people that initiate

ideas/content that is picked up by bloggers

• Have their own powerful social channels• Expected to work across multiple-

disciplines• Live their subject 24/7 so have probably

seen it all

Understand the viral nodes

Online noise makers:• Anyone with an opinion and some kind of

network on social media:• Industry insiders / experts• Students• Celebs• Bands / Musicians• Passionate fans• Your mom

Be agile and move very quickly

Understand that once you press send you’ve lost control

Have the tools to track the stories impact ready

Know how you’re going to move the story forward (and take the learning to your next activity)

Have a longterm plan that builds and learns on its successes and failures

http://www.slideshare.net/Method_Inc/sxsw-brandsas-patternsfinal

How to set goals and measure ROI

Business goals

Sell more jeans make lots of money.

Marketing goals

Convert 20,000 LSM 8-10 18-25 urban female adopters to adorers Over the next 6 months

PR/Social media goals

Reach 400,000 18-25 year olds (Earned media impressions: editorial reach/social media reach)

Grow the social media community to 80,000 (page likes, twitter followers)

Actively engage 40,000 community members (engagement rate -comments, likes, shares, tweets, repins )

80% positive sentiment and key message penetration (key messages in editorial and sentiment on social media)

Thanks