Fashion, Style and Insurance
Intimidating much? Spending time in one of the most fashion-forward (and preened) cities in the world — and hanging out with the achingly stylish French to boot. Brilliant.
I decided to go all in. My New York wave may look more like a tsunami but I’m rolling with it. New York is enough to make any sartorially self-respecting girl — or boy — want to up their game in the fashion stakes. Thankfully (dangerously) there’s a ridiculous range of shopping options here from Soho boutiques to 5th Ave uber-stores to New Jersey outlets.
It would be fair to say that fashion has been on my mind.
At the same time, I’ve been working on the social media strategy for a big insurance brand over here. All the work we do at Havas Worldwide London is integrated and idea-led, but it is great to have a whole month to focus solely on social and content planning. I’m learning a load of new stuff.
And while I’ve been deciphering my Simmons from my Sysomos and pondering what Pinterest can offer me over Instagram, it’s made me think communication hasn’t really changed all that much.
The world has changed massively of course and continues to do so at an astonishing pace. The opportunities we have to learn about and from each other are near limitless. And some of us have more of a presence in the virtual world than in the “real” world these days. As marketers, we have access to new sources of data that allow us to understand our customers better and what they think about us and how we’re communicating with them. And we have a bunch of cool new channels to play with too.
But people are still people and a great idea is still a great idea. Brands still need to stand for something clear and consistent and compelling. They still, as dinner party guests, need to find ways to talk to people in polite and interesting ways. They need to act authentically and deliver a great product — today more than ever. They need to own a space that no one else can own, that is distinctly “them”. The successful brands we all admire today — the Apples and Nikes of this world — own their unique style and everyone knows what they stand for.
Yes it’s important that we all stay ahead of the curve. That we spot new trends and embrace new technologies and keep our conversations fresh and current. But anyone can follow fashion, the key is to take what’s new and make it work for you. And if it doesn’t work, it’s ok to leave it alone. People spot what’s inauthentic and forced a mile off anyway. Conversations that some brands try to have in social media, for example, are a bit like fashion faux pas — awkward. So I reckon when it comes to the way brands present themselves to the world, style trumps fashion every time.
That said — a new pair of boots never hurt anyone right? And it’s getting pretty chilly out there…
