Ten steps towards asuccessful PR campaign
After a decade of being in the fashion and accessories industry, Shine Media GROUP has created some of the most successful PR campaigns in the accessories industry. Reaching over ten thousand placements in recent years, Shine Media PR’s vast knowledge of the accessories industry has been widely noted. In fact, the firm has now become the “go-to” firm for emerging and established designers who are looking for a firm to be a vital part of their growth, branding, and re-branding.
Shine Media PR continues to help passionate, knowledgeable designers generate media exposure and overall increase in sales, which helps each company to expand and to ultimately be successful.
- Discover your audience
Know what outlets you will be targeting according to your potential consumers. This will allow your valuable work time to remain in the right places and to be directed to the right people/editors. Always be aware that your target audience may change in the future as your brand evolves. Most importantly, set up short, medium, and long-term goals in order to create a stable direction in which you can move toward with both your collection and PR campaign.
2. Have an attractive website
Your website is your online business card. The image of your website must perfectly mirror the image and mission of your brand. Otherwise the editor/stylists and consumers will not be capable of seeing your brand’s vision beyond what the website has to offer.
Key elements a website needs prior to its launch:
- A clean and easy look that will allow the consumer/editor to find what they are looking for.
- Branding imagery: A cohesive and clean idea of what the brand is about.
- Simple and easy navigation: We have seen a lot of e-commerce sites that fail in having an easy way to find the products, and this discourages the editors and consumers.
3. SocialMedia
Now more than ever, social media is key to creating a successful PR campaign. Every designer or brand must have a strong social media presence, or else they are cutting their chances of capturing consumers and winning over their target audience. There are multiple social media platforms for your brand to engage in, and they will help to build your brand.
4. Have a cohesive collection
Many designers create small and scattered collections, because they lack the resources. It is vital to give the collection time to evolve. Rushing the process of creating a collection only does it harm. Before investing money into a collection, make sure you:
- Find trend reports and several places to buy your materials, and most importantly, finding a good manufacturer is key in the final development of a collection.
- Sample before rushing into producing something to avoid construction problems.
Be different, but stay approachable
As a designer or brand, your collection has to be different from everyone else’s, but not TOO different. Keep your own personal aesthetic and creative ideas, especially at the beginning of the campaign. However, you must be capable of fitting into what the media and the consumers are looking for. Expose yourself little by little, and be patient—all good things take time.
- Be competitive
The fashion and accessories market is flooded with designers and brands that all want the same thing that you do: a successful business. You must know which brands are similar to yours, because they are your competition. Please do your homework. I hate seeing new designers comparing themselves to YSL or Oscar de la Renta. Remember, you are a “NEW” designer, and the fashion houses have been out there for years!
- Work with people that have experience
Your team is an essential part of your company’s steps towards success, even if you decide to outsource. Your co-workers must believe in your brand and have the experience to deliver the results you are looking for. When looking for a public relations firm, search for ones that have a long history of successful campaigns. Our company (Shine Media GROUP) has been capable of launching very successful PR campaigns with designers, because we understand what needs to be done for a new brand. We also know the right people and outlets that will help a brand become successful in both their short and long-term goals.
- Take it season by season
“Rome was not built in a day” is something that we hear all the time, but oftentimes, we fail to listen. A successful PR campaign is one that develops a strong foundation for the brand, and this takes time. It is important to note that editors of magazines work during two major seasons: Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter. This means that you have two seasons to show off your talent. That is why it is important to work with a competent firm that will keep the editors updated on a weekly basis to avoid being forgotten by the media. A good firm will also work with several media outlets to continuously create buzz until your next collection is ready.
- Know your tools to promote your brand
We always try to give our clients a good understanding of the tools that are needed to launch a good PR campaign. The more you can give, the more doors you will open. Try seeing it this way, if InStyle, Lucky, and Marie Claire want to feature your “it” piece and there is only ONE sample available, the opportunity will be lost. So…prepare in advance, don’t wait for the opportunities to be lost.
- Get personal
In order to succeed in this industry, it is crucial for you to be approachable and for you to be a good communicator. Try to be as personable as possible with the editors, and do as much as you can to have press previews, show your collection, and get to know them. You have to remember: they are the ones that will help you grow in the media. After doing PR for ten years for emerging and established designers to date, we still feel very thankful anytime an editor or stylist chooses one of these designers to be a part of their pages. Last but not least, the most essential piece of advice is to be humble and thankful; these qualities will take you far in this industry.
Good Luck,
