Photo courtesy of ask2seenu.blogspot.com
“Out of the box thinking,” “blow people away,” “cut through the clutter.” I’m sure we’ve heard one if not all of these phrases from our clients at some point in our careers as marketers/communications strategists. But in today’s segmented marketplace and with today’s bombarded consumer, it’s not so easy to achieve this level of creativity and exposure. How can brands truly bring to life a new-to-the-world concept? Well, it might require just the things that are hardest for clients: giving up control and opening the creative process to those outside the organization.
Case-and-point: FIT Master’s Degree Program Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing and Management 2011 Capstone presentations. Sponsored by Target®, the 15 graduates of this prestigious program, executives from the country’s top beauty companies, worked together on the ultimate creative assignment – “Imagine the future of beauty at Mass, considering key growth categories such as prestige, naturals and fashion.” There are no restrictions and few requirements – keep demographic and cultural trends in mind as well as technology, and of course, THINK BIG. As seen in the evening’s opening video, many of the ideas from the program’s previous presentations have been successfully implemented in the real world by major brands and/or retail players including Hermes and Repêchage.
Why have the results of this program’s graduates been so successful? Perhaps consider how the ideas came to life – creative minds who work in the industry but not with the brands/retailer in discussion have free reign to apply global market trends and insights in a completely new way. The ideas may require an overhaul in store design, consumer interaction or product positioning – and once in the hands of the sponsor, may need to be tweaked to fit with the company’s culture or structure to be fully actionable. But without this completely fresh perspective from those outside the organization, being allowed to ideate without parameters, would these levels of ideas even be generated? Target truly lived their corporate mission of continuous innovation through their participation as a sponsor, and in MMC’s pursuit of “delivering more than the brief,” we strive to bring this level of creative thinking to our clients through our unique Strategic Innovations Group (SIG) & Digital Innovations Group (DIG) think tank sessions. By bringing together MMC’s most experienced and creative minds from across brands and disciplines, we can strip away some of those intrinsic barriers that often develop over time when working as a brand or client core team member and bring forth completely new perspectives to solve a business need or identify new areas of opportunity.
So while it may be the ultimate challenge, look to push the boundaries of how you develop your next greatest idea and it might be just that!
Before yesterday, I hadn’t heard the actual term “social shopping,” though after learning all about it I’ve determined I’ve been participating in it all along without knowing the official label (ie. the frantic noon-time e-mail exchanges for opinions of the day’s “I really do need this in my wardrobe” Gilt offerings). I realized this by attending the first of my many Social Media Week sessions being hosted throughout the city. The discussion – Social Media and Social Styling: Can the Next Rachel Zoe Be Found Online? Hosted by Hearst – was inspiring (hearing the hilarious successes of 22-year-old Leandra Medine of ManRepeller) and insightful (basically everything that Droga5 CEO Andrew Essex said). And just in case you can’t wait for the answer, all of the panelists agreed that yes, the next stylist is out there. But how to translate consumers’ participation on the endless sites/apps/media outlets for compiling, discussing and validating your personally curated style into meaningful brand engagement? I found these insights to be especially helpful for marketers when engaging with these most fashionable consumers and online media on behalf of our brands:
- Express yourself: outlets & bloggers who will stand the test of time, and who cultivate a die-hard following of readers, have a unique point-of-view. They share relevant information and speak to brands that are an authentic extension of their sites and personalities. So we must be diligent in identifying and engaging with them in targeted and meaningful ways.
- So, why are we doing this?: the question we constantly ask ourselves, our teams and our client partners – what value are we contributing to our consumers’ lives with this program, and does that translate to our brand’s equity?
- OMG, this is so cool!: in this very cluttered space, offering timely and relevant campaigns that get people talking (and participating, and sharing) will be the ones that get noticed. If it’s easy to understand/do, responds to something your consumers/fans have said/shown they want and dynamic enough that they must tell their friends about it – it will get you noticed for the right reasons.
- If you don’t have anything nice to say…: put it on the web. OK not exactly the advice you got from your mother, but reviews are some of the most powerful pieces of feedback out there. Know how your brands’ products are being received online, not just by online influencers but directly from consumers on message boards/Facebook comments, etc. and when a negative review surfaces, try to learn something from it.
Signing up for the Birthright Israel trip is somewhat of an expected rite of passage for American Jewish youth/young professionals, without fully grasping everything you’re in for should you get past the application process and waist lists. For those who are unfamiliar, Taglit-Birthright is the gift of a 10-day educational trip around Israel for Jewish young adults. Getting approved and placed on a June trip with my best friend Carrie, we were beyond excited but mostly focused on efficiently packing for two weeks in the desert and planning our extension trip over the July 4th holiday to Istanbul.
The cab ride at sunrise to JFK and 11 hour plane ride to Tel Aviv were surreal, with neither of us able to fully grasp what we were about to embark upon. Meeting our 40 fellow participants, I couldn’t have predicted how close we would become within just a few short days. Our itinerary didn’t do the trip justice; you couldn’t have predicted the amount of distance and history we would cover and knowledge we would soak up in just 10 days. Now having been back in the states for a week, I’ve had some time to reflect, reminisce and culminate the (at least initial) top 10 moments of what I’m sure will continue to reveal itself as one of the most impactful and inspiring trips of my life:
1) Feeling of connection: Exploring the storied land I’ve been told about since my time in Hebrew school, meeting the people who comprise such a warm and welcoming country and connecting with other American Jews from around the country strengthened my connection to my own Judaism in ways I couldn’t have imagined
2) Shabbat on a Kibbutz: After five jam-packed days, we were in need of some serious R&R and our Shabbat evening, dinner, lounging by the Kibbutz’s pool and Havdalah service to close out our day of rest were just what we needed to rejuvenate and inspire
3) ‘The changing landscape’ discussion: Hosted by Israel Experts founder Joe Perlov, I learned more about the Middle East’s political, geographical and social conflicts in one hour than I walked in the room with. His impassioned, interactive presentation left me motivated with the need to delve deeper into the topic and an ownership of the problems and in finding a solution
4) Reflection at the Western Wall
5) Bus ride debates and history lessons
6) Listening to the passionate, Gospel rendition of the Shema (considered the most important prayer in Judaism) sang by our ‘counselor’ Gabi in the first synagogue atop Masada
7) Hearing a recording of David Ben-Gurion recite Israel’s declaration of independence in the room where it happened, and hearing what it means to the young Israeli soldiers who had just joined our group
8) Hearing the heroic and determined story of American First Sgt. Michael Levin’s service in the Israeli army at his grave in Mount Herzl cemetery
9) Climbing Mt. Masada to see the sun rise
10) Evening conversations over our stock of Israeli wine
It’s hard to imagine such an experience was a gift, and that I would walk away with so many more.
To be honest, this is not the perspective from which I thought I would be writing this blog entry just four days ago, but it is likely a more valuable lesson. This past Friday, I, along with my fellow MMC Gators Danae Danta and Marissa Berlin, were discussing our alma mater’s pre-game strategy, captivated as always by the media coverage surrounding our beloved quarterback, and finalizing plans to watch our biggest game of the year at one of NYC’s six University of Florida alumni viewing bars. The SEC Championship match-up against the University of Alabama brought together the two best teams in college football, and we with two football championships already under our belts in just the past three years were confidently supporting our team’s run for a third, knowing it would be the hardest test of our very capable team’s skills this season.
I awoke Saturday morning to Gator pride updates splashed across 95% of my Facebook news feed. I too posted my support, donned my favorite game day gear and joined hundreds of Gotham Gators, and the hundreds of thousands in the Gator Nation, to watch what we hoped would be the game that took us to Pasadena. Every emotion I imagine the players were experiencing, we were too but as the game wore on, anxiety and nerves overtook our excitement as the points were piling up in the wrong direction. By the end of the fourth quarter, we looked on as the opposition celebrated and our Tim Tebow cried on the sideline.
In that moment, my heart went out to him, but I was also so frustrated with the subpar performance of my team. It would have been so easy to retreat to Bama-bashing or playing the blame game but Tebow took to his post-game interview like the leader and class-act he is. With tears in his eyes, he gave credit where credit is due to Alabama, recalled the memories he’ll take away from his college football career and ended, as always, with “God Bless.” My fellow Gators may put Tebow on a pedestal for many reasons, and those in the SEC may hate him for many others, but Saturday night he displayed the type of grace, humility and character I will personally always look up to and respect. On and off the field, Tebow is an example of how to be a true leader. Though we are alike in that we both wear our emotions on our sleeves, I only hope I can become as inspiring of a leader as I find him to be.
Most fashionistas the world over are familiar with the semi-annual residents of Bryant Park known as Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, but did you know that just one month later another fashion week comes into the Big Apple? It’s filled with Chantilly lace, hand-embroidered embellishments and fit-to-flare silhouettes yes, it’s Bridal Fashion Week. Having had experience in both traditional fashion week and bridal, I’ve seen first-hand the hard work that goes into planning these 20 30 minute shows. But this season, my team and I had the pleasure of working with our client Priscilla of Boston to help coordinate their two hour show!
Often regarded as the most anticipated show of the week, the Priscilla of Boston house of brands showcased 68 bridal gowns and 15 bridesmaid dresses this past Saturday evening to a packed house of bridal media, buyers from across the country, and company friends and family. For the second season in a row, Priscilla of Boston is also leading the way to bring the gowns that walk the runway directly to their brides-to-be by partnering with Brides.com to host a live stream of the show. But this season, brides and fashion enthusiasts alike got an extra glimpse into the planning process while also having the chance to interact with the brand through the How Does Priscilla of Boston Inspire You’ contest.
Seeing the sketches transform into these gorgeous designs and the stunning hair and makeup styles created to complete the look of each collection, I was inspired by the unique vision each designer presented and reminded that anything around you can be an inspiration. I look forward to hearing from brides in our contest about how Priscilla of Boston inspires them!
Though Summer seems to be the season where everyone scrambles to escape the often steamy City, heading to their shares on the beaches of the Hamptons, Fire Island or the Shore I like to stay put and take advantage of the myriad of activities that only NYC can offer. On the first beautiful day of Spring, my roommate and I find a sunny spot in Central Park and begin to compile our “Summer in the City” list: a run-down of all the things we have been dying to do all damp and dreary Winter. The list is what we MMCers like to call a “working document” which we add to whenever we stumble upon a new must-do. We’ve been to art gallery openings on Thursday evenings in Chelsea, Yankee games, sunbathing with the masses in Sheep’s Meadow, MoMA Summer Thursday nights and lazy outdoor Sunday brunches to name a few. Just this past week, we checked a few more off our list by joining the estimated 80,000 who set-up camp on the Great Lawn for a city-style tailgate complete with wine, sandwiches and pastries to enjoy the season’s first New York Philharmonic Concerts in the Parks. Though I attended the concert last year with my new MMC family during my first week of work, I noticed this season’s was slightly different as the crowd was prompted to text their vote for the encore piece throughout the evening while everyone was reminded they can follow the Philharmonic on Twitter what a difference a year makes!
Though a very different type of concert, I awoke with the dawn on my Summer Friday off to see the All American Rejects rock the Today Show Summer Concert Series. With the lineup of artists they have scheduled including Kings of Leon and Jason Mraz, I’ll be racking-up some sleepy Fridays trying to fit them in before my workdays begin!
August is quickly approaching and we still have so many things we have yet to do on our forever growing list from movies under the stars and enjoying the new High Line to biking the Brooklyn Bridge and taking advantage of Restaurant Week. Maybe it’s because I grew up only 20 minutes from the beach, but it seems overrated to me to use weekends only for sun and sand when there is so much to take advantage of right in our own urban backyard! So what’s your favorite NYC Summer pastime?
Living in New York, the hub of food, fashion and entertainment, has its many advantages. One NYC-perk in the style world is the exclusive preview of designer collections during Fashion Week usually reserved for the industry elite as general consumers don’t often get to peek inside the tents at Bryant Park beyond the images posted on Style.com.
Working in consumer public relations, we always keep on top of the latest trends in style and beauty and we’re constantly on the look out for opportunities to evolve our industry insider status. Leading up to the first walk down the runways this season, my colleague Cara and I had the chance to not only see first-hand cutting-edge fashions from across the pond, but actually purchase them weeks prior to their official launch at the McQ for Target Alexander McQueen collection pop-up store in Manhattan.
Frugalistas lined up an hour prior to the opening in frigid temperatures outside of an inconspicuous warehouse only identified by the hundreds of signature Target Bullseye magnets covering the beige metal exterior. After making our way through the shipping door, we entered a frenetic and buzzing environment of chain link fence booths, distressed plywood and graffiti-covered grates displaying the newest designer collection to hit Target stores. Being true style stalkers, we had already identified our favorite piece in the line days prior on a popular fashion blog the “zig zag dress.” Fighting through the crowd, we targeted (no pun intended) this much-coveted piece and jetted to quickly grab as many sizes as we could as the dresses flew off the rack in seconds!
Having our priority piece in-hand, we took a breath and then casually walked through the rest of the boutique watching the madness ensue. Blue graffiti-washed silks, bright magenta and black prints, zipper details and gray-washed denim with stud accents comprised the London rock-inspired looks. Hungry, and already exhausted, we made our way to the lengthy fitting-room line before checking-out, what seemed like hours later, with our new wares in hand.
Target has once again proved their creative abilities and commitment to bringing affordable trends to market while offering unique ways to engage consumers, especially in today’s tough economic times. Attending Fashion Week festivities in our new “discount” designer duds gave us an insider thrill and showcased the exclusive experiences that living in New York offers; no matter what your budget might be!
The McQ collection is available online beginning tomorrow: Alexander McQueen : Design for All : Shopping Directory : Target.
- Elisa
