SOCIAL
How Chelsea Hansford made Simon Miller a modern luxury label
Scrolling through Instagram these days seems like walking through a maze of sponsored content and posts you don’t necessarily care about.
Being a brand, especially a fashion brand, that can stand out in this tsunami of content can be tough. But that’s where California-based luxury womenswear brand Simon Miller shines the most. From colorful and modern ready-to-wear to swimwear and accessories, the brand has a bold yet stylish aesthetic that’s hard to miss.
The brand got its start as a denim label in 2008, but when creative director and CEO Chelsea Hansford came on board in 2013, it bid adieu to both denim and menswear to become the luxury womenswear-only brand it is today.
“I always wanted to build a lifestyle brand,” Hansford told Retail Brew. “That was my main mission, and I have a very distinct aesthetic that I think crosses over way more than just clothes. A lot of my inspiration comes from home and interior and [is] less fine art but more architecture, furniture, sculptures, things like that.”
A lot has factored into Simon Miller’s success. Over the years, the retailer has shifted from a wholesale-only strategy to a mix of 60% wholesale and 40% DTC. While it maintains a presence in stores like Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom, it is also experimenting with pop-ups across LA and New York.
And while Hansford realizes it’s a challenge to keep the brand going, faced with the ever-shifting economic environment, she has a few strategies on hand. Below, she breaks down her top four tactics that make the brand tick in the age of digital saturation and TikTok dances.
Interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
On pivoting from denim to a luxury womenswear and lifestyle business
I knew denim wasn’t for me, because it’s a tough business. I don’t want to use the word “mathematical,” but it’s a strategic business. It wasn’t the type of business I wanted to have at Simon Miller.
I really wanted this lifestyle, and I wanted to share it…kind of build the whole world around this brand. That was way more my path. So I definitely pivoted; that was a business decision I made to stop doing denim and stop doing menswear and really focus on this women’s lifestyle brand. It made a very intentional, direct path towards that.
On appealing to its customer demographic
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I wanted to make clothes and accessories for the working creative. So I’ve always had this woman in mind: She’s creative, meaning she’s expressive; she’s bold; she wants to wear garments, accessories, clothing that speak; but she’s working, so she’s on the go; she’s got to feel comfortable; she’s got to be attainable.
I very much use my life—and that’s from every touchpoint, from interiors, home, and lifestyle and everything—to inspire the brand. But that’s been my mission is to develop this playful luxury brand for the working creative.
On pivoting to digital and maintaining its wholesale business
Our biggest spend is still on digital, for sure. We are pivoting a little bit to putting the money back into wholesale marketing, because I think with all the shifts in digital, paid social, becoming a little bit more of a challenging space. We are working closer with our wholesale partners to make sure that we are actually strong partners and are doing our part as well. Also contributing because they have such great reach and such a great, targeted audience that we are partnering with them more and more, just in terms of getting our brands on the forefront of their platforms.
On keeping up with IRL marketing, collaborations, and working with influencers
I think now more than ever, influencers in the digital community are supporting brands more when they have that face time and they are engaging in communities. So we are making efforts to kind of build that community, whatever that is, in small and big ways here in LA or in New York, and continue to kind of get the product in front of people.
We’re looking towards pop-up stores as well. It was the next move for us just in terms of forward-facing, in-person activations. I’ve actually stepped away from doing fashion shows, if you will, and I’m doing more intimate one-on-one press previews. Because I definitely am trying to steer my focus towards the end consumer…We have our second big collaboration launching in May. It’s with Mango and it’s a 60-piece high summer collection. We’re doing a big event in Menorca, [Spain,] and we’re doing a whole gifting suite in LA and getting a board around it. It’s a big campaign partnering with Highsnobiety as well. So [collaborations] are a big part of our communication strategy.
SOCIAL
Snapchat Explores New Messaging Retention Feature: A Game-Changer or Risky Move?
In a recent announcement, Snapchat revealed a groundbreaking update that challenges its traditional design ethos. The platform is experimenting with an option that allows users to defy the 24-hour auto-delete rule, a feature synonymous with Snapchat’s ephemeral messaging model.
The proposed change aims to introduce a “Never delete” option in messaging retention settings, aligning Snapchat more closely with conventional messaging apps. While this move may blur Snapchat’s distinctive selling point, Snap appears convinced of its necessity.
According to Snap, the decision stems from user feedback and a commitment to innovation based on user needs. The company aims to provide greater flexibility and control over conversations, catering to the preferences of its community.
Currently undergoing trials in select markets, the new feature empowers users to adjust retention settings on a conversation-by-conversation basis. Flexibility remains paramount, with participants able to modify settings within chats and receive in-chat notifications to ensure transparency.
Snapchat underscores that the default auto-delete feature will persist, reinforcing its design philosophy centered on ephemerality. However, with the app gaining traction as a primary messaging platform, the option offers users a means to preserve longer chat histories.
The update marks a pivotal moment for Snapchat, renowned for its disappearing message premise, especially popular among younger demographics. Retaining this focus has been pivotal to Snapchat’s identity, but the shift suggests a broader strategy aimed at diversifying its user base.
This strategy may appeal particularly to older demographics, potentially extending Snapchat’s relevance as users age. By emulating features of conventional messaging platforms, Snapchat seeks to enhance its appeal and broaden its reach.
Yet, the introduction of message retention poses questions about Snapchat’s uniqueness. While addressing user demands, the risk of diluting Snapchat’s distinctiveness looms large.
As Snapchat ventures into uncharted territory, the outcome of this experiment remains uncertain. Will message retention propel Snapchat to new heights, or will it compromise the platform’s uniqueness?
Only time will tell.
SOCIAL
Catering to specific audience boosts your business, says accountant turned coach
While it is tempting to try to appeal to a broad audience, the founder of alcohol-free coaching service Just the Tonic, Sandra Parker, believes the best thing you can do for your business is focus on your niche. Here’s how she did just that.
When running a business, reaching out to as many clients as possible can be tempting. But it also risks making your marketing “too generic,” warns Sandra Parker, the founder of Just The Tonic Coaching.
“From the very start of my business, I knew exactly who I could help and who I couldn’t,” Parker told My Biggest Lessons.
Parker struggled with alcohol dependence as a young professional. Today, her business targets high-achieving individuals who face challenges similar to those she had early in her career.
“I understand their frustrations, I understand their fears, and I understand their coping mechanisms and the stories they’re telling themselves,” Parker said. “Because of that, I’m able to market very effectively, to speak in a language that they understand, and am able to reach them.”Â
“I believe that it’s really important that you know exactly who your customer or your client is, and you target them, and you resist the temptation to make your marketing too generic to try and reach everyone,” she explained.
“If you speak specifically to your target clients, you will reach them, and I believe that’s the way that you’re going to be more successful.
Watch the video for more of Sandra Parker’s biggest lessons.
SOCIAL
Instagram Tests Live-Stream Games to Enhance Engagement
Instagram’s testing out some new options to help spice up your live-streams in the app, with some live broadcasters now able to select a game that they can play with viewers in-stream.
As you can see in these example screens, posted by Ahmed Ghanem, some creators now have the option to play either “This or That”, a question and answer prompt that you can share with your viewers, or “Trivia”, to generate more engagement within your IG live-streams.
That could be a simple way to spark more conversation and interaction, which could then lead into further engagement opportunities from your live audience.
Meta’s been exploring more ways to make live-streaming a bigger consideration for IG creators, with a view to live-streams potentially catching on with more users.
That includes the gradual expansion of its “Stars” live-stream donation program, giving more creators in more regions a means to accept donations from live-stream viewers, while back in December, Instagram also added some new options to make it easier to go live using third-party tools via desktop PCs.
Live streaming has been a major shift in China, where shopping live-streams, in particular, have led to massive opportunities for streaming platforms. They haven’t caught on in the same way in Western regions, but as TikTok and YouTube look to push live-stream adoption, there is still a chance that they will become a much bigger element in future.
Which is why IG is also trying to stay in touch, and add more ways for its creators to engage via streams. Live-stream games is another element within this, which could make this a better community-building, and potentially sales-driving option.
We’ve asked Instagram for more information on this test, and we’ll update this post if/when we hear back.
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