Tag Archives: social media
What’s the fuss about Google Plus?
I joined Google Plus a long time ago but like a lot of people, I never really got my head around it. And at that stage you couldn’t have brand Pages, only personal profiles so I couldn’t have one for my blog. (It doesn’t like pseudonyms and refused to believe my name was ‘Disney Rollergirl’ for some reason – can’t think why). However a while later, when it launched Pages, I gave it another go and now populate it the way I do Facebook. I also follow a bunch of fashion bloggers and brands so it works like a kind of Google Reader, allowing me to read their blog posts and updates in an easily digested format.
But the big appeal of Google+ only came to me last Christmas. Google+ gave some of its fashion influencers a big push and collaborated on a bunch of highly engaging and entertaining Google Hangouts. Anyone on Google+ can do a Hangout; just decide on your topic of discussion, invite your followers and press the button when you’re ready to start ( oh wait, you need to enable the Hangout function first). Lyst, Bag Snob, Vanity Fair and Eva Chen are the early adopter Google+ evangelists who do regular Google Hangouts on subjects like accessory trends, gift shopping, modelling, beauty launches, basically, anything that will get viewers watching and asking questions. (Only nine speakers can be in a Hangout but you can participate by submitting questions and comments in the comments box before or during the chat.) The best bit is that after the chat, the conversation/Hangout goes on YouTube and sits on your Google+ page for later viewers. And of course, you can embed that code on your blog afterwards too.
Fashion brands are just starting to use Google+ and Google Hangouts to close the gap between the brand and the customers. Topshop famously used it for its AW13 show, interviewing the Topshop design team on a Hangout and giving online viewers a model’s eye view from its Model Cam. This week, Versace is relaunching the Versus brand with a Google+ ‘photo walk’ and a Google Hangout.
Google Hangout isn’t perfect, sometimes the quality and sound is a little iffy as you’re using your computer webcam, but actually I don’t mind that because I think it’s less intimidating. All that said, I haven’t taken part in a Google Hangout yet, but I have got a few ideas up my sleeve.
You can follow me on Google+ here – just sign up, type Disneyrollergirl in the search bar and look for the name with the verified tick next to it. Or if you’re already on Google+, just click here and add Disneyrollergirl to your circles. In the meantime, here are some previous Google Hangouts to entertain you…
Beauty social networks ‘are a marketer’s paradise’…
I often trawl The Fashion Spot forums to research new fashion ad campaigns and magazine editorials but I’m not so well up on the beauty forums. The New York Times has an interesting piece on beauty review sites like She Said Beauty and Pampadour, which let consumers talk to each other about beauty products before they buy. Sephora’s beauty network, Beauty Talk gives its super-users advance info on new products which is a nice perk as well as a good way to keep them contributing to the site (unsurprisingly, Beauty Talk members spend more money on the site than regular customers). Read the story here…
Glamour magazine: How Cara Reinvented Cool
Much as I love digital, there’s still a buzz to be had from seeing my byline in print. Glamour magazine commissioned me to write a few words on Cara Delevingne, in which I tried to pinpoint the essence of her success. Conclusion? It’s a combo of everygirl personality plus a super-social media presence that her fans love to engage with. And from a brand point of view, rather like some uber-bloggers, Cara has the cash factor – when she wears something, it sells. (As streetwear brand Hardware LDN told me, “when Cara was spotted wearing Hardwear LDN at London Fashion Week, we sold 200 units within the hour”.) No wonder she gets repeat-booked by brands like DKNY, Chanel and Burberry – it’s all about the ROI, baby!
You can read the four page feature in Glamour, out now…
Are Twitter-checkers causing magazine sales to slide?
This is an interesting snippet about why fewer people are buying print magazines. According to Biz Report, the ‘mobile blinder’ effect (people hypnotised by the constant feeds on their cell phones) means customers aren’t picking up magazines at the supermarket checkout anymore. In the US, newsstand sales of magazines are down by 8%. I’m definitely one,of those people who checks Twitter at any given moment (but I’m trying to break the habit). Are you?
[Image: Miles Aldridge/NYT]
EXCLUSIVE: Who is the secret Chanel tweeter @CC_Linlithgow?
On Tuesday night, coming home from a dinner, I was gripped by the tweets about Chanel’s Metiers d’Art show in Linlithgow, Edinburgh. So many of my Twitter followees were at the show, retweeting tweets from what I assumed was the official Chanel @CC_Linlithgow account. It certainly looked official from what I saw when I logged onto Twitter at home. This ten-day-old Twitter account had aggregated hundreds of Instagrams, Twitpics and nuggets of as-it-happens commentary from the models, press and guests at the show. But as I scrolled through the images, a story unfurled further back to include the entire ten-day build-up to the event, including atmospheric photos of the palace grounds and romantic Linlinthgow scenery. Continue reading
Nail news: New Essie colours, tastemaker nails by Killer Colours, Sophy Robson’s InStyle column, Chanel’s vending machines, NYFW nail mania
ESSIE’S NEW COLOURS
Essie’s Fall 2012 collection is about to drop on BeautyBay.com. My favourite shade is this bewitching bottle green called Stylenomics, which will look gorgeous against any shade of pink. The cube of four minis will retail at £11.95 and the single bottles £8.50
Q&A: River Island’s brand director Farida Kaikobad discusses social media, the future of fast fashion and *that* blogger collection
A few months ago, there was a big old hoo-ha when Fashion Editor at Large published a post about River Island’s blogger-inspired range. The range is part of the River Island AW12 collection and was presented during the press preview but there was a bit of an uproar from bloggers feeling they were being lumped together in a ‘blogger style’ of clashy prints and OTT ‘please-photograph-me’ accessories. The collection is now trickling onto the shop floor so to coincide, I emailed some questions to River Island’s brand director, Farida Kaikobad to find out how a high street brand puts its collections together in these crazy speedy-to-market times, how blogging and social media affects the brand and how that blogger range came about… Continue reading
VIDEO: Social media is the new press release by DKNY
This is so brilliantly executed. DKNY made a video to piggy-back on the Olympics and promote its new flagship at 27 Old Bond Street. Ever the digital pioneer, it has also created DKNYfx, which according to WWD is an augmented reality smartphone app designed to stand as the brand’s digital platform. If you’re out and about in London today or next Saturday, also look out for DKNY’s model street teams who will be distributing non-digital postcards to be swapped in-store for a free tote…
Danish retailer Only launches interactive, shoppable fashion film
As with a still photo shoot, there are a number of elements that have to add up for a fashion film to get my tick of approval. The casting, the clothes and the narrative are important of course, but for moving image, the acting, music and cinematography are crucial. Danish retailer Only has created a compelling five minute film with all these elements executed to perfection. But the clever part is that ‘The Liberation’ also incorporates interactive storytelling as well as shoppable and social media functionality to make this a really game-changing marketing move. Continue reading
L’Oreal wants you to appear in its next hair ad!
I’m not usually one for doing competitions on here and I avoid writing about model competitions unless they’re exceptional. But this one really is. Continue reading
