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~ The official blog of Supriya Ghurye, Founder of a niche Freelance Fashion Designer Agency & Brand Consultant helping international start up fashion labels and growing fashion brands to plan and create great products from concept sketches to final launch.

Fuel4Fashion

Tag Archives: Fashion Branding

Figuring Out Your Fashion Brand’s DNA, Part 1: The Building Blocks That Makeup Who You Are

14 Thursday Feb 2019

Posted by Fuel4Fashion in Fashion Business

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brand collaterals, brand consultant, fashion brand, fashion brand DNA, fashion brand identity, Fashion Branding, fashion consultant, fashion design consultant, fashion start up expert, fashion startup, freelance fashion designer, sales channel

There’s a tiny bit of a difference between being in the creative domain and turning that into a business. The moment you begin thinking of your fashion design studio as a place where supply chains come to life, there are several aspects to look at beyond doing just the creative work.

Where should I source my suppliers and manufacturers from?

How can I build a memorable brand?

How can I ensure that an entire team stays on track with the brand’s vision?

How do I bring internal and external stakeholders such as brand consultants, design experts, and marketing managers to the same table?

There is no correct or wrong way to do this, and many creative professionals become entrepreneurs quite naturally. However, it always helps to have a few milestones along the way so you can measure progress and know what’s next on the agenda. With that in mind, this article is designed to help you come up with the components that will eventually make up your fashion brand.

Fashion branding is a whole different ballgame, and traditional branding principles often need to be reconsidered to get them just right. This is because fashion as an industry is full of thriving and new brands- there is almost no scope for securing the first-mover advantage in such a scenario. Plus, fashion trends come and go, and brands striving for consistency often struggle to match market expectations with the brand’s original story, thus losing their way. A brand consultant who has worked extensively in fashion retail is often your best bet for someone on your team who will give you sound, actionable advice. Once they are on board, here are a few things you might want to discuss. Fashion Brand Consultant helping fashion brands to create fashion brand's DNA and Brand identity1. The Brand Story: While many people make the mistake of assuming that a story is born of the product, the exact opposite is actually true. Every product makes its way into the market to solve a problem or address a need. Branding workshops and exercises are dedicated to finding this story- the values, pillars, and principles that make up every single company. Often, brand values often match those held by the founders. In a niche that changes as fast as fashion, it is worth separating the brand purpose from the founder’s vision. This way, the entity is more flexible to market forces.

It is difficult to adjust and evaluate culture as you go along, so the first step in setting up a brand identity should always be to figure out what it stands for. This way, communication to all stakeholders is clear and compelling even several years down the line.

2. Brand Collaterals: Usually, the work of a brand consultant is clearly cut out. Not only do they develop the story, but they also think through visuals and elements that will likely make the brand stand out. The logo is one aspect of this. It is important that your brand consultant be the one to work on these elements as well to avoid getting lost in communication.

For instance, some people choose to go with a new designer once the brand story is created. However, this approach often fails because the new designer does not have access to the same kind of information, or insight, as the person who first figured out the story. Hence, always retain all work with one expert and their team.

Brand collaterals themselves can include a huge list of things- signage, visual communication in a store, letterheads, stamps, visiting cards, stationery beyond the usual, digital presence, brand guidelines and a style guide, the type and fonts to be used, packaging material, garment labels, etc. Beyond this, you will also have standard requirements such as the size chart you follow, accurate garment care information, etc. Consider which of these adapts you need and which ones you can do away with for now. Focus only on those elements that you need in the next year or so, so as to keep costs to a minimum.june-27-2019-_-sat-_-4pm-onwards-e1550473660947.jpg3. The Market: At the end of the day, you are selling to the world outside. The intent behind the branding exercise so far is to help you connect with this audience. Therefore, identifying who your customers are is an essential part of the process.

For fashion brands, consumer personas are a lifesaver because they accurately tell you whom you need to target and who you can avoid. For example, Forever 21 is a brand that is clearly aimed at the young shopper. Everything from their name to the store layout and sizing makes this clear. As a new brand, you may be unwilling to take the risk of alienating some prospects. However, doing the consumer persona exercise will tell you if your approach is foolproof or has flaws in it.

Like branding, a consumer persona exercise is best done in the company of an expert brand and marketing consultant. Today, there is both the scope and the need to go beyond the demographic data and look at psychographics- the thought attributes that influence buying behavior. This is particularly relevant in the case of fashion brands that have more than one collection aimed at different target markets.

The source of such information can be anything from market research, surveys and a soft launch to studying competitors and their traffic patterns to identify an overlap.

4. The Suppliers: For any design to translate into reality, you need suppliers and manufacturers. From the base material to the embellishments and until someone to put it together, it is your vision that needs to come through clearly.

On the supplier end, the networks are often very strong. Most supplier businesses work through recommendations and word-of-mouth marketing. They may have a basic presence on the internet but that may not always be accurate.

One way to find manufacturers and suppliers is to use listing directories like Yellow Pages, Merchant Circle, Yelp, Justdial and the like. Cold call them, meet them and see if their levels of efficiency match your vision. A better way is to ask friends in the industry for vendors they trust.

When evaluating someone for fabric sourcing, always ask where they get their material from and cross-verify this information. Ensure that you ask for customer references and speak to these people, so you know what to expect in the areas of delivery, timelines and quality. Think through the option of bringing a startup fashion expert on board to help provide such recommendations and to tell you what other aspects you’d need to negotiate on.  

5. The Sales Channel: The moment you think of setting up a fashion business, you probably already have an idea of which sales channel(s) you would like to utilize. In any case, once all of the other blocks are in place, spend the time to evaluate that choice.

Particularly, are your customers more likely to buy in-store or online? Would they prefer, instead, to browse in a physical location and then buy online? Such questions help you decide if you need to open more stores/ sales channels than you had initially planned for. It is always better to do it right the very first time.

In the second part of this article, we plunge right into marketing, and accounting best practices. In the meantime, what other advice do you think you’d need before starting a fashion brand? Tell us in the comments so we can address these issues.

Don’t forget to sign-up for our newsletter that brings all that’s fashion design and more, right to you!


Supriya Ghurye is the founder and owner of Fuel4Fashion. She is a Freelance Fashion Designer and Brand Consultant helping fashion brands to create great products from idea to launch. Fuel4Fashion social links:  Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram


 

 

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6 Ways To Leverage Digital Marketing To Get Your Fashion Brand The Visibility, And Sales, It Needs

18 Wednesday Jul 2018

Posted by Fuel4Fashion in Fashion Branding

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

digital marketing for fashion brands, email campaign, fashion, Fashion Branding, fashion brands, fashion influencers, fashion marketing, hashtag, host giveaways, Retargeting, social media marketing for fashion brands

Once you set up your fashion business and work on branding yourself, marketing your products becomes almost an immediate concern. And why not? It is only if you sell sustainably that all of these efforts will come to fruition.

Today, everyone knows that there is such a thing as digital marketing and that they should somehow find a way to use it. However, how does digital marketing work specifically for the fashion industry? In this article, we’ll give you insights into a few things you can do right away.

How to use digital marketing for fashion brands for better visibility and sales

Digital Marketing for Fashion Brands

  1. Make Retargeting Your Friend. Ever Googled for something, only to find a relevant ad pop-up on Facebook? This handy trick is known as retargeting and works as an efficient combination of a website’s cookies and Facebook’s Ad Exchange platform. To retarget effectively, you need to install a cookie on your visitor’s browser- ask your web developer to help out. Once this is done, set up your Ad Exchange and begin retargeting those people who have visited your site but left too soon.
  1. Make The Most Of Holidays. Different regions have different periods that are best for shopping. In India, it is Diwali, while in Europe and the US of A, it is the Christmas season. Depending on where you sell to, create online sales during holidays and promote extensively.
  1. Create Content. Apart from your store experience or your social media presence, it is always a good idea to offer your consumers a bit more. Many brands use social media as a boring dump yard for their products and descriptions. Instead, what if your Facebook page offers fashion advice, or if your Instagram handle showcases your clothes in action? Think about ways of adding value to the customer.
  1. Host Giveaways. Instagram is particularly popular for hosting giveaways on. This is because, with the right hashtags, you can reach a wider audience. Host an exciting giveaway- you can ask people to share how they’d style a particular piece or the song that a product reminds them of. When hosting a giveaway, one rule always remains- ask those participating to post with a hashtag that you decide upon.
  1. Use Fashion Influencers. Influencer marketing is growing, and how! Especially in the domains of apparel and accessories, it seems like Instagram has created stars overnight. You can use platforms like Influencer to find someone who aligns with your brand’s purpose. Share your brand guide with them so they can keep the content relevant. However, influencer marketing can be expensive.
  1. Get Their Email Addresses: This is, by far, the most important thing you’ll do for your marketing efforts. By capturing email addresses, you are guaranteed someone’s attention, at least until they choose to unsubscribe. In what is known as Inbound Marketing, we will discuss in the next article how to do it right. But first steps first, set up a pop up on your website, or offer gift cards in your store, to those people who provide you with their email address.

Which of these approaches have you already tried, and which ones would you like to explore now? If you have questions on any of these aspects, drop a comment below, and we’ll get back to you soon.


Supriya Ghurye is the founder and owner of Fuel4Fashion. She is a Freelance Fashion Designer and Brand Consultant helping fashion brands to create great products from idea to launch. Fuel4Fashion social links: Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram


 

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What Your Branding Kit Is Made Up Of

11 Wednesday Jul 2018

Posted by Fuel4Fashion in Fashion Branding

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branding, color theory, Fashion Branding, fashion branding kit, fashion brands, fashion designer, logo design, style guide, Type direction

This month, we’re talking all things fashion branding. If you haven’t yet seen our first article on what branding means for you, take a look here.

Once the process is out of the picture, it is time for the outcome. A fashion branding kit can, in essence, be considered the end product of a branding exercise. It includes all the information you need to represent your brand across different media correctly.

Brand Identity Image

Image courtesy: Gafferitsolutions

As with any good kit, a branding kit has certain key components. In no particular order, they are:

  1. The Style Guide: A branding style guide is the comprehensive account of everything that your brand stands for. Often a thick book or a bulky file, this is where you will come to refer to what you must and must not do for a social media post, or how small your logo can be before it becomes too small. Use the style guide as a reference point more than a hard-and-fast solution. When in doubt, always use your own judgment.  
  1. Logo Guidelines: These guidelines specify what your logo should look like in a host of situations. Think of printing the logo on labels vs. putting up a billboard, or designing your office space. Dimensions are just one aspect of the logo guidelines- they also account for the many different surfaces and media that your logo might eventually play on.  
  1. Color Theory: As the name suggests, this set of visual cues is meant to help you decide which combination of colors best represents your brand. Not just that, say you have four color guidelines. Should you use all of them in one go, and in every possible situation? How can these different colors be used to represent your brand? Moreover, how can these colors be used to generate quick recall? These are some questions that the color theory can answer.  
  1. Type Direction: Your typography is as powerful as the text itself. Imagine using a powerful quote, except you type it in Comic Sans. The effect is drastically different. Fashion brands, in particular, should focus more keenly on this aspect, because it will impact everything from clothing labels to corporate presentations. As the name suggests, a type direction is flexible with fonts to the extent that they evoke the same reaction.  
  1. Fifth Element: In the world of branding, a fifth element is a visual cue that is as powerful as the logo in representing the brand. This element is often used when a logo might feel too repetitive, or too obvious. For example, ‘Conscious’ is H&M’s fifth element for their clothing recycling program. What’s more, the fifth element can also serve to illustrate your brand’s values in a manner that people can easily connect with.

These are often the essential components, and depending on the scale of the business, social media guidelines can also be created. A branding kit serves as the starting point of the actual design. Why is it important to have this kit? So teams make as few mistakes as possible at the execution stage.

Some companies may choose to go through a rebranding exercise as they scale and gain more clarity on their priorities. Whatever be the case, a professional fashion branding agency is your best bet to succeed.


Supriya Ghurye is the founder and owner of Fuel4Fashion. She is a Freelance Fashion Designer and Brand Consultant helping fashion brands to create great products from idea to launch. Fuel4Fashion social links: Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram


 

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The Stages Of The Fashion Branding Process That Decide Your Brand’s Position

05 Thursday Jul 2018

Posted by Fuel4Fashion in Fashion Branding

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

brand colors, brand identity, brand style, branding, corporate kit, fashion, fashion brand, Fashion Branding, Fashion Business, fashion designer, Fuel4Fashion, logo, logo designing, style guide, visual elements

In the world of branding, the terms used to refer to different processes can be confusing and frustratingly similar. So, before we discuss the stages of fashion branding, let’s get the jargon out of the way.

Branding is the umbrella term that refers to the process of coming to a consensus on a brands style, design, and purpose. In a way, branding is a verb, an action item. Brand identity design is the actual use of all of these conclusions to design the logo, decide the type, etc. A brand style is all of these elements like logos and packaging put into action across media, and a style guide or a brand guide is your one-stop reference point for all of these attributes.

Now that that’s understood let us look at the six key stages of the fashion branding process.

  1. Who Is Your Business? The ‘who’ is important, because every fashion business represents a distinct personality. Many people confuse this with, “who are you?” and quick ironically end up transferring their own personality to their brands. Branding professionals spend most of their time digging out this aspect- workshops, questionnaires, interviews are all a part of this process. This is also the stage where you define how your fashion brand’s personality aligns with business goals. For example, a house of fashion always puts quality over numbers.
  1. Where Is Your Market? In the second stage of the process, you need to understand if your business goals align with who you think your audience is. And for that to happen, you need to know your audience. Market research can be conducted through surveys, interviews with real people, designing consumer personas, etc. Your brand’s design eventually needs to appeal to these people.
  1. Designing The Logo. Most branding agencies design the logo before moving on to other visual elements. This is because your fashion brand’s logo has the highest recall value among your audience. A lot of thought, therefore, needs to go into it. Quick example: Think Forest Essentials, Nike, Good Earth. Surely, the logo popped into your mind with no effort involved.
  1. Designing The Visual Elements. Using the insights from steps one and two, and using the logo as inspiration, the visual elements are born. For example, think Zara. The typography used to represent the brand is recognizable in almost every language. Likewise, every fashion brand has elements other than the logo, such as what goes on a shopping bag, that help reinforce the brand’s image.
  1. The Corporate Kit. Once all these elements are in place, they still need to make sense to a designer, or a production manager. Most branding agencies also help with designing the visiting cards, letterheads, bags, boxes, etc. to depict how the branding elements must be used across different elements. Needless to say, this is also the aspect that most clients look forward to seeing.
  1. The Style Guide. This is like the bible of a fashion company’s branding exercise. A style guide is often a very comprehensive document, developed to serve as a future reference. Some branding agencies may pass on the mantle of advertising after a while. In such a case, the style guide helps all stakeholders use all of this material correctly.

As you can see, the first two stages of the branding process can seem like a black box to those just beginning to contemplate branding for their business. This is also why experts come into the picture at these stages- because a keen understanding of the industry and prior experience with niche branding always helps you come to more accurate conclusions.

Overwhelmed? Why not take a look at this article we did on branding secrets to know what you need to, and need not, do?

And as far as branding your fashion business goes, you’re in good hands because

a) We’re fashion branding experts, and can help you make the process seamless. Get in touch at supriya@fuel4fashion.com for a consultation.

b) We’re dedicating the entire month to discussing all things branding and style. So, do drop in your questions, subscribe to the blog, and sign up for our newsletter (businesses, here and students, here) to learn more.


Supriya Ghurye is the founder and owner of Fuel4Fashion. She is a Freelance Fashion Designer and Brand Consultant helping fashion brands to create great products from idea to launch. Fuel4Fashion social links: Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram


 

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