Fashion brands lack digital nous
By Maria Stadtmueller. Most fashion brands still approach digital as a series of pet projects rather than join the dots for a coherent multiplatform strategy, says L2. And although 94% of brands in the research outfit’s Digital IQ Index: Fashion report boast a presence on Facebook, one in five lacks e-commerce capability.
Plus, ROI-proven tactics such as e-mail marketing CRM and search-engine marketing are underutilised, while site navigation is still an afterthought – 30% of brands lack basic site search, according to L2.
And there’s huge upside to getting digital right.
“Brands that establish direct relationships with their customers via social media platforms have the opportunity to excise the publisher’s tax,” says the report. “Burberry’s speculative investment in Facebook has resulted in more than 8.2 million fans – a more target-rich audience nearly seven times the global circulation of Vogue.”
But there are losers in the fashion space.
L2 points the finger at Prada and Hermès, both of whom have become digitally challenged brands over the past 12 months. “We believe these brands are victims of their own success, believing iconic status can be a substitute for innovation and investment online,” says the report. “This hubris will haunt them, and their shareholders.”
