Target - The Apple of Mass Merchandisers

Target is a retail innovator. Target created its first designer line of home goods in 1999 by collaboration with architect Michael Graves. Then in 2002, Target went hipster with the concept introducing a line of house wares by popular designer Todd Oldham. But of course, timing is everything. While it did well and even lead a trend among mass merchandisers to produce their own celebrity backed products (Martha Stewart for Kmart), Target didn’t let the idea end there. In 2005, when the collective purse strings tightened Target expanded their collaborations into fashion and hit pay dirt.

The Art of Wearable Communication

Modern Fashion PR

Guillermo Zalamea presented a slide show at Retail Camp discussing how technology has impacted communications in the fashion and beauty industries. Interesting perspective.

Modern Lifestyle & Fashion PR: Digital, Traditional & Celebrity Trends

View more presentations from Macala Wright

Spreading the Beauty Message

Watch this video post courtesy of In-cosmetics, the largest international trade show for the beauty and cosmetics industry. Irina Barbalone, Head of Beauty and Personal Care Research at Euromonitor discusses 'Spreading the Beauty Message through New Technologies'.

2011 Consumer Trend Review

Just like there’s probably Christmas decorations already in the grocery store, Trendwatching.com has already released a review of 2011. We love Trendwatching.com for their concise and entertaining analysis of consumer behavior and consumer trends. It’s a one-stop shop for what you need to know about what’s coming next. This month, they’ve decided to look back over their predictions for the year so far.  Check it out. How did they do?

I Curate, You Curate, We All Curate

In consumer communications, it’s very important to stay on top of the latest lingo for your target demographic. It’s amazing how ubiquitous some words can become and their ability to singularly communicate connectedness to a social group or trend. A couple of my favorites are “bling” and “swagger,” both of which are a little past their prime. You know a cool word has jumped the shark when it becomes fodder for a mini-van ad campaign (if you missed the swagger wagon videos, you really need to keep up).

The Power of Beauty

I used to work for a financial services company and I remember vividly one of my most embarrassing moments as a new associate. I overheard a conversation about how one of our most attractive colleagues got preferential treatment because of her appearance. I thought it a lucky advantage and useful tactic to note. I mentioned my observation to one of the seniors who was not amused. Later that day, she walked past my desk and shouted, “I’m on my way to a meeting. I’ll be sure to put my lipstick on.” I could have died.  But, turns out, maybe she should have.  In her new book, Erotic Capital: The Power of Attraction in the Boardroom and the Bedroom, Catherine Hakim examines the power of beauty in the workplace.

Neiman Marcus features Fine Art for Fashion

Fashion’s Night Out was started in 2009 to support the fledgling retail industry in the wake of the economic downturn. Now, 2 years later, it’s a runaway success with FNO events at fashion retailers all over the world. It’s so important that every major fashion brand has launched a campaign around the singular evening. Apple has even expanded fashion apps available on their main page in support of the event. Atlanta will not be left out of the loop.  This year marks the city’s second year as an official FNO participating city.

Burberry’s Glitch in the Matrix

I mentioned last week that I ordered a sample of Burberry Body through their innovative online campaign launched via Facebook and Youtube. I also wondered aloud how that would work logistically considering the huge number of fans placing orders for a sample. Well as I predicted, there were some fulfillment issues for Burberry. “According to Wave, a company that tracks trends and social media, on August 19^th, the first day of the giveaway, more than 60 percent of consumers could not process their order.” However, in line with their commitment to a successful technology platform they were able to fix the problem fairly quickly. Kudos to Burberry for understanding the scale of this campaign and being prepared for the inevitable technical difficulties that would arise. I received my sample. And it smells great!

The Eloquence of Trees

Press Release: 

Ancient Papermaking and Contemporary Movements Combine in New Works by South Korean Artists Choon and Jeong Yun 

(ATLANTA, GA) Artists Jeong Yun and, his wife, Choon Yun have spent the past 20-years perfecting a technique for transforming paper into contemporary masterpieces that move the eye across a textural landscape that seems to replicate the rhythms of nature.  The artist pair use ancient paper making traditions in the creation of their works – large scale canvases, some with energetic movements of color and texture, and others with a whimsical pop-culture reference.  Both artists are featured in a show at Bill Lowe Gallery opening September 9^th aptly titled, “The Eloquence of Trees.”