Public relations in fashion is one branch that demands the most work. Here are a few essential steps to be introduced into the fashion industry.
Fashion public relations try to persuade the media to have the brand or product they promote. Of course, it qualifies that such da description corresponds to the days when traditional media controlled and modulated the information. That data was ultimately going to consumers.
Today, communication channels with the consumer are more comprehensive than ever since social media. The rise of influencers has led to many more methods – and ways – to promote a brand or product.
Besides, consumers have become much more sophisticated. They have more knowledge and many more options.
What has not changed is the essence of the privileged position within the industry—the importance of taking care of the connections between designers and the press.
We explain how to take your first steps in fashion communication as a springboard to advance in the industry.
How to get experience in the fashion industry
Experience will help you the most to find a job in the fashion industry. The best thing to do is get that practical experience while studying.
There are many online offers to hunt down that first ample opportunity, but searching through your contacts is also a good idea.
In the fashion industry, public relations is essential even if you don’t know anybody famous. You can always run into a person who works for PR and can introduce you to a company through events or LinkedIn.
Professional experiences in a brand vs. agency
You can work well internally in the brand or externally through an agency. The choice is mostly a matter of preference, but experience in both fields can be a great asset. You feel the industry’s heart and know everything that moves.
When you work for the brand, you probably specialize more and are involved in more levels. In an agency, on the contrary, you acquire a macro vision way of working. Depending on the client’s needs, it can be a particular project, a continued professional service, or just f parade. Working inside an agency focuses more on a specific task and its results.
What place does retail occupy in the process?
Working for a fashion retailer is a common task since it helps multiple brands with a single objective. Every piece is designed to serve the end consumer, but it’s also about understanding what drives the business. We must know the trends and the history that the product sells because it is something the consumer is very interested in and holds an excellent business opportunity.
How to create a network of contacts?
Having a network of contacts is vital in any industry, but it is essential in the fashion industry. Although you can gain contacts through social networks, establishing a direct relationship with someone based on trust is undoubtedly more important. They are based on a genuine approach, goodwill, and respect, making room in your life each week to take care of your relationships and make new contacts in iarevsignificantainthe fashion industry.
While new technologies have their place, the mission is to build on its network of contacts and get face-to-face meetings for designers. For example, designers spend two days in a city and organize a round of engagements. If there is no possibility of a face-to-face reunion, picking up the phone is the best way to sell proposals and establish links through social media.
What are the public relations dissemination channels today?
Fashion still works on paper, but it also has migrated online, collaborating with influencers, positioning famous people, and even consultancy work on what content to generate on your client’s social media. Collections must be presented with a traditional fashion show and cultural activities since they are the current great asset for fashion brands, including television, press, and events.
How to create a reliable communication strategy
Developing a good communication strategy depends on the beginning of what the client or the company wants to achieve. At Jovani, they implement the same communication strategy for all their regular customers listening to their needs and coming back with the best possible proposal; that means not adhering to the system to any passing fashion, for example, the ‘see now, buy now.’
The objective is, therefore, to find ways for the client to obtain a return on his investment (ROI). The industry is constantly looking for new parameters, so it is better to prepare to face changes in key performance indicators (KPIs) and think about developing new ways to demonstrate the success achieved.
How is a collaboration with influencers different from the traditional press?
The question is to know your client’s needs and wants and what audience he wants to reach. You deal with individuals, not entities, so the approach is much more personal; which has developed a specific program for collaboration with influencers after verifying the added value of long-term partnerships. We have to assimilate that the influencers are, in a certain way, their brand and that they protect titin the same way any organization would.
Suppose you are a super luxury brand but have not been responsible for developing a sufficiently accessible broadcast and products. How will you fit in with an influencer followed by millions of millennials, people who do not have the money to buy you? You have to connect with the public and, at the same time, with the image of that person if you consider that the scope you have is the one that interests you. Influencers are an essential part of a much broader communication strategy.
A collaboration of celebrities with fashion pieces receives comprehensive coverage in minutes. Not all proposals always need this type of accessibility; this personalization approach is the core of the work of a PR because making fit the projects with the appropriate media is crucial to success.
A step-by-step guide on how to become fashion public relations:
1) Graduate in the career that you are most passionate about related to fashion which allows you to develop your ability to solve problems and communication skills.
2) Acquire experience working directly in the brand or a communication agency.
3) Decide in what area you want to specialize and win while always keeping abreast of the advances in the fashion industry.
4) Develop a good network of contacts and take care of your professional relationships.
