Perhaps no industry demonstrates the marriage of innovation and beautiful design better than fashion. After all, it’s an entire industry dedicated to defining new trends and producing something powerful and personal that many people use as a way to express themselves. In light of this love of design, we started thinking more about the fashion industry and the content it influences.
This industry impacts more than just the clothes we wear and many brands are able to create content that delivers engagement. Can marketers interested in boosting audience engagement learn a thing or two from interactive fashion content? Of course!
To celebrate the fashion industry’s love of design, use of interactive content and the NY Fashion Week, we took a deeper look at how a few fashion brands inspire and engage their customers.
Here’s how they do it.
Vera Bradley
Vera Bradley – Digital Lookbook
Vera Bradley fully embraces interactive content in their digital lookbook. In the Vera Bradley Spring 2015 lookbook, customers are introduced to a vibrant new collection through stunning photography, interesting visual elements, and rich media video.
Vera Bradley doesn’t just create a beautiful digital experience – they create a shoppable experience. Every page includes an eCommerce link. Shoppable experiences drive customer engagement as well as sales (something most brands can get behind). By connecting a digital brand experience with an existing commerce platform, Vera Bradley ensures that customers are empowered to click and instantly buy.
Uniqlo
Uniqlo – Digital Catalog
Uniqlo is a powerful example of being more than “just” a fashion or clothing brand. They are an interactive fashion content powerhouse, producing compelling brand experiences that share one important principle: They focus on the customer.
In their recent Spring Lookbook, Uniqlo did an excellent job of producing a media-rich digital catalog that inspires the viewer. The design is simple but attractive. The customer is engaged through strong digital elements like clickable objects and eye-catching photos. The customer is given the power to interact with and share content at any point within the digital catalog.
This simplicity of this lookbook showcases the brand and the multitude of interactive elements allows the customer to experience Uniqlo online in much the same way as they would in-store.
It all comes from understanding the customer and delivering the experience they want – or in some cases, the experience they didn’t yet know they wanted.
Matalan
Matalan – Digital Lookbook
The human brain is hardwired for stories. In fact, it’s science – researchers have found that stories stimulate the brain. During the summer season British fashion brand Matalan took advantage of the power of storytelling when creating the Abbey Clancy Lookbook.
In addition to gorgeous photography, video, and animation, the lookbook contains personal anecdotes that demonstrate the thought process behind the collection and gives the audience a more personal connection to the brand and designer.
Readers are free to explore the collection in their own way. If they’re looking for a quick experience they can easily browse through the catalog, guided by attractive photography. Matalan also caters to readers that are interested in a more immersive experience by including interactive video content embedded within the digital lookbook.
An added bonus is that these customer journeys use responsive design and work on any platform. A customer can connect with Matalan on their desktop, smartphone, or tablet.
Chloe + Isabel
Chloe + Isabel – Interactive Lookbook
Chloe + Isabel combines storytelling with a digital first mindset, as demonstrated in their interactive lookbook for their Tresco Isle Collection. The long scroll page allowed the brand to feature interactive content alongside the Tresco Isle Collection, creating a seamless experience for the viewer – they could experience Tresco Isle just as they could experience Chloe + Isabel’s jewelry. This juxtaposition gave context to the content.
By focusing on visually powerful interactive content Chloe + Isabel was able to get 18,000 views in a month and found that viewers were twice as likely to check out through their interactive lookbook.
Additionally, Chloe + Isabel was able to leverage analytic data and metrics to better understand the customer. Through this analysis they learned that 40% of visitors accessed the lookbook on smartphones and tablets, a fact they’ll use in the future to develop “mobile first” experiences.
The Bottom Line
When all is said and done, a digital lookbook needs to inspire people to buy. These four brands expertly understand how to create content that delivers engagement, whether it is using seamless functionality to incorporate eCommerce or using stunning visual elements to catch a viewer’s eye.
These fashion brands show that by immersing the audience in a brand experience, you can inspire them (and inspire them to make a purchase).
For even more retail marketing tips, check out our interactive eBooks.
