Fashion and Mobile: An Inevitable Love Affair?
While the economy is slowly starting to recover from its year long tailspin, consumers are still a little reluctant to head out to the store and start shopping again. So what has been the response from major chains as well as boutiques? To change the nature of the game- and what way better to do that than by using the newest technology to bring their businesses into the digital age?
One such way companies are incorporating new media into their practices is with iPhone and mobile applications. A great example of how retail is going wireless was during this past September's first ever Fashion's Night Out- a global retail shopping event where stores stayed open till the wee hours, fete-ing their visitors with free samples, drinks, and complimentary entertainment. One of the biggest winners of the night was the Style.com app for the iPhone, which allowed those who downloaded it to "make a selection from the constantly updating alphabetical list of all the participating stores in New York... get the shop’s address, phone number, and a brief description of the events and celebrity appearances taking place there ...along with a link to a handy Google map." The app proved handy not just for those hoping to make the most out of the night, but also for retailers trying to lure first-time customers into the store with their one-night-only promotions.
Another great example of the fashion industry's push towards mobile was a recently launched app by Ralph Lauren, which allows users to create and customize their own Rugby Ralph Lauren sweater and then purchase it directly from the phone.
Some of the previous creations can also be seen at the Make Your Own Gallery here. Judging by the sudden booming interest in developing fashion-related apps, it seems that convenient marriages of retail/mobile technology will only continue to grow in popularity in upcoming seasons. One of the main reasons for this is that in a year that saw titans of print such as domino and Gourmet fold, many companies are seeking to move the majority of their brand presence into new media and away from traditional outlets like magazines and billboards. However, advertising on iPhones is merely one of the answers- what seems paramount to the success of getting customers out of the malls and onto their phones and computers seems to be in what they would gain. As a result, many designers have been offering exclusive deals, savings, and promotions to their Facebook, Twitter, and iPhone app fans to create a kind of digital brand loyalty- which may prove more helpful in the future to them than getting a few extra customers to wake up early for a Black Friday sale.
While mentioned above are just a few ways in which mobile technology is starting to shape the way we'll be dressing in this new millenium, they certainly are not the end all- and definitely will not be the last permutations. In the weeks ahead we will be tracking the latest fashion and retail related iPhone and mobile technology applications. We'll be detailing not just which companies are creating revolutionary apps, but also the ones who are making this new technology work for them- and ultimately will be able to stay relevant in the new media age.
Fashion and Mobile is a weekly column that tracks how the fashion industry is using mobile and emerging technology in an age of digital marketing. Click here to view other posts in this series.
