The Key Benefits of Digitizing Fashion Collections

Today, and with recent events, the fashion industry is in an increasingly uncertain situation, with the consumer climate taking a different shape, and brands being forced to find new ways to adapt. In light of this, at Launchmetrics we have made the decision to give access to our virtual showroom solution, free of charge for the next three months, to help support fashion brands virtually showcase their collections and products. With the aim to maintain business continuity in the fashion industry today, the solution will allow brands to create digital lookbooks so that individuals can download images, request samples and more. 

Digitizing a collection has become somewhat of a need for today’s changing landscape, and brands have already started to take this on board. Meimei Ding, CEO of DFO in Shanghai stated that having a digital showroom “is more efficient because you can do a single, well-planned, perfect session that speaks to hundreds of consumers”. In this article, we will explore the key benefits of virtual showrooms, and digitizing collections for brands, in order to market to new and existing audiences, and develop lasting relationships. 

The key benefits of digitizing fashion collections

Shareability

The primary benefit of putting your collection online is the opportunity to share new pieces across a global audience in a safe and efficient way. Brands are able to reach new, previously untapped industry professionals, editors, and influencers by sharing a public or private link to their digitally uploaded collection. Once live, viewers can click, view and download collections from the safety of their own home, upping the potential for press mentions, sample requests, and features. 

View and showcase your virtual press room 

According to McKinsey & Co., digitalization within fashion firms is essential for optimizing launch cycles and press rooms have always been major assets for brands’ PR teams. By setting up and customizing a corporate brand page, companies can upload full galleries of collections, share articles that have been published by other essential Voices such as Media outlets, create press releases and announce events (whether virtual or physical). All users have 24/7 access to a rolling feed of high res brand assets – in a community of over 50,000 professionals – which can be used as content in online articles and blogs, whilst sharing valuable mentions can build brand value and notoriety. Updating collections in real-time means brands can maximize their chances of being hot off the press.

Maximize communication

In today’s current climate, communication is essential, especially due to the fact that most individuals are working from home. By having the ability to directly write to KOLs in your industry, you can open up feedback and communication channels based on what you share, developing further important and lasting relationships. Those that you share collections with may respond with invaluable information and feedback, that you can take into account when planning ahead for the next launch. By digitizing your process, you can nurture existing relationships by reworking your strategy and adapting the way you showcase products without losing touch, increasing your business continuity, and allowing your partners to continue to request samples for features. 

Not only does creating a virtual showroom allow brands to adapt to the changing landscape of the fashion industry, but it also builds brand efficiency for your team. Editors no longer need to wait for a response to collect last-minute story images; with virtual lookbooks, they can browse at any time by categories such as product type, color, season, fabric and more. Adaptation, in order to retain business in currently key for the fashion industry, and building out a virtual showroom, is just one of the ways brands can safeguard their assets and continue to maintain relevancy.