In celebration of reaching 10 years old this year, GFW sponsor Boohoo.com’s Richard Clark came to discuss the transient nature of millennials and the ‘digital revolution’ as a whole. In just 10 years Boohoo has branched out globally with a third of their sales being international, and 14 sites abroad. They’ve shot over 1.5 million images in their in-house studio and even have a designer collaboration with Charli XCX. As well as this, the fast fashion brand prides itself on uploading 500 products on the site each week, an undeniable success for a rapidly expanding company. It’s with this knowledge that Clark guides us through the process of having an online presence for your brand, and connecting with the people of the moment: the millennials.
First things first, for Boohoo, the customer is the most important factor. Knowing who your audience is essential building your social presence, which includes just as much about what they like and what their hobbies are as their social media habits. Clark comments that, “the best thing about having a best friend voice is you become approachable”. In the perspective of 2016, the customers live on social media and are prepared to engage with brands 24 hours of the day, we just have to cater to their needs. This includes new and informed streams of content, as well as constant development of new concepts that bring the consumer closer to your platform.
It is now a common fact that 78% of people go online whilst watching TV on a different device. Consequently the overall TV reach percentage has been in decline since 2011, leaving a gap in the market to cater to the 89% of the youth sector who believe social media creates a globally connected world. All these changes in the way consumers consume present a valuable opportunity for all the graduates promoting their businesses (and the rest of you budding fashion entrepreneurs out there!) to create new platforms to sell your product on. You could even take a leaf out of Vogue’s most glamorous book and connect to your audience on Whats-app, making the digital experience that much more personal. However you promote your brand, the digital realm is an undeniable force that is now essential to harness and use through all mediums for the promotion of your brand, something we could all do we being schooled in.