FRIDAYS AT FOUR
Volume Ten Issue Three
Trends and News from GF Strategies
February 25, 2013
Contact: Greg Flakus greg@gfstrategies.com www.gfstrategies.com
This issue is coming to you on Monday. I attended the MAGIC fashion and apparel
and footwear show in Las Vegas and wanted to include some of the hot trends and topics from that meeting.
There was much talk about what the store of the future might look like. For a good summary of w hat is out there, go to Google and search under Cisco Store of the Future.
The key term that came from one panel was digital product conversion. This is the newest trend to watch. Instead of going into an apparel store and trying on suits or dresses, you will now go to the store and instead of the store having to have lots of inventory on racks, they will show you on your own body what each item will look like, by color, style and even with accessories such as a tie, shoes or a scarf or hat.
In a presentation on New Technology Options—from Design to the Showroom Floor there was a presentation by TC2. Dr. Michael Fralix talked about “embracing data as the currency of the future, not just dollars”…He predicted that the biggest revolution in design and in many other fields is 3D Printing. “We will see a move from physical products to digital products”. He sees the day when you will try it on, but you will not take it home. The entire outfit will be shipped directly to you at your home, eliminating the need for you to go into a dressing room with five of six outfits. Dr Fralix predicts that we will see this technology emerge as a common usage within the next five years.
Some are calling it “virtual dressing”. YOU will be able to store 3D garment profile in your home.
Another trend he talked about is the move to eliminate waste in each part of the production cycle. “Instead of subtractive manufacturing where each step of the process takes some part of the materials out to get to the final product, we are moving to additive manufacturing” or a no waste cycle. He described things like “nano-particle fiber substitutes, nano pigment chemistry and other technologies that are making their way into the ability to make “single-piece systems” at a custom tailored cost. Another concept he touched on was “bioengineered leather”. For more information visit the TC2 web site at www.tc2.com.
Other trends that were discussed at this event, attended by 80,000 fashion industry buyers, sellers and trend watchers were the new ways to reach the customer, via targeted marketing. How do we capture a shopper and make their shopping experience a personal shopping experience? What can technology do to help us customize our sales efforts to each shopper one on one? Is the day of the personal service at a store going away or is it even more important now than ever? Is that experience still worth paying for? For more on this do a Google search under “fashion avatar”.
Many of us have been to seminars on how to reach the Millennial (16 to 30 years old). In a recent article in Footwear Plus Magazine, Angela Vazquez wrote a story titled Red, White and New.
Here are a few of the highlights from the story.
They are confident,emotional,liberal,optimistic,and hungry for change. You are more likely to see them in a tattoo parlor as four in ten are inked. They have a do-it –yourself approach to life. They make thoughtful purchases. By 2025 75 percent of the workforce will be from this generation. And as another trend tracker Lisa Orrell, author of the book Millennials Incorporated, shares in the book, “this generation grew up with wires out of every part of their body”. –Footwear News Plus February 2013
And this article comes from the same issue and talks about the Macy’s Herald Square location in New York. “430 shoes-only employees wield wireless devices for on-the-spot transactions and quick product retrieval to reduce shopper wait times, and a 45 seat in-salon café serves signature coffee, champagne and chocolates. Sleek new shop-in-shops are being seen for Calvin Klein, Coach, Michael Kors and others.”
Another company that is worth a search is GUMGUM.the firm helps publishers photos with in-image banners. “Our mission is to meaningfully disrupt and improve display advertising in a way that really makes ads more sticky” says CEO Ophir Tanz. –Ad Week
And back to the Super Bowl blackout…Did you read about the way Oreo took advantage of the blackout to launch a real time ad on the twitter and social media feeds during the breaking event. “ The best social brand reactions will include paid keyword buys, compelling content to go with them and real-time monitoring message engagement’ says Rick Wion McDonalds social media lead. –AD Week
Another trend is the blending of signage and kiosks coming together in retail stores. “Expect to see near field communications (NFC) emerge as a standard feature in nearly all smart phones, allowing consumers an even deeper and more personal experience with store and product brands” –Signage Solutions Magazine
And GF Strategies will be rolling out our new Smartphone application this spring, working with venues such as stadiums, arenas and music festivals. Look for more news in our next issue, or contact us if you are looking for new ways to reach the always on attendees at your events. The application will allow our customers to engage with their attendees in real time, while at the events. Stay tuned.
Greg Flakus
GF Strategies
www.gfstrategies.com
February 25, 2013
Fridays at Four Newsletter