Come backstage and see how the fashion industry uses a live show to drive record breaking sales
Have you ever wondered what happens behind the scenes of a fashion show?
You might be surprised to learn that it’s not just about showcasing the latest designs or fashion trends, but it’s also a strategic marketing & sales funnel. Even before the show begins, the brand spends months ensuring the marketing team and sales team are already in place to start selling the moment the first heel hits the runway. Let me walk you through the steps so you can implement this strategy in your own business.
Email List - The Foundation of the Funnel
First and foremost, a fashion brand needs to build its client list, or as we like to call it in marketing, an email list. This is where everything begins. By going into the boutique and making a purchase, you’re placed on an email list of local buyers. The brand will then start sending you offers and invitations to experiences. As you attend more events and make more purchases, your rank in their email list will increase, and you’ll be invited to more exclusive events, eventually leading up to an invitation to the big fashion show.
Experiences - Elevating the Status of the Customer
Once you’re on the email list and have attended a few events, the brand will start inviting you to more exclusive experiences. These experiences are designed to immerse you into the brand and elevate your status as a customer. For example, you might be invited to an in-store cocktail hour or a private fashion show hosted by one of the brand’s top clients. Or at the major fashion show, you find yourself surrounded with celebrities and magazine editors. The goal is to make you feel special and valued, so you’ll continue to engage with the brand and make more purchases.
The Day After - Time to Sell to top clients
The day after the fashion show is just as important as the show itself! Most people don’t know that a showroom, designed to look like the show, is built somewhere near. The day after the show, buyers, editors, and top clients are invited to see the collection up close. THIS is one of the main goals of the fashion show, to make immediate sales and get the ROI on the show itself. Remember, all roads, even a runway show, leads to sales!
A fashion show is truly not just a spectacle of lights and models. It’s a strategic sales funnel designed to keep customers engaged, loyal to the brand, and making purchases. By building an email list, and offering these clients exclusive experiences, fashion brands can create a loyal customer base that will continue to support them for years to come. So if you’re looking to implement a similar strategy in your own business, take a page from the fashion world and start building those relationships with your customers today.