Don’t Be So Revealing: Ways to Undress Your Fashion PR Strategy

After a new design is sketched or a photo shoot completed, it’s often our desire to share it all with the world and shout it from the rooftops. When it comes to strategically rolling out your PR and keeping the buzz going about your business, it’s sometimes best to resist the urge to tell, post and share everything.

Thanks to social media, it’s easy to simply upload a behind-the-scenes picture and immediately share a new creation. And no thanks to social media, it’s easy to simply upload a behind-the-scenes picture and immediately share a new creation.

There’s a reason why Danny Boyle wanted the Olympics opening ceremony to be a surprise. There was excitement when the world experienced the big unveil together. For this reason, YouTube immediately removed footage that was leaked.

That same excitement exists in the fashion industry when designers unveil their new collections. This type of reveal and safeguarding can apply to other industries as well.

First Look. Providing a “first look” opportunity for select media will allow you to target those outlets on your client’s wish list. If everything has already been plastered around the Internet, the lifespan of “new” is limited. You can also let the media know that you’ve reached out to them first to release the story. When it’s something awesome, it’s good to be at the front of the line, and they’ll appreciate that you thought of them first.

Off Season. There are times when business is slow. Use this opportunity to share a unique story angle that may not always fit. For instance, during fashion show season (fall for spring/summer collections, spring for fall/winter), it’s all about the fashion and trends. A business profile or behind-the-scenes look at the designer might not be as top of mind, but during the off season you can pitch these types of stories to media outlets and keep the PR buzz going throughout the slow months. If you release everything you have about your client early on, it’s difficult to capitalize on the freshness of it later.

Story Variety. When you time the release of select information, you get to see a writer/journalist’s expertise (and speed) at work on your client’s story. Every writer is different, so their take and the way they unveil your client’s story just makes for richer media clips. This is especially important when you know several media outlets are likely to write about your client. It also stretches your creativity as you help develop different angles (an inspiration piece, an angle about the process, the designer’s muse, etc.), and there’s consistent buzz you can capitalize on for your client.

Imagery. Don’t share all of your fashion images at once. Have enough variety to share with the media, but hold a few pictures back. A media outlet may be on deadline and not have enough time to do their own photo shoot on your client’s design (or product). The media will love that you have pictures for them that have never been utilized before in print, on your website or posted online.

What other ways have you maintained an element of surprise and continued media coverage for your client?

Image courtesy of Anton Oparin / Shutterstock.com