+

Digital Media Recommendation

Client Outreach Publicity

Corporate Communications

10/7/10

FOR:

+Discovery

10/7/10

I.  Exceptional Resources   Vast collection   Client list par

excellence   Rich history   Knowledgeable staff

II.  Excellent website   Informative   Easy to navigate

III. Beautiful facility   Expansion provides

space for research

+Challenges

10/7/10

  Not open to consumers   Difficult to find an

angle for consumer media

  Design media usually focuses on broad categories, e.g.:   Art and design   Interiors and

architecture   Fashion

  Very few industry-specific media outlets

  Noteworthy client list but cannot use big names to entice media

BUT! Challenges are merely opportunities for…

+SOLUTIONS

10/7/10

+1) Leverage Expertise via Corporate Communications   Cultivate internal “voice” to:

  Comment on trends

  Provide insight on surface design

  Become a trusted authority in the industry

  How?   Bi-monthly articles where staff is interviewed by a

consulting journalist to create substantive features

  Topic ideas:

  Runway trends and the history behind them

  What’s next in upholstery

  5 interpretations of (design) you may not know

  Corporate Communications consultant will oversee and work with staff to create monthly strategy, write and distribute

10/7/10

+

On Collaborative Reporting Between Source and Journalist:

Reporting has always in some ways been a collaborative process between journalists and their sources. But increasingly, there’s a merger between the source and the content producer.

As a result, more journalism will happen through collaborative reporting, where the witness of the news becomes the reporter, says David Clinch, editorial director for Storyful and a consultant for Skype.* *Excerpted from “The Future of

Social Media and Journalism” on Mashable.com

10/7/10

+2) Host Content as a Blog Instead of E-Newsletter

  Offer constant opportunity for engagement

  Become a regular destination for existing and potential clients

  Become part of the blogging community

  Incorporate client quotes (when possible and appropriate) and insights, driving them and their peers to read

  Underscore textile expertise

10/7/10

+

On Corporate Blogging and Voice:

What Should You Blog About?

Start by defining the audience with whom you want to have a relationship. Presumably they are your customers, partners, suppliers and your broader industry as a whole. You should think about what kind of information they would find valuable. You should also try to talk about something that is differentiated from what other blogs in your field cover, even if your approach is just slightly different or new.

The Right and Wrong Way to Blog

Let me give some examples of the right and wrong approach to blogging.

Right: I always liked the Mint.com blog. Even in the early days when they were relatively unknown, they blogged about personal finance. They talked about how to manage credit and balance your bank account — obvious topics for a startup focused on managing personal money. They were able to take a leadership role in talking about managing your money in a way that supported their brand and created a community around their product.

Wrong: A friend of mine has a company in the personal finance space also. His blog was all about how to run a startup and raise venture capital. He was outrageous, brash and crass in his style, and I told him so. I said, “Your goal isn’t to be the cool kid in the venture capital circles. Your job is to build a great company and you’ll be a hero in entrepreneurial circles as a result of your success. Speak to your customers — that is what a blog is for.*

  ----

Unfortunately, if it’s like most corporate blogs, you site struggles with voice. Your writers — most likely employees — want to demonstrate their expertise and sound serious & intelligent. In the end, they are boring. No one reads boring.

Be bold. Be witty. Speak like a human being. Leave the consultant-speak at the office and have a conversation with your readers and potential customers.

*Excerpted from “How to Blog for Businesses” on Mashable.com

**Quote from Laurie Ruettimann – co-founder of New Media Services which offers comprehensive virtual, digital and social media strategies for the career and HR industries

10/7/10

+3) Utilize Twitter (@company)

  Attract attention from design influencers by following brands, media, trend experts and other industry resources (see Appendices 1-3)   Key ingredients to gaining followers:

  common interests

  consistent posting

  “Re-Tweets” (re-posting content)

  Tweet news, acquisitions

  Use hashtags (“#”) and searchable words to increase visibility

  More relevant to business model than Facebook page (but can streamline and ensure they are working together)

  No better way to connect with decision-makers, taste-makers and others who choose business resources

  Keep the community up to date on blog posts 10/7/10

Media Week’s Simon Dumenco declares the press release “dead” – Twitter is alive!

+

On Twitter as a Marketing Tool:

An article in a recent eMarketer shows that Twitter followers are more likely to induce advocacy. According to their data, respondents were most likely to purchase from or recommend a brand after following them on Twitter.

Why?

Twitter is a platform that attracts an audience receptive to marketing messages, much more than Facebook.

“Facebook is for the people you know while Twitter is for those you want to know.”* *Information and quotes from Tim

Baker, a columnist for socialmediatoday.com  

10/7/10

+Appendix 1: Brands/Designers on Twitter

  @aston20133

  @sarahkjp (Kiel James Patrick)

  @nate_berkus

  @cmbenz

  @jonathanadler

  @susyjack (Susan Connor stationery)

  @karl_lagerfeld

  @stellamccartney

  @rachel_roy

  @marcjacobsint

Brands Designers

10/7/10

  @americanapparel

  @tomsshoes

  @westelm

  @anthropologie

  @dwellstudio

  @threadsaid

  @sohomodern

  @hm

  @allsaints_

+Appendix 2: Media on Twitter

  @derekblasberg (Style.com, V, Bazaar)

  @langealexandra

  @peterdavisnyc (PAPER)

  @mrjoezee

  @cliffkuang (Editor of Fast Company’s “Co.design”)

  @arielfoxman

  @darrellhartman (writer)

  @tracybulla (writer)

  @ansteady (Alicia Anstead)

Publications Editors

10/7/10

  @nylonmag

  @wmag

  @womensweardaily

  @nytimesstyle

  @ellemagazine

  @harpersbazaarus

  @archdigest

  @fastcodesign

  @wallpapermag

  @metropolismag

  @vogue_london

+Appendix 3: Design Industry and Trend Forecasters on Twitter

  @spheretrending

  @foc_amsterdam

  @creativereview

  @designmuseum

  @wgsn

  @archiveedition

10/7/10

  @mariakillam

  @patricia_gray

  @_bof_ (business of fashion)

  @thescalamandre

  @aigadesign

  @dwellondesign