Brand + Content Strategy and Messaging for the World’s Largest Fashion Ecommerce Platform

-Brand Audit: Positioning, Architecture, Strategy

-Brand + Style Guides

-Content Strategy

-Copy: Print + Digital

-Stakeholder Interviews

-Ideation

Visit: brandedonline.com

Role: Brand Strategy + ACD

CD: Lenore Mason

Project:

For years, Branded Online has helped fashion brands evolve and meet the needs of the rapidly changing online retail marketplace. They function as an outsourced digital marketing and distribution division for companies, handling a comprehensive array of services to support online sales. Our goal was to create a strong point of differentiation that set the brand apart from the competition by conveying core competencies. In addition, we had to demystify the complexities of ecommerce to fashion brands who may, or, in most cases – may NOT know much about ecommerce at all. In short, our goals were to elevate Branded Online while conveying equally “tech know how” with a modern “fashion” appeal.

This was a complex project for a complex service. Our research demonstrated that the target audience was largely uninformed and wary of digital wizardry in an analog fashion world. We began with an immersive discovery process, interviewing senior leadership both at Branded Online and with several clients. We combined this with market research, learning that once adequately informed, brands became overwhelmingly receptive to partnering with Branded Online to streamline and modernize their operations. The trick was to wrap the brand in a visual and verbal language that they could recognize and respect: too fashion-y and it wouldn’t be taken seriously. Too techie, and it wouldn’t be understood. 

We identified customer pain points and used them to map the user journey through the website, providing a business case rationale at every level of service. With this serving as the brand architecture, we integrated a voice and visual identity to follow suit. The branded online voice was sharp, knowledgeable and with just the right mix of pith and humor. Whereas the visual identity was clean, professional, and subtle. The right mix to communicate that Branded Online could fit in at FashionWeek, but wouldn’t be stealing the spotlight. With a Creative Strategy in place, I first produced brand, style, and voice guidelines. Next up, a range of marketing materials to be used across all channels – webcopy, brochures, and a DRM campaign.