SPARK BY ESTILA
Issue 02
BRINGING YOU INTERESTING NEWS FROM OUR STUDIO AND CREATIVE COMMUNITY
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: COCOOVE
“My philosophy is about believing that you should do what you are good at and what you are passionate about.” Always struggling to find good quality, sustainable dresses and timeless wardrobe classics at attainable prices, creative director and designer Ria Mckelvey created an independent fashion label, COCOOVE with an ambition to offer women clothing that can be styled in several different ways, for any occasion. Sustainability is high priority to Ria, who ensures that all garments are made ethically within the UK, working with a UK manufacturer who she knows personally and who she’s been working with for many years, to the highest quality and with the utmost attention to detail. When it comes to designing her collections, Ria focuses on injecting colours through unique print designs inspired by nature and what she finds interesting. She always thinks about “her muse” customer during the design process, making the garments effortlessly stylish, comfortable yet self-expressive. Each collection also features neutral tones to complement the bolder prints, for mix and match options. As Ria says, “Our philosophy is about believing that it is essential to put your heart into everything you do. Believing you should do what you are good at and what you are passionate about. We are passionate about creating beautiful clothing for women. We are inspired by making changes and paving a way in fashion. We do this by asking questions, whilst producing stylish clothing which are produced ethically.”
WEBSITE: cocoove.uk IG @co.coo.ve
Making timeless wardrobe classics more sustainable DESIGNED WITH STYLISH AND CONFIDENT WOMEN IN MIND
Trends for 2022: Interior design in post pandemic world
DESIGN
Day Home | day-home.dk
Interiors writer Pauline de Villiers Brettell explores the impact of COVID-19 on the interiors industry and what trends you can expect in 2022. When looking at the impact of the past year on the Interior Design industry, one thing is clear; we have all spent more time in our homes over the past 18 months than ever before - whether working from the spare room, schooling in the kitchen, or trying to do yoga in the lounge. But how does this impact Interior Design more broadly, beyond the obvious need for the Zoom room? Social Pressures It has been a turbulent year and aside from the Covid pandemic, there have been other factors that have shaped our vocabulary and actions. Climate change remains high on everyone’s list of concerns, and this has a clear and direct impact on interiors and design on so many levels. 2020 was also a year of significant social unrest, and again this has raised concerns and engaged us in debates that have informed our decision-making, both as consumers, retailers, and as designers. All these issues bring with them a level of uncertainty and anxiety, but they have also fed into a need for community and belonging, of being part of a broader movement and most significantly, a greater good. This is being reflected in the choices people are making – from wanting to know where a fabric is from, who made it and what it is made from, right through to more esoteric concerns on how it might impact your personal wellbeing – how will a colour make you feel, what does a layout mean for positivity and energy? Trends & Textures Moving on to the practicalities - how have these events of the past year impacted the zeitgeist of design as well as the actual bricks and mortar of our homes and what we put in them? As our relationship with our homes has changed, our homes are no longer places to escape to, but have become hybrid dwellings – simply meaning that we are requiring our homes to work harder, and as designers we need to be able to create more multifunctional and connected spaces, as opposed to the single purpose open plan living of pre-pandemic life. The home is being repurposed and going through a fundamental design shift as we move away from cocooning and hygge to adaptability and multi-functionalism.
There seem to be two key trends emerging for interiors, and it is how and where they converge that makes the difference and defines the space. On one hand it is all about practicality and a functional space, but on the other hand that same space also needs to provide elements of rest and relaxation, comfort and community. It is the point of balance that is key. The open plan trend of pre-pandemic is being subtly shifted to introduce a division of space and privacy within that open plan – no mean feat, as clients want it all. So, while space is being divided and zoned for purpose it is having to be done in a more imaginative way as the open plan aesthetic needs to be able to integrate options, and rooms within rooms. We have spent the last years tearing down internal walls in favour of the great open plan - we now need to introduce barriers back into the interior and redefine spaces but interestingly, this throws up new challenges for the designer as these barriers need to have a certain amount of flexibility and fluidity. Palette With concerns about climate change, a focus on mental health, an understanding of all things green and organic, not to mention the rise to power of the humble allotment, nature is unsurprisingly at the forefront of our predicted 2021/22 palette and design direction in general. With companies like Dulux going with Brave Ground for their colour of the year, Instagram is awash with earthy terracotta tones and sage greens. We need to look at introducing nature into our design through colour - and more than that, the sense of calm that is associated with it. The focus is on colours that promote a sense of peace and harmony through nature in a time when mental and physical wellbeing are critical and receiving more attention than ever before. So, the gravitation towards concepts like Biophilic Design makes perfect sense as we express a need for a sense of the natural world in our interiors. And it’s not just about paint and colour – the trend towards natural materials and finishes is proving to be as important, with an emphasis on products like natural stone, rattan, jute and wood – after all, a warm wood countertop provides the perfect backdrop for all those organic allotment veggies!
IN THE KNOW
Continued...In short, design needs to find ways of connecting us to the environment as part of the process of increasing our mental wellbeing. Retail Across the board retail is one of the key areas that has seen a major shift. As designers, we need to understand these changes and incorporate them into our business, whether we are selling anything from a design consultation to a cushion cover! On the retail front of Interior Design, business has been booming . . . provided you have been accessible online. Consumers shopping habits have clearly changed and shifted, but online selling and shopping in an industry that relies heavily on touch, feel and visual impact means several things – you need to consider how you are presenting your product and you need to be imaginative and find ways of replicating the feeling of the in-store experience despite being online. This could be as simple as making sure you are able to provide samples and colour swatches in the post - while this may be an additional cost, it is key to consider how to introduce the real time experience in an online reality. The other consideration is delivery and presentation. When that paint sample/cushion/lampshade is received you want your client to have the same feel-good and creative feeling they have had in the past when walking out of a shop with a beautifully packaged item that they have looked at, touched, considered and then bought. So, despite the emphasis on digital marketing, we still need to look at ways of being able to provide a memorable customer experience. Essential to this is being personally present online - this is now as important as sitting down with clients in a showroom.
There is a lot of noise online and working out how to get footfall can be a lot more difficult than setting up a lovely boutique on the high street and hoping that your window display will do the trick – but on the upside that high street has just got a whole lot bigger! Another key difference is product range. Unlike the physical shop that relies on a certain amount of fillers and fluff, there is an emphasis online on developing a leaner, simpler core product. The key to online success seems to be finding that core product and making sure it is the hero in everything you do online, and thus making online access more direct. What has been interesting (in my experience over the past year) is that there has been an increasing amount of honesty online – it’s been about community and kindness and a little more transparency as people shop in a more considered way and the process of buying becomes that of sharing and supporting. We are investing in our homes more than ever, but we are, I believe, trying to consume in a more considered way. Underlining all the trend reports talking about a minimalist colour palette while predicting maximalist bathroom design is the concept of a new Care Economy. It is all about making the consumer feel like they are being taken care of, whether through a product or a service. It is about how we communicate, and it is about the experience or the product making them feel better on some level. Design is also about wellness, but wellness has become a little less personal in 2021 – it is no longer just about the individual, it is about society – wellness is about knowing you made a good choice and that the choice you made within the design confines of your home has impacted positively on society more broadly. And if that is the standout trend we can take with us into 2022, then I think we are all heading for a good place. E
Follow Pauline on IG@teaintangier
Latest discoveries
ON OUR RADAR Unibeez Unibeez is an on-demand talent platform with a strong social mission. Their aim is to help motivated students and graduates find well-paid work, that develops their skills and gives them invaluable experience. The platform aims to get 1million students working by 2025, eliminating hiring bias, promoting diversity, inclusion and equal opportunity. unibeez.com
TrendBook
Woven Form creates one-of-a-kind handwoven textile art pieces for the home. Combining different textures and colours to recreate those which are found within architecture. TURRET MEDIUM - II www.wovenform.com @wovenform
Tikamoon was created in Lille by a small team with an enterprising spirit. From the start, they wanted to offer customers high-quality furniture at the best possible prices. Their range caters to the whole home – with furniture available for living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, and the garden! COLETTE HEADBOARD www.tikamoon.co.uk @tikamoonuk
Designed specifically for fashion and interiors industries, TrendBook is a perfect resource platform for those who want to get early insights into changes in behaviours, attitudes and beliefs of consumers and any shifts in culture, economy and technology. trendesignbook.com
COLLABORATION
A collection inspired by British heritage
Hettie for LK Bennett Headed by designer Sian Reekie, Hettie is a British independent lifestyle brand, with family values at heart. All Sian’s collections are born from the love and compassion she has for her own family, from grandchildren to her own four-legged fur babies. But last year Sian was facing a different kind of a challenge - designing a collaborative collection with the iconic British high street retailer, LK Bennett. When Hettie was approached by the LK Bennett’s team with a collaboration idea for their first-ever AW21 pet accessories collection, it was not only very thrilling to get involved in such a big project but also a great opportunity to highlight high quality British heritage manufacturing. As Sian says:
“Founded in Wimbledon in 1990, LK Bennett are a British brand with a vibrant London heartbeat. They share our vision of creating distinctive quality pieces to wear over and over again, harnessing excellent craftsmanship to make beautiful things to treasure.” Learning more about LK Bennett’s commitment to being a responsible and ethical brand gave Sian confidence for the design process. Working with the LK Bennett’s team to design the collection took many months, carefully applying the LK Bennett’s classic style outer 100% Italian wool fabric onto Hettie’s pet accessory designs including dog coats, harnesses, collars and leads. The result is a collection of chic, heritage inspired dog accessories that elevate daily walks, complementing the LK Bennett’s AW21 collection of cool, comfortable wardrobe pieces that exude effortlessness - finding comfort in more casual dressing. E
“We are so excited about our LK Bennett’s collection of pet accessories we have created in collaboration with their design team. It features amazing new vibrant look, with a pop of classic red to bring out the best of the wool fabric.” WEBSITE: hettie.co.uk | lkbennett.com IG @thehettiecompany | lkbennettlondon
“ What brought us together is our shared vision for creating meaningful, keep-forever pieces that won’t end up in landfill and cause harm to our planet.”
BRAND BUILDING
WHY CRM IS IMPORTANT FOR SMALL BUSINESSES? CUSTOMER RETENTION
Selling online:
Is your store ready for new challenges of 2022? written by Karolina Barnes Since the pandemic started in late 2019, the retail market has immensely benefited from online shopping. During lockdowns customers simply had to resort to online purchases as there was no other way to buy products, helping many small independent retailers and brands survive and even thrive. With that, certain challenges presented themselves mostly related to stock management and increase in demand. Seeing the bigger picture, while these challenges haven’t been certainly easy to deal with, in terms of demand and sales they were in most cases “good” problems to have. In the independent lifestyle market particularly, thanks to small business campaigns and initiatives, we’ve seen brands growing in both revenue and teams. Some have moved back to online selling only, leaving their physical stores behind, others have done the opposite, expanding their visibility and presence on the high street. Looking ahead though, your business might be facing different kind of challenges. The popularity of ecommerce means that there is an increase in competition globally, customers now have more options and choices. With life returning slowly back to normality (pre-Covid times), the demand for your products may drop. It doesn’t mean that ecommerce will slow down, it is predicted that the opposite will most likely happen. However, what you might experience is your product or product category will take more of a backseat in your customers’ lives. How customers engage with your brand on your website will matter more. It will be absolutely crucial to understand them on much more deeper and intimate level and in return, deliver unique experiences off the website. And that is where one of the hottest ecommerce trend predictions of 2022 comes in - personalisation. Ecommerce personalisation is about delivering unique experiences to customers as individuals based on what actions they take on your website. It’s like when you walk into a boutique and you are being guided by a personal stylist, who recommends you dresses, jackets, shoes or items based on what you like, want and desire. In the digital world this is much harder to achieve but with technology advancements now you can do something similar. Instead of using generic recommendations and suggestions on your website, you can apply personalisation in emails, direct mail (print), SMS, on social media and targeted advertisement through behaviour-based automation...
...in your CRM (customer relationship management). So how does it work? Let’s go back to the boutique scenario and the personal stylist but this time we use digital tools – your website and your CRM. Imagine a new customer lands on your website and starts browsing a certain product category (e.g. rugs, home accessories, trousers, necklaces, soaps, candles etc). While on your website, a pop up with a “first order offer” comes up on the screen and the customer puts his email address in to receive the voucher code via email. Meanwhile, the customer clicks on various products in the category he is interested in, but then suddenly leaves. You notice that the very same customer visits your website a few times afterwards but never completes the purchasing journey. In the real world this customer would be probably browsing different stores, going from one place to another, comparing different products and brands. Eventually, with the help of a personal stylist, the customer decides to make a purchase. There might be a similar scenario happening on your website, but you don’t have shop assistants to help the customer in their decision making. That’s where your CRM comes in. Based on the interactions taken on your website, you can send the customer an email helping him to navigate through your store. You can talk about a specific product he viewed, its design, materials, interesting facts as well as your brand values. Giving a concrete CTA (call to action) at the end, your customer can revisit that product with more clarity, confidence and trust. Let’s now assume that you already have a good customer base and customers come onto your website on regular basis to make purchases. Instead of sending them emails about offers on products they already purchased, you can send them a storytelling email on a complementary product which you recommend specifically for them. Based on the data in your CRM, you can check the frequency of purchases each customer makes on your website, sending them relevant content at most optimal time. So make your CRM your best friend, everyone shops a bit differently, but knowing when customers make a purchase, view products, start a checkout or abandon the cart altogether helps to deliver a more personalised service to them. E
Not every business is destined for success but it is in your hands to make it one. Retaining existing customers is about understanding and appreciating individual needs and desires. CRM software can help you to build more personal relationships, trust and loyalty.
BETTER CUSTOMER SERVICE Understanding what your customers want allows you to serve each individual better. Better service equals to customer satisfaction and increases word of mouth.
SAVES TIME The ability to automate communication with customers while providing a personalised service can save you tons of time in your back office. A CRM solution can be beneficial not only to your marketing and sales team but also to your financial department.
INCREASES PROFITS CRM can be life changing when it comes to following up quotes and enquiries. It can help any potential sales from falling through the cracks as well as increasing your sales potentials through follow-ups or sending out special offers for customers’ birthdays and other occasions. Get in touch with STUDIO/ESTILA team to install, configure and set up your own ecommerce personalisation studio@estila.co
ART & DESIGN
Curating for
#GREENGRADS
interview by Karolina Barnes
Showcasing 30 of the finest UK design talent for the first time at PLANTED / Green Grads event during London Design Week was a great opportunity to shine a light on products which have wider sustainability issues and solutions. Here we chat with its curator, Barbara Chandler, a passionate design advocate of the industry. 1. How did you get involved in this project? I’ve been photographing at New Designers, the annual graduates show in Islington, for around eleven years, and last year was due to have a big show of my images. It was cancelled, and then cancelled again this year. I realised that if I do my show next year (which is looking likely), the last photograph would be dated 2019 – and the year of the exhibition would be 2022. I needed to fill the gap. Sally Bent, director at New Designers, reached out to various tutors to say I would like to come and see the “lost classes” of 20/21. The response was amazing, and I subsequently visited Plymouth, Stoke, Kingston, Brighton, Leicester, Manchester and Loughborough, and numerous venues in London. I was in touch with other tutors by email. I saw wonderful work and wondered if I could bring it to London in some way. Deborah Spencer director/founder of Planted, a show centred around biophilia and sustainability, was enthusiastic. I had thought of doing “Great Grads” but we fine tuned it to “Green Grads” to fit in with the themes of her show. Students today are very much preoccupied with the environment, climate change, sustainability, waste reduction and so on, so material was abundant. Planted ran between 23-26 September in King’s Cross, and Samsung offered us their state-of-the-art “experience space” for GREEN GRADS for the weekend 25/26. We had around 33 graduates coming in person, plus films from many others on a giant curved screen, billed as the largest in Europe. 2. What was it that you liked about the project and why? For years, the design industry has benefited from the training, talent and enthusiasm of wave after wave of new graduates from our world-beating UK universities. But for the last two years, the students have had their tuition curtailed and access to studios and workshops denied. They have not been able to hold degree shows to network and show off their skills. In some small way, I thought I would counter that. It’s pure joy, as projects I have uncovered are fascinating – creative, original and often daring. The designers we’ve chosen were over the moon to have a chance to show off their work in real life, and to network and socialise. 3. How do you curate such creative talent? Have you got specific criteria? If so, what are they? You have to look at a show as a whole, and create balance and variety. You need impact reinforced by depth and detail. I was looking for ideas/projects/products that supported Planted’s core values of biophilia (nurturing nature, particularly in cities), sustainability, the circular economy, waste reduction, conservation of scarce resources and so on. Some of our designers are more akin to artists, and are using their work to make a statement about, say, vanishing species, or ocean pollution. At the other end of the spectrum are the engineers with a nuts and bolts approach to, say, re-using grey water or making a kit to tap into solar power. It was crucial that the designers would commit to being there the whole time, so that our show could be truly interactive. They needed not only to be creative but also engaging and enthusiastic – and ideally oozing charisma.
1.
ART & DESIGN
2.
3. 4. If you had to choose, who is your favourite talent considering current and future trends in design and retail? The future one to watch... Well, I do love the “waste warriors” – Olivia Howick, for example, who has made the most exquisite “vessels” from her neighbour’s plastic waste; or Ruta Irbite who has put multiple samples of her own domestic waste in beautiful rows of glass jars, and fed it with various “recipes” of mycelium to investigate natural methods of decay; and Sara Howard, whose “circular ceramics” are extruded from the waste of multiple other industries; or Ameera Azami, who has woven a bench seat from plastic bags and old clothes. And I love a good pattern – Connie Brownjohn’s fabrics tell stories of re-wilding on the Knepp Estate in East Sussex. I should say that our show was not so much about product as ideas and projects, so did not really reflect future trends in retail. Though I would say that increasingly sustainability and longevity are topping consumers’ wish lists, so brands embracing the issues highlighted by our designers can reap commercial advantage – witness Amara and their One Planet thread on their site/blog. 5. What is the best story behind the design/talent you came across while curating the show? That’s difficult as they all have such compelling stories. However, for sheer “romance” and total commitment, I would nominate Katrina Wilde, who sat with me at the Royal College of Art textiles show, entrancing me with stories of her Bulgarian granny, and how folk recipes for natural dyes was informing her work, powered by her allotment in Stoke. But I should also mention that Olivia Howick on this occasion was my invaluable guide, introducing me not only to Katrina, but also Ruth Lloyd who is “growing” dye directly onto cloth! . E
Credits: From top left: Katrina Wilde (1) | Olivia Howick (2) | Mathilde Wittock (3) | Phoebe Lewis (4) WEBSITE: planted-cities.co.uk INSTAGRAM: @planted_cities
4.
Growing importance of brand personality
HOT TOPIC
written by Aimee Stammers As a brand storyteller I help businesses expand and engage their audiences through the power of their story; teaching brands how to communicate in a relatable, personable way that will connect them to their customer. Because ultimately the success of your brand depends on conveying what your brand is all about in a way that attracts the attention of the exact people you know will be interested in what you offer. This “way” is a mixture of the message, the method and the manner in which you communicate. If the message is the story you have to tell and the method is channels you use - the social media platforms, the in-store experiences, your website etc - then the manner is the unique way you express your message. It’s your tone of voice, the language and words you use, it’s the imagery you create, the photos you take, as well as the graphics, colours and fonts you apply. All these elements together play a part in shaping how you demonstrate your brand’s personality. And it is that brand personality, that clearly defined and easily identifiable character, that connects you to your audience, differentiates you from the crowded marketplace and allows you to develop long-lasting relationships with your customers. As Karolina Barnes of STUDIO/ESTILA states “Once truly understood by the team or the founder of a brand, the effects can be seen and felt almost straight away, easily translating into more customers, a presence in multiple markets or celebrity press features, all of which help increase turnovers and business growth.” EXAMPLE: Hettie, a British lifestyle brand worked with STUDIO/ ESTILA to help position their business. The brand lacked any real personality so the first step was to establish the label as a multi-generational family brand that cares for each family member, including furry friends. The company immediately started to gain traction from not only the right end-customers and press, but also domestic and international trade customers. With their newly defined brand personality they can better connect with their target customers and present clearer, more consistent messaging.
Big brands understand the importance of crafting effective brand identities and cleverly create distinct personas their customers will aspire to. For example, ‘Apple’ is instantly recognisable as hip, cool and youthful whilst luxury fashion label ‘Chanel’ is known for its sophistication, elegance and demure confidence. But it’s not just about adjectives; brand personality informs the voice and style in which you communicate everything about your business, so getting it right is vital. Your brand personality should make your business feel more real, more relatable and more desirable because a brand lacking in personality is less appealing than one that is full of character. “Small businesses can provide a much more intimate and personalised customer service and experience, so that’s where the brand personality and identity can shine.” Karolina Barnes says. And whilst as owner of your small business you have the ability to demonstrate a more authentic and genuine brand personality simply because you are the brand, it isn’t a case of just being yourself. Your brand personality needs to reflect your values and vision, demonstrate your philosophies, style and raison d’être, and align with the need your product fulfils. But crucially, it will also be defined by your market and the competition. It’s imperative you identify which traits you want to be known for and consider how you wish to be perceived. Is it important you are recognised as being scientific and authoritative, or caring, compassionate and helpful? Do you want to be seen as sophisticated, luxurious and exclusive? What’s the impression you want to make and the position you need to attain? TIP 1: Understand exactly what makes people buy from your brand; what makes customers choose you over other brands? What defining characteristics, values and assets attract people to your brand? EXAMPLE: my client, the brand ‘Etta Loves’, produces science-led, stylish baby essentials, offering items that are practical and beneficial on every level. It was a unique concept which allowed the business to enter a niche in the market. Continued on next page
HOT TOPIC
Continued And by knowing its market and understanding its audience extremely well it has effectively established itself as an authoritative and supportive brand by providing helpful, insightful and informative content, delivered with a caring, inclusive and relatable approach that reflects the values of the founder. Such a distinct and clearly defined brand personality has helped distinguish the company from competition and allowed it to connect to its audience on both a practical and emotional level. TIP 2: Realise what differentiates you from the competition. The more defined your position in the market is, the easier it is to communicate and engage with your specific audience. So, analyse why customers spend their money with you, and not other brands. Research your market intently, observe where it is overcrowded and look for the opportunities by spotting what’s missing. Zone in to carve out a niche that you can own. Because with a narrow but clearly defined audience to speak to, it’s easier to identify and understand how that audience works; what they need, what resonates with them - even what doesn’t interest them. Ultimately, it’s far easier to communicate and connect when your brand values, identity and personality align, because people listen, and pay attention, when you speak the same language.
Describing their sofas as “loafing machines” the brand’s laid back personality clearly shines through all of their marketing and cleverly entices you into a world where people want to (and I quote!) “kick off their shoes and lead happier, more relaxed lives.” Once you have defined your brand’s personality the next step is to continually communicate in a way that conveys all your unique character and ultimately helps your audience recognise you are the brand for them. It’s about creating a constant narrative that’s immediately and definitely, you! TIP 3: Think of your brand as a person. How would they talk? How would they look? What would they find funny? What would they NOT enjoy? Where would they consume information? EXAMPLE: Healthy drink brand ‘Innocent’ has whole heartedly embraced the idea of creating a personality that connects on a human level. All of their messaging feels so personal, not at all corporate. It has a tongue-in-cheek approach that’s infectiously engaging so that the audience can’t fail to not only recognise the style, but to stop, read and react.
“You don’t have to go broad to make your business work; instead, you have to go narrow in order to mean a huge amount to a relatively small group of people. And build from there.” David Hieatt, Founder of Hiut Denim
Creating content and opportunities to differentiate your brand from the competition is crucial and an important aspect when building brand loyalty. It’s much easier and effective once you have a recognisable, personal tone of voice and a defined character.
EXAMPLE: Fashion label ‘Ragged Priest’ is a brand that has a clearly defined personality and knows exactly who their customer is, and importantly what they want. Therefore, every form of brand communication is designed to appeal to their precisely identified target audience. They aren’t trying to talk to everyone, they only want to reach a specific market and in doing so create narratives and images designed to resonate with those potential customers.
STUDIO/ESTILA excels in developing such brand personalities for their clients, and as Karolina explains, it’s crucial to consider multiple points when defining personality traits and to try to create a tension of different “human” characteristics to make it as real and relatable as it can be.
It’s an extremely niche brand, and clearly demonstrates the effectiveness of knowing your audience. It’s worth recognising that younger audiences tend to be easier to attract and converse with. Often, they are more distinct; therefore more straightforward to identify and connect with because, generally speaking, youth culture is predominately more visible. It’s often closely linked to trends in fashion and music, and whilst fickle and ever changing, market categories are more definitely defined. Older audiences are harder to attract and engage because their interests and values are more layered and varied. As customers age they gather and gain multiple interests, occupations, friends and life experiences making them trickier to succinctly identify. Which is why brand values play an important part of a brand’s personality, particularly when appealing to a less identifiable audience. Conveying what’s at the heart of your business, the elements that make your brand unique and of value to your customers via your brand personality is key. EXAMPLE: Furniture brand ‘Loaf ’ are, in their own words, “champions of serious quality and good old-fashioned craftsmanship”. They place high value on handmade products and promote the idea of a slow, comfortable and easy lifestyle via a unique language style that immediately conveys their values and visions.
EXAMPLE: “When we were defining the brand personality for Ketevanna, an independent fashion label, we decided that the traits should be self-expressive, individual and confident on one hand and vulnerable and imperfect on the other. The brand is also caring with a certain charm and innocence. It’s these characteristics that lead to memorable experiences. And, it’s that tension of personality which creates unpredictability and excitement, making it stand out more. Brands that become predictable, become less interesting to customers. Over time customers leave them as they look for brands with unexpected personality layers that keep them interested, coming back for more.” Ultimately the easier you can make it for your target customers to recognise, remember and react to your brand, the more effective your marketing will be.
TOP TIP
“Think of your brand as a person. How would they talk? How would they look? What would they find funny? What would they NOT enjoy? Where would they consume information?”
“Great communication makes audiences and
So let your brand’s personality inform how, when and where you engage with your audience. Keep those all important characteristics in mind when creating your content and mapping out the entire customer journey, ensuring your brand style and voice is consistent and identifiable. E
customers
WEBSITE: aimeestammers.com INSTAGRAM: @aimeestammers
products.”
notice and recognise your
IN THE STUDIO
How will social storytelling look like in 2022? written by Karolina Barnes
Audience growth, engagement and targeting won’t be enough to grow independent brands in 2022. THE OLD VS NEW SCHOOL OF MARKETING AND SELLING For many decades and generations old school marketing focused on the company’s product and service. When new products were invented, such as washing machines, microwaves or computers, us (consumers) had to be informed about WHAT the product does, HOW we can use it and HOW it helps us in everyday life.
All marketing communication and sales strategies were based around providing such information – the functionality and practical benefits of products. Modern marketing is more customer-oriented. Consumers no longer need to be informed, unless it’s a new invention. Instead, customers want to be inspired, be part of something bigger than themselves. Businesses, especially lifestyle brands, who understand and adopt this strategy put their customer’s needs (practical, functional and emotional) above everything else.
All marketing communication and sales strategies start from the point of emotional connection through storytelling.
OLD
NEW
We think
We know
Mass marketing
Personalised marketing
Interrupt
Interact
Static content
Dynamic content
Manual processes
Automated processes
Sometime
Real time
FREE GUIDE SOCIAL STORYTELLING GUIDE Open your camera on your smart phone and scan the QR code. SCAN & READ
MODERN MARKETING IN PRACTICE When engaging modern marketing the first question you should be asking is: “What problem are we solving for our customers?” You need to identify behaviour and the actual problem before you can understand what emotional triggers can be linked to such problems. Once you identify such emotional triggers, you have to acknowledge that each customer will respond in different ways through their actions. This consequently has an impact on your brand’s reputation, trust, awareness and loyalty. For example, if in your messaging and communication you trigger happiness, your customers share it more with their friends which in turn increases brand awareness. However, if the customer is disappointed with your brand, this can lead to disconnection, loss of trust and loyalty. SOCIAL STORYTELLING IN 2022 For many years social media marketers considered three metrics of measuring success – audience growth, engagement and targeting. While many have now moved away from such metrics, some brands still see them as important. But times move fast. If your objective is to build a brand long term, the metrics look beyond numbers and rates. According to Binet & Field report, the focus should be on sharing value-driven content that reaches the right customer across multiple touchpoints at the right time. So how does value-driven content look like? The first question every brand has to ask themselves is: “What role do we play in our community?” Drilling down to your company’s values and purpose will give you guidance to what content and themes you want to talk about as a brand. Thinking about how your audience receives your message, you can brainstorm on different ways and formats of telling such stories. For example, if your business is about supporting local manufacturing and slow living, the stories you can create can be based around emotions of belonging and feeling of empowerment. For specific case studies and ideas, download our 30-page Social Storytelling 2021 guide for free by scanning the QR code on the left. E If you need help in creating your social storytelling plan for 2022, get in touch with our team of storytellers at studio@estila.co
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EVI ANTONIO X STEDSANS Recently launched by artist Evi Antonio and midcentury furniture restorer brand Stedsans, a collection of two armchairs lovingly restored and covered in Evi’s print design. The armchair was designed in the 1930s by renowned Czech designer Jindrich Halabala, (1903–1978) who had a significant influence on postwar design with aesthetic drawn from Czech Cubism, Art Déco, and classic midcentury modernism. The inspiration for the fabric design came from a painting called “Salamis storm” 2020, featuring the butterfly whose Latin name is ‘Salamis parhassus’. The butterfly features centrally in the design subtly blending, almost camouflaged with its background, which reminded Evi of a snow storm. The inspiration to the background pattern originated from an old, rusty metal container in East London, which presented itself with endless design possibilities and abstract patterns. WEBSITE: eviantonio.co.uk | stedsans.com INSTAGRAM: @eviantonio | @stedsans
JEWELLED BUDDHA A fusion of Japan and India, independent fashion brand Jewelled Buddha has recently launched a mini collection of stunning kimono robes, hand dyed and woven by a group of specialised Ikat master artisans. The kimonos are made in the traditional T-shaped silhouette of a Japanese kimono, and handwoven in a complex Japanese-inspired double Ikat. Wear it for lounging at home, Sunday market strolls, brunching with friends or dinner dates. Throw over casual weekend wear like jeans and a t-shirt or pair with cigarette trousers and a top for a more dressier look. If you want practical simplicity and style, Jewelled Buddha’s new kimonos are way to go. WEBSITE: jewelledbuddha.com INSTAGRAM: @jewelledbuddha
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