Full-page colorful ads placed in consumer magazines have long been the way to brand and promote fashion. Many industries have successfully transitioned, as least in part, to online advertising. But a recent article in Women’s Wear Daily points out that fashion houses aren’t “clamoring to place their ads on the Web.”

Part of the problem is that early adopters in the industry turned to unimpressive banner ads. But now that other online options have been more fully developed, especially video delivery, writer Lisa Lockwood says that “the whole definition of advertising is being turned upside down.” While fashion marketers are accustomed to grabbing consumer attention with full page print ads, it’s difficult to take over an entire page online for an ad. However, some point out that the graphic capabilities of devices such as the iPad have improved Web-based imagery. Industry expert Kyle Acquistapace, executive vice president of media planning at Deutsch Los Angeles says that fashion houses must advertise in multiple places to avoid the “one-dimensional approach to marketing” and this will include a shift to digital.

To address the concern that fashion ads don’t stand out in the crowded Internet universe, more houses are trying to attract visitors to their sites by creating online content.  But many executives still believe that the online content lacks a call to action. Tim Calkins, clinical professor of marketing at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University says marketers need to get creative and find a way to generate consumer excitement about what they see online. This move will result in higher revenue.

As operators in other industries have found, moving the message online means opening a new channel of communication with consumers. When it comes to social media, fashion houses must give up the tight control they’ve had when crafting their image.This is a topic many senior managers are struggling with.

But there’s no denying that younger consumers aren’t using print at the same rate as older consumers. To stay relevant, fashion houses must continue to explore online media formats. Edward Menicheschi, publisher of Vanity Fair, says it best, “The key [to advertising] is to find a manner and message that is correct (and on brand) at each touch point.” Increasingly, this will mean putting more effort into the online channel as today’s younger consumers command more spending power.

[Source: Lockwood, Lisa. The World is Online. Women’s Wear Daily. 22 Jun. 2010. Web. 30 Jun. 2010]

Moms have long had control of a large portion of the household budget. And when women become new moms, their spending habits change. Instead of buying apparel and accessories for themselves, they’re suddenly purchasing equipment and supplies for their babies. What has also changed recently is that new moms are harnessing the power of the Internet to educate themselves and to purchase the best products to suit their needs.

When women become first-time moms, they change their media use according to a report by eMarketer. Here’s  a list of the media formats new moms turn to in increasing numbers after giving birth:

• Mom-centric social media 68%
• Mainstream social media 33%
• Internet 32%
• Mobile phone 19%
• E-mail 19%
• TV 12%
• Magazines 10%
• Radio 7%
• Instant messaging 4%
• Newspapers 2%

For the most part, moms are using less traditional media such as magazines, newspapers and radio and reaching out through the Internet. The Internet is empowering these moms to locate retailers “that are respectful and responsive to their needs and concerns.” And one subset of new moms, the Millenials (between the ages of 20 and 34) are looking for retailers to “customize their products and business procedures” to meet individual needs.

Retailers who engage with new moms online, share information such as competitive pricing and quickly admit errors when they occur are being rewarded with both new business and increased loyalty.  These retailers will also likely shift their marketing efforts to the places where they can reach more new moms and these days, that means the Internet.

[Source: Retailers Connecting with Moms Online. eMarketer.com. n.d. Web. 29 Jun. 2010]

Economists and out of work Americans are looking for signs of revival in the U.S. job market. It’s too soon to tell if hiring is occurring in any significant way. However, a new Elance survey shows that when SMBs do hire, they’re going about the process in a new way.

Nearly 2/3’s of surveyed business owners say they are using online hiring instead of traditional hiring. And, in addition to hiring online, businesses are looking for employees to work on a project by project basis. This staffing practice allow businesses to maintain flexibility at a time when profitability is still under stress. Additional benefits of online hiring include “24-hour/7 day a week access to talent.”

How widespread are these new ‘distributed organizations?’ The survey results indicate more hiring managers are comfortable with hiring the right team members for a project and not so concerned about their physical location.  Fewer than 20% of hiring managers said that a team member’s location is important for an online hire.

Survey results also  show:

• Businesses who have made at least 1 online hire: 86%
• Made between 2-5 online hires: 49%
• Made 6+ online hires: 15%

How can potential employees stand out when businesses are seeking to make an online hire? Decision makers consider the following criteria:

• Ratings from prior employers 89%
• Viewing a portfolio of work 84%
• Pay rate 73%

Elance analysts predict the online hiring trend will continue. Businesses that serve this marketplace have an opportunity to increase revenue by promoting their products and services and more SMBs and employees seek to find each other online.
[Source: Elance Survey Reveals Majority of Small Businesses Prefer Hiring Online vs. In-Person. 23 Jun. 2010. Web. 29 Jun. 2010]

In the quest to drive traffic to their sites, retailers are adding content. Various types of content serve to “boost search engine rankings, build customer trust and loyalty, keep customers coming back and drive new consumers to an e-commerce site,” writes Katie Deatsch for Internet Retailer. How does an online vendor optimize the amount and type of content?  Presenters at the recent Internet Retailer Conference & Exhibition in Chicago had some answers.

According to Ken Burke, chairman at e-commerce platform provider MarketLive, e-commerce retailers should devote 80% of the site real estate to commerce and 20% to content. When it comes to content, retailers should add  text and video-based buyer’s guides. They should also consider discussing industry trends to help educate buyers. For example, Deatsch’s article describes how Beach Body, an e-commerce operator, has reached $100 million in annual sales by marketing its products both on TV and through its online site. Burke also highlighted how e-tailers can ‘push out content’ to other sites and link back as a way to boost traffic. These types of syndication strategies require  adding metadata and tags so that search crawlers can find the new content.

The CEO of Beach Body “believes useful content that builds trust and offers information will lead to that sale, even if it’s down the line.” More e-tailers will likely be boosting content on their sites with hopes of generating similar results.

[Source: Deatsch, Katie. Content can be crucial for e-commerce sites, experts say. InternetRetailer. 10 Jun. 2010. Web. 22 Jun. 2010]