GROWING FASHION BRANDS

The London Fashion Agency was started by Rosie Davies in 2013, after she realized what young brands wanted to know when it came to fashion PR services – what they are getting, and how much it costs. LFA prides itself of being a “non-traditional agency that does things a little differently:” they provide a range of services to help small brands in their first few years, cutting the unnecessary costs of traditional PR agencies. Her revolutionary approach to fashion PR has not gone unnoticed; Rosie has recently been shortlisted for Great British Fashion Entrepreneur of the year. Read on as she explains the vision behind her agency, and dishes on the hottest upcoming marketing trends.

What has been the hardest part of building credibility for your PR company?

To be honest, we have never approached anyone we have worked with. I think without realizing this built our credibility as an agency. I didn’t ever think about it; I was more interested in doing a good job for our clients. I don’t like pushy agencies that email you and call you. If we come across a brand we like, we follow them on Instagram and interact with them like humans, and then if one day they are thinking about PR, marketing and branding we hope they think of us. Brands have always found us, be it through word of mouth, internet searches or social media. I want LFA to be known as an agency that cares about brands, not one who pushed for business all the time.

How much have the digital age and the rise of social media affected the PR industry?

I have only been working in the PR industry for 5 years so the digital age was already upon us when I started, but some of my clients have been in this game a lot longer so I hear from them how different it used to be. With online magazines becoming more and more popular, printed magazines are having to up their advertising and advertorial pages leaving less column inches for stories on brands or shopping stories. Editors and stylists now find new brands through social media channels rather than traditional press days. To get coverage a brand needs to ensure that their social media presence and content is just as good as their product. We judge companies so quickly these days on how their website looks; a fashion editorial team does exactly the same when introduced to a new brand.

What has been the most challenging client you have worked with so far?

Sorry guys, I’m not naming any names. Honestly, most of the brands I have worked with over the past few years have been great. We work extremely hard for all of our clients and always want the best for them and if that means putting in more hours then so be it; I think most of them know this and the ones that don’t are probably not a good for fit us. The main the challenge is that clients sometimes don’t understand why they aren’t featured on the main Vogue shopping page in month one of their contract. To solve this issue, we are in the process of putting together a handbook for our clients to help them to understand the process of PR, what we do on a monthly basis, lead times and how editors work. I think this will really benefit both sides and make the process seamless.

Who is your ideal client?

Eight Hour Studio, who we currently represent, are a dream to work with. Not only are their products unique and beautifully shot but they also are really understanding as to how challenging PR can be for a new brand. We have a very good working dialogue, and pass ideas to each other on a regular basis whether that be publications they think I should target or ways I feel they could improve their content. I like to feel like one of the team with all my clients; I think it is really important to bounce off each other. Looking forward to the future, I want to work with brands whose ethics and morals is in-line with our own. Sustainable fashion and British made products is something that is really important to me so this is something I definitely take into consideration when a new client approaches us.

What is the most important thing in branding that usually goes unnoticed?

Use of colour throughout branding and online presence gets forgotten a lot. I love a brand that uses the same colour on their packaging as they do on their website. The small details always get noticed by someone with a creative eye.

What is the most common mistake new designers make when trying to grow awareness for their brand?

The biggest mistake new designers making is not knowing their customer well enough. I see so many designers trying to do everything; be on every social channel, target all magazines and blogs for coverage whereas their target customer, someone who will actually buy, will engage with only a few selective channels and publications. We have written on our office wall “Being all things to all people is a recipe for mediocrity,” and this is the best piece of advice I could give to a new designer.

What are a few things brands can do on their own before they turn to PR for help?

The best thing they can possibly do is know what their target market is reading or how they are influenced. Not every publication will feature your product; it’s good to accept that in the early days so you can really focus on targeting publications that will. Buy the magazines that you want to be featured in, and follow the editors on Instagram and Twitter. You never know, they might be looking for your product at that moment, and drop you an email.

What are the points designers have to excel at to have a successful brand in 2016?

Focus on these three things, and you’ll be on your way:
1. Imagery: For a web based business your product only looks as good as your imagery does. Make it good, people will remember you!
2. Social media: Don’t just do it for the sake of it. Focus on less channels, and make sure the content is targeted.
3. Content: Give people a reason to visit your website. Make your brand’s blog content exciting and give people a reason to come back time after time.

Which are the PR channels to watch for in 2016?

Instagram. It’s nothing new but the power of Instagram should not be underestimated. I have already started finding new brands and even buying items from pictures I see. We find clients we want to work with there, and I think it will evolve even more over the next few years.

What is your ultimate goal for your company?

To grow fashion brands! We want LFA to become a PR resource for all small brands no matter what your budget is. We already offer low-cost PR options in the form of contact lists, and one off press release send-outs but I think this is an area we can develop further over time.
Our other goal is to have a number of wonderful clients on our books, brands that care about the same things that we do. There is no better feeling than when we see one of our brands featured in a national magazine and it occurs to us that “we made that happen.”

www.thelondonfashionagency.com
Images Rosie Davies
A.