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Internet Clothing Company Marketing Question?

by sdentrepreneur
31 replies
Hey Warriors

I just picked up a new client that has online store for mens/womens clothing. At first I thought they wanted to sell clothing line directly to consumers B2C but after my first full meeting, they would welcome that but really want to get their clothing line in small or large chains of clothing stores.

Here are my initial marketing ideas to help them and I could use some help or ideas.

1. Totally trick out and populate their Social Media, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and LinkedIn.
2. Add all their products to Pinterest and put the pricing right on each Pin
3. Leverage Facebook to find the top 100 retail clothing stores Facebook Pages and try to reach a decision maker that may want to carry my clients line of clothing in their stores.
4. Use LinkedIn to find the buyers agents of these top 100 retail clothing stores and get a dialog going with them.
5. Create a Video and Blog Marketing Campaign to get the word out about this product line.
6. Create a Press Release announcing this new clothing company
7. Look for any industry related Forums or Bloggers and reach out to them

These are my initial thoughts, I am open to any more suggestions and also some critique of these 7 points above.

Thanks in advance !!!

James Hickey
#clothing #company #internet #marketing #question
  • Profile picture of the author serryjw
    Are they the manufacturer? What kinda clothing? BE SPECIFIC! What price point?
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    • Profile picture of the author sdentrepreneur
      Originally Posted by serryjw View Post

      Are they the manufacturer? What kinda clothing? BE SPECIFIC! What price point?
      Yes, they are manufacturer. Clothing is for younger crowd, hoodies, plaid shirts, maybe surfer/skater crowd. They have been in major department stores before. Cost on most items are $8.00 - $13.00 and the stores can sell in the $25-$40 range.
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      • Profile picture of the author serryjw
        sent you a PM
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      • Profile picture of the author bizgrower
        Originally Posted by sdentrepreneur View Post

        Yes, they are manufacturer. Clothing is for younger crowd, hoodies, plaid shirts, maybe surfer/skater crowd. They have been in major department stores before. Cost on most items are $8.00 - $13.00 and the stores can sell in the $25-$40 range.
        How come they are not in major stores now? Can they go back to the contacts they had then?

        Can they get involved in the X-Games as a sponsor, or other ways to get in front of their market?
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        • Profile picture of the author sdentrepreneur
          Originally Posted by bizgrower View Post

          How come they are not in major stores now? Can they go back to the contacts they had then?

          Can they get involved in the X-Games as a sponsor, or other ways to get in front of their market?
          Yeah, they had a had been in stores under a different brand name, had to change name, we are going to reach out to their list of 100+ past retail stores, after we create a solid online brand using Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter.
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  • Profile picture of the author mrmatt
    I think it sounds great.

    There are a few other things you may want to consider.

    Social Media Constests - to win clothes.
    Buy celebrity tweets or posts
    Give aways on blogs that have that crowd as readers

    Send out press releases on all of the above.
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    • Profile picture of the author sdentrepreneur
      I like those Matt !!! Thanks, I thought of doing a contest using OfferPop but didn't think of the celebrity tweets or endorsements.



      Originally Posted by mrmatt View Post

      I think it sounds great.

      There are a few other things you may want to consider.

      Social Media Constests - to win clothes.
      Buy celebrity tweets or posts
      Give aways on blogs that have that crowd as readers

      Send out press releases on all of the above.
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  • Profile picture of the author johnben1444
    How about using adword and Facebook ppc to promote their product. PM me and I will send you a Facebook page and you will be amazed at it that can do.
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  • Profile picture of the author cshilling22
    What type of traction do they have online? What are their sales and how do they promote online?

    Is their website design optimal and do they have a section for wholesale and B2B sales?
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    • Profile picture of the author ewenmack
      James, all the methods mentioned don't go direct to the decision maker or to the person who has the connection to the decision maker.

      My whole approach would be about
      who to connect with, what ways to connect with them,
      what will your message be.

      This is business to business, not business to consumer.

      From what you mentioned he is wanting to open up distribution
      channels.

      Best,
      Ewen
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      • Profile picture of the author sdentrepreneur
        Hey Ewan

        I don't really understand the whole retail clothing industry. From what I understand, they are going to need some type of ground game or sales team to reach the right people. I am hoping to build their online presence to such a high level, which in turn, can help a sales team. Could lead to some B2C sales as well. Work in progress....


        Originally Posted by ewenmack View Post

        James, all the methods mentioned don't go direct to the decision maker or to the person who has the connection to the decision maker.

        My whole approach would be about
        who to connect with, what ways to connect with them,
        what will your message be.

        This is business to business, not business to consumer.

        From what you mentioned he is wanting to open up distribution
        channels.

        Best,
        Ewen
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        • Profile picture of the author ewenmack
          Originally Posted by sdentrepreneur View Post

          Hey Ewan

          I don't really understand the whole retail clothing industry. From what I understand, they are going to need some type of ground game or sales team to reach the right people. I am hoping to build their online presence to such a high level, which in turn, can help a sales team. Could lead to some B2C sales as well. Work in progress....
          Do you know if they have an existing sales team calling on retail?

          Best,
          Ewen
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  • Profile picture of the author digichik
    This may help you on the B2C for your client:

    http://www.warriorforum.com/warrior-...ng-budget.html

    Note: I have no affiliation, I'm just a fan of his products.

    Also, for B2B you may want to find out who some of the larger distributors are at the L.A. fashion mart(since you're in San Diego), the distributors who handle these type of clothing lines. It was the largest fashion mart outside of NY, don't know if that's still true.
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  • Profile picture of the author richie311
    LA has a fashion district it's basically a mall of wholesalers to small clothing stores. They basically are manufacturers of clothing and the stores are setup to show new designs etc to clothing store owners. Most the people walking around shopping are clothing store owners. You won't be able to get a store there but maybe you can talk to some of the owners since most of them have connections to hundreds of stores across the country.
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    • Profile picture of the author javarog
      Here is the thing, everybody and their dog has a clothing line, with a few dollars anyone can create some patterns then cut and sew, this is mostly done off shore of the USA because most states frown on a sweat shop enviroment.

      What needs to happen is a brand creation, then brand awareness, what I mean is creating a desirability of the product by the targeted consumer group.

      It will be tough for them to get any traction in the industry at a large wholesale level without either a top designer or a celebrity endorsing the line, so the only avenue open is to retail on their own to the targeted group to create a demand for the brand, once this is created then one can go to market in sustainable volume.

      What you outlined in the first post is a good start to a very tough business.
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      • Profile picture of the author serryjw
        Welcome to PULL MARKETING...Thanks for the agreement!
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  • Profile picture of the author KingOfContentMarketing
    Yes, no matter what, you want a social media and internet presence to build the brand and support the effort to sell to retail stores.

    But to attempt to create significant demand for the brand BEFORE approaching retailers will be daunting. It will take a lot of time and patience.

    Unless they want to put in all that effort, it's better to kick it off online to get some presence and then go ahead and talk to buyers. Selling though retail channels will get them a lot more exposure rapidly than trying to build up the brand first on their own.

    The tradeoffs are significant, though. You said they have experience with retail, so they know there will be low margins and rules like the need for unlimited right to return goods and the right to pay less if the products are ever marked down. Do they want to go through all that?

    Not only that, but their products are at the mercy of the store selling staff. Will they know how to best position, sell and merchandise your client's products?

    This is where a tandem approach of their own web store as well as retail will benefit. If consumers cannot find the style or size they want at retail, they can always order online.

    Remember that they must have a fair amount of different products to offer. That's because once a consumer gets emotionally involved with a brand, they want to buy more of it. Retailers generally won't carry a line without a decent selection and variety. It's partly to offer their shoppers choice, but also because they want enough product to merchandise complete looks or outfits.

    What is the brand story? Who does the clothing speak to? What does the brand say about the buyer. Many fashion brands fail because they pick too narrow a niche, lack a clear identity, have no unique value, and lack a consistent story.

    When talking to retailers, it's important to show how the brand will help the retailer meet their category goals. Most fashion brands just pitch their brand and how it is great. Go beyond this and "speak retail." Find out what similar brands they have and what brands they dropped. Figure out how your brand fits in the overall retail picture of the store or chain. Then make sure you communicate that to the store buyer. You will set yourself miles from the competition because 90% of people seeing the buyer will only talk about their product.
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    Marketing is not a battle of products. It is a battle of perceptions.
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  • Profile picture of the author javarog
    I agree with Joe golfer, shelf space to retailers is real estate and if they can't turn a profit in the shelf space allotted then the product that is residing there will be short lived.

    That is why some sort of brand building would be in order. Just to let you know how big this undertaking is , I did a fast google search for fashion t shirts with results of 132 million sites and this is just one category.
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    And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.

    Abraham Lincoln

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    • Profile picture of the author serryjw
      You and Joe are correct BUT for all the reasons stated, stay out of retail. Build the brand online and stay there. They will be more profitable and be able to turn on a dime when somethings has sell through...just not possible when supplying retail...Remember, this merch is for teens, the most fickle demographic. One bad season at retail can bury the business. This is where social media can have a huge impact...They don't have deep enough pockets to build a brand for retail. It takes time and huge money.
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  • Profile picture of the author ADukes81
    $#7 - Blogger Outreach. This is the best way to get their clothes in the hands of thousands of people. Maybe create an affiliate program or give the blogger a ton of clothes. I'd go a step further and send them an imac customized to their style.

    Pinterest/Instagram for sure. Facebook as well as people are so visual. Run some photo contests like "Weirdest place wearing our t-shirt and you get $100/500" or something like that.
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    • Profile picture of the author KingOfContentMarketing
      Originally Posted by ADukes81 View Post

      $#7 - Blogger Outreach. This is the best way to get their clothes in the hands of thousands of people. Maybe create an affiliate program or give the blogger a ton of clothes. I'd go a step further and send them an imac customized to their style.

      Pinterest/Instagram for sure. Facebook as well as people are so visual. Run some photo contests like "Weirdest place wearing our t-shirt and you get $100/500" or something like that.
      Blogger outreach is good partly because only 30% of brand pins on Pinterest come from the brand's own boards. By reaching out to bloggers and trendsetters, you encourage them to pin away, quickly garnering the other 70%.
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      Marketing is not a battle of products. It is a battle of perceptions.
      - Jack Trout
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      • Profile picture of the author abbot
        Banned
        Your client needs to build up their own brand first. (which i'm presuming they have not done since they're hiring you). If they don't already have a website, and STRONG social network banging their brand, they should not even be considering a move to chains.

        This is a very competitive market and I could write an essay on this topic. My brother owns a digital printing company. It's an right out PITA niche to be in.

        I suggest you skim over this thread and search that forum. See how they're marketing their brands. This is a tough territory to cover.

        How to pitch your designs to a big chain store - T-Shirt Forums
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        • Profile picture of the author sdentrepreneur
          They have a brand already, they are just now getting into Internet and Social Media Marketing.

          Thanks for that T-Shirt Forum, that will come in handy.


          Originally Posted by abbot View Post

          Your client needs to build up their own brand first. (which i'm presuming they have not done since they're hiring you). If they don't already have a website, and STRONG social network banging their brand, they should not even be considering a move to chains.

          This is a very competitive market and I could write an essay on this topic. My brother owns a digital printing company. It's an right out PITA niche to be in.

          I suggest you skim over this thread and search that forum. See how they're marketing their brands. This is a tough territory to cover.

          How to pitch your designs to a big chain store - T-Shirt Forums
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  • Profile picture of the author digichik
    James, I saw this the other day and thought of this thread. Take note of the charity involvement to help build the brand. You may be able to use some of her other ideas as well.

    How a 15-year-old entrepreneur got her product into Nordstrom | Profit Minded - Yahoo! Small Business Advisor
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  • Profile picture of the author sdentrepreneur
    Here is what I am starting with. Also going to incorporate many of the ideas from this thread. Thanks Guys and Girls :-)

    Phase One Marketing Plan

    1. Online Branding
    • Research your audience. To build your brand online, you must first have a clear understanding of your audience, especially before you begin creating content strategies and communication plans. JMH + PP
    • Custom Online Graphics to control your Business Brand. PP
    • All your Web, Blog and Social Media Graphics must match. PP

    2. Social Media Marketing

    FACEBOOK
    • Create Custom Graphics For Fan Page - PP
    • Add Custom Facebook Apps/Tabs - JMH
    • Post Status Updates 1-3 Times Per Day – JMH + PP
    • Grow Fans/Likes By 100+ Per Month - JMH
    • Comment and Interact with Fans – JMH + PP
    • Find and Interact with Top Influencers – JMH
    • Set Up Facebook Deals and Maintain – JMH
    • Manage Facebook PPC Ad Campaigns - JMH





    TWITTER
    • Create Custom Twitter Backgroud - PPP
    • Post Tweets 3 To 5 Times Per Day – JMH + PP
    • Grow Twitter Following By 300+ Per Month - JMH
    • Interact with Followers – JMH + PP
    • Find and Interact with Top Influencers - JMH





    LINKEDIN
    • Create Company Profile – JMH
    • Create Services and Product Page - JMH
    • Leverage LinkedIn to find Decision Makers for Client – JMH + PP
    • Brand Client as expert using LinkedIn – JMH + PP
    • Create Extensive LinkedIn Marketing Strategy - JMH

    YOUTUBE
    • Create Custom Graphic Background - PP
    • Customize YouTube Account – JMH
    • Link YouTube To All Social Media Accounts - JMH






    PINTEREST
    • Set up Pinterest Business Account - JMH
    • Create Industry Related Boards - JMH
    • Upload clients content and find Industry Related content – JMH + PP
    • Connect to Facebook and Twitter - JMH
    • Create posting strategy - JMH
    • Grow followers by 50+ per month - JMH


    GOOGLE PLUS
    • Claim or Access Google Plus - JMH
    • Set up Google+ Branded Page - JMH
    • Optimize Both Profiles and Pages - JMH




    3. Content Marketing
    • Create Video Marketing Campaign. This will include slide shows, powerpoints and live footage. Perform Keyword research to determine getting Google Page One Rankings. Optimize current videos for more views and lead generation. Result – Improve Online Branding/Find New Clients – JMH and PP
    • Blog Page on Website – Create Content For Blog – Post to all Social Media – JMH + PP
    • Press Release Marketing – Create Press Releases for all upcoming events and promote them out through all top PR Web services. Repost all Press Releases on Social Media sites. Result – Improve Online Branding/Find New Clients – JMH and PP



    Phase Two Marketing Plan

    4. Traffic Distribution
    • Add all Social Media Assets to OnlyWire | Automated Social Bookmarking . Will be using both of these sites to push out content on a daily basis. Result – Improve Web Traffic and Online Brand
    • Paid Search Media – Media Buys
    • Status Updating Sites – Social Media
    • Create Contests and Giveaways to Get Social Buzz and Viral Web Traffic


    5. E-Mail Campaign
    • Email list of current clients
    • Email Capture Form
    • Email Broadcast System
    • Email Follow System

    6. Reputation Management
    • Google Alerts
    • Tracking Your Reputation On Social Media
    • Engage and Manage any Bad Reviews

    7. Lead Generation
    • Lead Capture On Website
    • Lead Capture On Blog
    • Lead Capture On Social Media
    • Getting a Facebook Like is a LEAD !!!
    • Internet Based Sales Funnel
    • Internet Based Video Funnel
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  • Profile picture of the author javarog
    Nice plan !!
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    And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.

    Abraham Lincoln

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  • Profile picture of the author SashaLee
    Hi there,

    Just read an article that might be of help to you on the B2B side:

    Company to Watch: Joor | Inc.com

    All the best,

    Sasha.
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  • Profile picture of the author bizgrower
    Nice plan. More stuff here:
    Fashion, Clothing, Business and Design News

    Dan
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    "If you think you're the smartest person in the room, then you're probably in the wrong room."

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  • Profile picture of the author rizy
    I have long planned on creating a clothing ecommerce business but at retail prices. And I have always thought of doing one thing above others mentioned above:

    Hire popular Internet Model/Celebrities | Offer them free fancy clothes, and pay them $100 for reviewing and taking a pic in it and then submitting that pic on their social networks. These celebs usually have 30K plus twitter and fb followers.
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