It may seem trivial, but a fashion show and the reception it receives can move the needle on a brand’s performance. If the alchemy of the collection, the vibe, and the experience is right, it can not only drive critical acclaim and brand relevance but also sales, as we’ve seen with Matthieu Blazy’s Chanel debut in September, which caused a frenzy outside Paris stores when the collection dropped a couple of weeks ago. From deciding who is in the room to sharing information and images post-show, PRs are responsible, in one way or another, for most of the stories told about a brand moment. And in an industry where the consumer is more discerning than ever, brands have to get it right.
From vibes to KPIs
When I visit the PR agencies ahead of the shows, desks and floors are covered in enormous sheets of paper, with intricately color-coded seating plans (each agency has a different code). Teams circle around the paper, testing combinations of editors, talents, buyers, and friends of the house.
“You have to have a personal touch,” says Hoppen, “I will look at the chart and say this person and this person are friends, so they will talk to each other, but those two used to work together at the same title, so that might be a little acrimonious,” Hoppen says. It’s about curation of personalities, to achieve the brand’s goals, be it social media buzz, resonance in a certain industry like art or music, or a community feel.
“It’s demanding work,” says Mumi Haiati, founder of agency Reference Studios, which represents labels including Blumarine, Stone Island, and Chrome Hearts. When we meet, his team is poring over the Blumarine seating plan. “The glamorous moments come from long hours and meticulous preparation. PR is still about coverage, but increasingly it’s about understanding how brands can participate meaningfully in culture, at a time when [audiences] can be suspicious of brands.”
Over the last decade, the way brands have measured the success of a fashion show has changed considerably, PRs agree. When Lucien Pagès started his agency in 2006, he had never heard of a KPI (key performance indicator). “It was more about feedback and feelings,” Pagès says. “Before, we were waiting to see if things worked when they arrived in the store. People knew which show was working [intrinsically] based on instinct.”
Today, PRs are often ruled by data reports following activations. Earned media value (EMV), which each agency measures differently through organizations like Launchmetrics, Lefty, or WeArisma, has become an important currency. These metrics attach a certain monetary value to social media engagement, such as likes or comments, to determine the total monetary value generated by an event, a fashion show, or a talent. “When you do a show, like you can go a few million, or the value of a few million, overnight,” Pagès says. Brands then use this data to evaluate an event, and their PR’s performance post-show or post-activation. While it’s a useful barometer, “it can oblige you to do quantity and not quality, if you are under pressure,” Pagès says. “Also, sometimes it’s a bit fake, because people buy their followers or have bots.”