Friday, July 28, 2017

Do This #5: Interactive Display

One of the most memorable stands at Premium this season was by Handstich. They froze some garments in a big block of ice which attendees could touch. Over the days the ice slowly melted so you could touch the clothes and it was a great attraction! 

Why you should use an interactive display
  1. Entertain the buyers.
  2. It is an opportunity to further differentiate yourself.
  3. Make a memorable impression - most don't think beyond displaying product. 

1. Entertain the buyers
If you can elicit an emotional response among the buyers, they're more likely to spend time exploring your product. If they feel excited, maybe their customers will feel excitement. Every person who walked by the ice block reached out to touch it. Handstich was able to give them a real emotional response.

2. Differentiate yourself
Most brands hang their clothes on the racks and then stand there smiling. An interactive feature shows that your brand has more depth and is able to offer an experience in addition to a product. Another very interesting presentation was a brand who chose to display 10 outfits on mannequins. They were the only brand to do a presentation-style stand and it instantly stood out when I walked that aisle.

3. Be memorable
After a few weeks have past, I still remember the surprise of stumbling upon a block of ice and a stand full of dressed mannequins. Even if a buyer doesn't place an order right away, by doing another interactive display next season the buyer will remember you much quicker. The more they think about you, the more likely they are to order from you.

In Short: an interactive display adds energy to your stand, makes you more memorable, and increases your chances to sell.

As always, wishing you great success. —TT

Thursday, July 27, 2017

Faux Pas #4: Eating

We all need to eat. But we don't all need to eat in the middle of a sales opportunity. It's easy to turn a blind eye to the business owner who is at the stand alone and needs to eat, but if a brand is big enough to have 8 brand reps it just looks unprofessional to have a team lunch in the stand. Also, why is no one greeting that buyer in the background?

What this says to a buyer
  • These brand reps may not be in a mood to answer questions I have.
  • Is it appropriate for me to browse while they're all eating?
  • Maybe I should come back later.
  • The smell of their food is really distracting.
  • I hope they clean their hands before they come shake mine.
  • If I set my bag on the meeting table I'll probably get food on it.
What you should do instead
Schedule your lunch breaks
The above pictured brand has 8 brand reps! Eight! It would look much more professional to send them out of the stand in 2s or 3s to go eat. This keeps most of the team available to speak to buyers.

What you stand to gain
The team will stay more focused because they know exactly when their lunch break is.

In Short: eating in the stand does not make a buyer feel comfortable so eat anywhere else.
As always, wishing you great success. —TT

Monday, July 24, 2017

Do This #3: Color Grouping

fashion trade fair with a brand displaying its products in color groups.
Make your product easy to browse and group it by color. The above photo shows one of the few brands at Premium Berlin, July 2017, who organized their products by color. 

Why you should color group
  • Easy to see the season's color palette.
  • Easy for a buyer to see if the stand has what they need.
  • Makes your brand look very well organized.
  • Gives a buyer confidence that you'll be easy to work with.
  • Shows a clear creative vision.
  • Puts the focus on product fit, construction, and quality.
  • Brings a feeling of calm, to a busy trade fair setting.
Step up you stand
The brand shown above only has solids. To sell more complete outfits this brand should show how to style a complete outfit. They could hang a complete outfit within each color group or set up a few mannequins. 

In Short: color grouping makes makes it easier for a buyer to find what they need and that may translate into additional sales. 

As always, wishing you great success — TT

Friday, July 21, 2017

Faux Pas #3: Hide Your Brand

Trade fair stand with frosted glass walls that hide their product from view from the aisle.
Sometimes doing what is counterintuitive can kindle interest, but is it effective when there is absolutely no teaser? The above photo is an established brand but even so, shouldn't there be at least a pattern, or color, or object visible from the aisle which draws you in?

What this says to a buyer
  • Do they not need new clients? Why aren't they displaying their product?
  • There might be a photo booth with props on the other side of this wall, but I don't know if there's much product.
  • This is a playful brand and if my customer is over 30 I don't need to go in.
  • They must have a big marketing budget if they approved someone's idea to totally conceal the product.
  • They think their brand name alone is enough to draw me in. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't.
  • They are well distributed, so if I'm looking for something unique this brand is too commercial. 
What you should do instead

  • Draw customers in by starting the experience outside of the wall. 
  • Add brand reps outside of the wall to model the new collection and have them hand out "tickets" so attendees can enter the stand to see the entertainment. 
  • Add brand reps outside of the wall to provide context for the type of products on display. Ex. If you want buyers to look at jackets, have your brand reps greeting people in the aisle and make comments about how the room is chilly. This prompt gets the buyer's mind focused on temperature and provides some context for browsing jackets. 
  • Since the brand seems to have a big budget, why not play with the name (Scotch & Soda) and serve drinks at the entrance so buyers can sip and browse. This brand could probably get a local coffee/tea/beer/liquor brand to donate the drinks in exchange for the exposure. 
  • Use some sort of decoration at the entrance to hint at what is inside. Maybe some pattern on the floor that leads into the stand, or 
  • Place some speakers near the entrance to play sounds that reinforce the season's theme. Non-music sound clips would be more interesting than standard shopping music.
  • Have a projector shine silhouettes or images from the campaign across the glass. 
What you stand to gain
  • A more engaging brand experience.
  • Buyers who are more focused as they enter the stand.
  • Increased chance of capturing walk-by traffic.
The point of presenting your product at a trade fair is to, um, present your product. I believe that the fancy installation shown in today's faux pas ultimately became the focus of the brand's stand rather than their products. Do you agree or do you think the frosted glass is alluring and therefore effective at drawing the buyers in?

As always, wishing you great success. —TT

Thursday, July 20, 2017

Do This #2: Decorate the Walls

Fashion trade fair stand with memorable gold walls.
Decorate the walls of the stand. The above photo shows the ONLY stand among hundreds at Premium Berlin, July 2017, to use a reflective gold wallpaper and it's great! 

Why spend money on decor
You stand out

In a sea of white boxes and grey floors any stand with even the slightest bit of thought given to decoration becomes instantly more noticeable. Even if the buyers are all wearing black and white it's still a relief for their eyes to suddenly see something different.

You show who the brand is
Buyers have limited time and every second counts. Before a buyer even looks at the products, a decorated stand gives them an opportunity to develop a first impression of your brand aesthetic. Without a decorated stand, their first impression is much less impactful.

You reinforce the season's concept
Decorated walls can help to communicate the season's concept, enhance the color palettes, and breath more life into an otherwise sterile space.

You provide a wayfinding visual
When you strike up a conversation outside of the stand, how can you make it easy for buyers to find your stand? Tell them to look for gold wallpaper, the logo balloons, or the flower Mickey Mouse. It teases the buyer with what else they might see and is a memorable navigation tool.

Good examples of trade fair decorations.

In Short: decorate your walls, peak their interest, make it easy to find you.
As always, wishing you great success — TT

Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Faux Pas #2: Blocking Access to Products

Tom Sawyer did a wonderful job painting this stand's white floor, so why did the brand reps place their meeting table in such a way that buyers have poor access to the product?

What this says to a buyer
  • The brand's needs are more important than mine.
  • If I want to browse their products I have to listen to a sales pitch first.
  • Will the move or will I have to ask them to stand up so I can see the products?
What you should do instead
  • Push the table to the side or in one of the corners. Simple.
What you stand to gain
  • Buyers can more easily see and reach the products.
  • Buyers won't feel like the brand rep is just waiting to deliver a sales pitch.
  • Also, when the brand reps are bored, they won't be the first thing a buyer sees when looking at the stand. It gives the brand rep time to perk up.
Not to say that this stand is doing everything wrong, there are aspects that are good. The elevated floor—it's surprising how one step suddenly makes you feel separated from the rest of the activity in the trade fair. This brand's products are nicely merchandised by color so your eye travels easily through the season's palette. Their hanging racks are copper pipes which is a nice decor choice that tells us more about the aesthetic of the brand.

Tuesday, July 18, 2017

Good Trade Fair Practices #1

From Premium Berlin, July 2017, this stand looks great and feels inviting. 

Why they're doing it right

Room to browse
With a relatively large space this brand was smart to not overfill their stand which allows room for movement. The open space makes it easy to see products from the aisle. And there is clearly room for a buyer to enter the stand, explore the collection, and pull product off the rack to see it in more detail. 

Meeting table surrounded by products
Rather than push the meeting space to one side, and put product on the other, by integrating the meeting table into the middle of the space it makes it much easier to invite a buyer to sit when a chair is no more than a step away. And products are always within arm's reach.

Island of featured products
I love this island. It allows the brand to strategically feature one product—likely a new or redesigned product—which demonstrates that they have a clear marketing plan; they want buyers to know that their brand offers shoes in addition to apparel. 

The island is also a nice buffer between the sales team and an uncertain buyer. The island allows the buyer to feel safe while browsing the table. When a sales person approaches the island the buyer can feel safe to engage with them or to say no thank you. During a meeting the island visually blocks the activity outside of the stand and allows buyers to focus better.

Nicely merchandised by color
The brand is very good about presenting the season's color palette. Many styles are shown in the same color so buyers can focus on the product design, function, and quality. When a buyer does ask about additional colors the sales person will know that this buyer is a good potential customer. 

Minimal decor
White walls, very light wood floor, and a smaller brand logo on the back wall, help to place all of the focus on the product. 


Monday, July 17, 2017

Faux Pas #1: Product on the Floor

In the Premium Berlin fair there is a long hall. At the end of this long hall are some small rooms named the Cubes. In the back corner of one of the Cubes I saw something that really surprised me—product on the floor. How can an emerging brand knowingly present their products so carelessly? Let's examine this a bit...

How does this impress a buyer?
I have attended 13 trade fairs this year and have seen many different approaches to using the stand space, but product on the floor is a no-go. The point of attending a trade fair, and paying thousands for a stand, is to entice new buyers to investigate your product offering. Considering the amount of competition in the market, presenting your product in an attractive manner should be top of mind. 

Product on the floor implies:
  • We do not value our own products.
  • Our product is cheap and disposable.
  • We are not concerned with sustainability.
  • Our quality is inconsistent.
  • Our company is poorly organized.
  • We do not have a marketing strategy.
  • We do not know what our core product is.
  • We do not know what our customer wants.
  • We are focused on short term gains, not long term relationships.
  • The products shown may change or be eliminated next season.
  • We do not need more sales.

If your stand isn't appealing, there are plenty of others that are. 

How to correct this faux pas (and others seen in the above photo):
  • Get the product off the floor and onto shelves or display boxes.
  • Merchandise your products so buyers can see what you have. Group by like color, style, or size.
  • Bring less product to the stand. It is acceptable to whet a buyer's appetite so they schedule a follow-up meeting to learn about your products.
  • Fill flat products with filler to show their shape.

What you stand to gain:
When you value your products, buyers will more easily see the value. Elevating the products on shelves or display boxes brings the items closer to the buyer's eyes and hands. By grouping the merchandise in a logical manner the buyer can easily see what you have, what your product range looks like, and they can determine whether you have what they need. When you bring an edited range of products you demonstrate a knowledge of both your collection and your customers because you brought only the essentials that a buyer needs to make an informed decision.

These improvements would attract buyers who are more serious and more willing to pay your price, and that's really what every brand wants.

Thursday, July 6, 2017

Part 2 of 2: Working With Friends

Wooden table with a green, orange, and blue pocket squares laid out.
Continuing from Part 1 of 2: The Silk Road to London, today St. Piece co-founder, Ting Hsu, talks about the process of forming a business and learning how to best work with a partner.

How did you two prepare for entrepreneurship?
Sandy graduated from Central St. Martin and knew of an evening course on how to start a business so we got in touch with the school to ask if I, as her business partner, could join the course even though I wasn't an alumni, and they permitted it. After that we spoke to people in the industry and learned about resources for young designers. We decided along the way that we wanted to do something that would best display Sandy's art and that's how we started making scarves. In our third season we started working with Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf's. Prior to that we thought St. Piece would be a fun side project!

Light pink and purple floral pattern pocket square placed in a tea cup.

What was it like those first few seasons?
When Sandy and I first starting going to shows and people asked if we had a lookbook, or a line sheet, etc., we said, "Yes of course," and then would turn to each other and say, "We should have done that!" and then we'd wing it.

White and green floral pattern pocket square placed in a tea cup.

What have you learned about working as a team?
Sandy is a great designer and like many creative people she feels very personal about her work. I act as a buffer between her and the buyers. I've learned to reposition the feedback we get so it's positive and will improve Sandy’s work rather than critique it. For example, one season we had lots of yellows and oranges, and I was told by some of our European and North American stockists that those colors don't work well with Caucasian skin tone. So when I spoke to Sandy I explained that the designs were good, but the stores would prefer different colors that work better against a Caucasian skin tone. That's a reason that she can accept and as the designer she needs to know this information about our customers. It works well for us to work as a team.

White, blue, and yellow illustrated pattern pocket square placed in a tea cup.

Thank you to Ting for the interview! Additional information about St. Piece is available on the brand’s website and Instagram. This was Part 2 of 2 so be sure to read Part 1 of 2!

Enter promo code: thurston20 to get 20% off your total.

Monday, July 3, 2017

Part 1 of 2: The Silk Road to London

St. Piece pocket squares in blue silk, orange silk, and green silk, with floral illustrations.
I met Ting Hsu, cofounder of London-based print studio, St. Piece, in passing at London Fashion Week Men’s where he invited me to stop by the his silk stand at Pitti Uomo. Founded in 2013, St. Piece specializes in luxury silk scarves and accessories which feature intricate patterns and rich colors. Ting shares the entertaining story behind the brand’s formation and demonstrates how the dream may be free, but the hustle is indeed sold separately. 


Blue, green, and orange pocket squares from St. Piece on a table with a peony flower.

How did you get into the fashion industry?
I never thought about working in fashion until 2014 when I started this company with my business partner, Sandy. My career started in Restaurant PR which I did for a long time. So I went from an industry where everybody eats, to an industry where nobody eats. Haha!! No that's a joke. Everyone I know is really healthy but that is a common misconception.

8 outfits with St. Piece pocket squares styled for Thurston Threads blog.
8 different looks using St. Piece silk scarves and ties.

How did you and Sandy get introduced?
I've known Sandy for a long time as a friend. I think it was Christmas of 2013 and several of our friends decided to organize a Christmas dinner. At some point I got to look through Sandy's portfolio and I was amazed, I was mesmerized! I can hardly draw a straight line with a ruler so when I saw Sandy's artwork I said, "Oh my god they're so amazing I wish I could wear them." She offered to print them as t-shirts for me and as we were a little happy from the wine we thought it was such a great idea that we wanted to turn it into a business. The next day we talked about it again and said, "Why not?"

Orange silk pocket square from St. Piece with black floral illustrations placed in a tea cup.

How did you come up with the name, St. Piece? Do you pronounce it like it's French?
No, we actually don't. The S and T stand for our names, Sandy and Ting. We originally used “ST PIECE” as a way to note that it was a piece of art by Sandy and Ting. People who saw the label thought our name was St. Piece, so we decided to go with the flow and use that name. 

Light blue silk pocket square from St. Piece with black geometric illustrations placed in a tea cup.

Thank you to Ting for the interview! Additional information about St. Piece is available on the brand’s website and Instagram. Be sure to read Part 2 of 2: Working With Friends

Enter promo code: thurston20 and get 20% off your total.