gapingvoid: "cartoons drawn on the back of business cards"

love and fashion etc

These are my notes for my wee ten-minute talk I'm doing at Le Web 3 with Anina today at 6.30pm.

Backstory: I am in the fashion business. My company, English Cut makes $4000 bespoke [hand-made] suits- among the best in the world- and we use blogs as our primary marketing vehicle. The latter has proven to be extremely successful, doubling sales every six months or so.

Also, my other main eneterprise, Stomhoek wine in South Africa, just launched Stormhoek Siren, a wine that incorporatres both fashion and blogging sensibilities into the very centre of its brand.

As a participant in the blogging/Web 2.0 "revolution", here are some thoughts that I think the web world could learn form the fashion world, and vice versa.

1. Stop talking about the future. Start talking about the present.

The Web 2.0 "Revolution" is already here. If you're not already making hay with it, it's not Web 2.0's problem, it's your problem. This time it's the carpenter's fault, not the tools.

2. Globalization. Fashion and Luxury brands are every bit as vulnerable as any other commodity.

In the old days, if you wanted to own a Hermes scarf, you had to go to Paris to buy it, or maybe New York/London/Tokyo etc. Now you can get them in Cleveland. Or Pittsburgh. Or Leeds.

Welcome to the commodification of "Bling". Welcome to the future of highly lucrative niches, developed cheaply and with transparency [Something the fashion world is just not used to or ready for- but therein lies the opportunity for us mere mortals].

The backlash against globalized commodity is already here. Relish it.

3. "How do I make money with Blogs/Web 2.0?"

If you have to ask the question, you'll probably fail. This new media is both intimate and intuitive. Nobody cares what the MBAs think.

4. With blogging, it's not just about having "Passion and Authority". You also have to have a great product.

Of course, having the latter is almost impossible without the former.

Actually, even a "great product" might not be enough. "World Class" is probably more applicable.

Great Product = Great Idea + Great Execution.

5. It has never been easier to own a niche. But it's also never been easier to be totally screwed without one.

Just because you're young, pretty and clever, does not mean you're immune.

6. The best blogging campaigns are acts of love.

You cannot impose your own selfish values upon the blogosphere and still expect results.

What you can do, however, is give a damn. It's a surprisingly effective strategy.

7. I will leave you with a thought from Six Apart's Anil Dash, talking about the speech the Father of The Bride made at his wedding:

"What he told us is that, in the end, only love matters. Success and fame and wealth and even health all fade in time, and in the end all you have is love. And love is what matters. I hope everyone in the world gets the chance to discover that in the way that I have. I love you, Alaina."

This market and communication transition we're going through is not about technology, and it sure as hell isn't about marketing. It's about Love. Love enabled. Love re-asserting itself in the business between people.

Make of this what you will. Thanks, and Godspeed!

Questions?

[Bonus Link:] Le Web 3 Flickr page.

Posted by hugh macleod at December 10, 2006 1:22 PM | TrackBack