Photo: view from my apartment window!

As you know, it’s been several weeks without posting to my blog. In the past few weeks, I’ve been a busy bee: making a move to San Francisco and starting a new job at SHIFT Communications. I’m so glad to finally settled in, especially before NYFW explodes into the blogosphere!

Currently working on the consumer team, I am gaining a lot of experience right off the bat and learning all there is to know about SHIFT. Already, I’ve had the pleasure to meet Principal Todd Defren and jump right into working on social media and traditional PR projects.

I’ll be buzzing around the city a lot, so catch me on Twitter @ConsumingPR when you want a dose of Consuming PR! Any fun SF hot spots to recommend?

I’m proud to announce Saurette, New York based children’s clothing company, is now available for purchase in stores across the U.S. and available online at www.mysaurette.net! It was only last January I covered the star attention Saurette received during the Golden Globes. Now, the coverage and attention has paid off with Saurette launching a full fledged in-store debut.

This is a prime example of earned media coverage resulting in a return on investment. Creating a buzz with media coverage such as events, social media and print will enable a brand to leverage itself while breaking into their target markets. Recognition is everything when it comes to selling a product because it gives customers the promise of quality.

As far as ROI goes, it can be difficult to measure public relations activities for every dollar. A PR campaign needs time to develop and become established before you can truly measure the investment and distance of dollar. Research is one way to measure success, aside from ad equivalency, because it shows the change upon impact of public relations activities. Take a snapshot of the company before you embark on a campaign and compare your results. This method will provide necessary tools to communicate ROI.

As a public relations professional, it is important to show your results at all times. Companies will put more trust in your services and in turn build your reputation and clientele.

Find Saurette in a store near you! Also, Saurette is offering free shipping from www.mysaurette.net just  in time to order those Easter dresses for your little girls! Usethe following code at check-out: SAFRSHP

Twitter is the fastest and most concise way to exchange information. Bloggers use it to promote themselves, track up-to-date trends and immerse themselves in their industry. Twitter can also be used to promote companies, labels, celebrities and those who want to be connected and consume information at light speed.

Fashion bloggers, designers and apparel companies utilize twitter in a way that may change the face of fashion. Nordstrom (@Nordstrom), Saurette (@Saurette), Solessence (@Solessence), and Hayden-Harnett (@hayden_harnett) are all companies tweeting frequently about trends and their own products. With the exception of WWD, fashion trends are mostly reported by print magazine on a monthly basis. Now, with the use of Twitter, fashionistas everywhere can consume fashion 24/7. This enables consumers to become inspired by trends, designers and celebrities at any moment.

Twitter paves the way for fashion trends to come and go in a matter of seconds. The astronomical number of exchanges between people on twitter ignites this type of behavior.

As fashionistas exchange trends on twitter, consumers will be overloaded with trends and fashion news. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy that there is an overload of fashion news accessible at my fingertips, but this might mean that trends will have shorter life spans.

Consumer brands and fashion labels thrive on trends. Department stores pick up on these trends in order to drive business. With the use of buyers, department stores seek out labels that are consistent with current trends. As trends start to have shorter life spans department stores may not have the capacity to keep up. Boutiques, on the other hand, have the capacity to thrive with the changing trends because they have a smaller inventory.

Can businesses keep afloat if trends have shorter life spans? And will boutiques thrive while department stores go by the wayside?

Photo: Jack & Bill PR post on twitter during Fashion Week

True, public relations practitioners need to be aware of these trying times but might we find diamonds in the rough? Brand perception means everything to companies right now because consumers are reluctant to buy. People are purchasing trustworthy brands and seeking out product information to make the best economic decisions. Public relations is the key to garnering this consumer trust.

Brand perception is the most important element to a company’s success rather than slashing prices. “I see a lot of people in my industry who are over-reacting. Stores that are over-discounting, designers who are creating collections for the price and what sells rather than to reflect who they are,” says Anna Wintour in New York Magazine’s The Cut.

Along with Abercrombie & Fitch, as mentioned in my previous post, Neiman Marcus is hanging on to their luxury-brand image and perceived value.

The Fashion Rag reports that luxury department store, Neiman Marcus, plans to open a new store in Bellevue, Washington, at The Bravern in March 2009 and a three-story store in the Macerich-owned Broadway Plaze in Walnut Creek, California.

I recently had a discussion on Twitter about Neiman Marcus’ behavior. Jordana Bruner, fashion blogger for Clutch22, explained that “their primary customers still spend $$ in spite of the recession. It’s similar with some other luxury brands.” Pierce Mattie Public Relations replied with, “It’s just interesting that when other brands are being cautious, they are going full throttle. Do they know something we don’t?” This is an interesting question to ask and I hope it will be answered in the near future.

I urge companies to keep pushing forward because their business is what drives our economy. Also, know that investing in public relations will build trust in a company’s brand perception to drive business.  Stay strong and remember that public relations will save the day!!!

How do you think brand perception affects business in a recession?

Many luxury brands have recently slashed prices. “This is an unusual time. You have to be creative at this moment,”says Ralph Toledano, chief executive of Chloé. Although lowering prices can help business, some believe it can affect brand image.

“While $2,000 handbags and $700 stiletto heels are still expensive for most people, if prices drop precipitously, the perception of a label’s value may also drop,” explains Rachel Dodes and Christina Passariello in the Wall Street Journal article, In Rare Move, Luxury-Goods Makers Trim Their Prices in U.S.

Abercrombie & Fitch agrees with this concept of prices affecting brand identity. “Even though their sales for the third quarter decreased 46% (and even though holiday sales account for nearly half their total sales), Abercrombie says it won’t jump on the sales bandwagon,” writes Natalie Hormilla of Fashionista.

Abercrombie & Fitch should pay attention to those luxury brands slashing prices and follow suit. In a time of financial crisis, people expect brands to lower their prices. It is fundamentally understood that as sales decrease so do prices. Their brand image will not change if they lower prices like the rest of the market. Do you think high prices are crucial to Abercrombie & Fitch’s brand identity during a global financial crisis?