I had the chance to chat with the marketing assistant Nicole Porras and both e-commerce assistants Jessica Chang and Michelle Choi of Bluefly.com. Bluefly.com is an online shop for luxury fashion, accessories and beauty products. They shared their experiences with digital marketing strategies, the challenges of selling luxury fashion online and where they think technology in fashion is heading. 

What kind of marketing channels do you think work best in our modern time?

Nicole – I think it is important to have a presence on all marketing channels as (potential) customers seek information about a product or your brand across such various platforms such as social media, the brand website, or email marketing. I think it is definitely important to know your customer and know what channels he or she is going to be looking at and you want to make sure that your message and presence on that/those channels is strong enough to capture their attention.

Jessica – I agree with Nicole. In our modern time we have access to a multitude of marketing channels, and it’s so important to be utilizing as many as you can and catering to your demographic.

Is it hard to sell luxury products online, without having an “in person” customer experience?

Michelle – There are some challenges to overcome when selling luxury products online. For example, customers can’t see the products in-person until after they receive their order, so they’re unable to see how the products will look on them, and this may prevent some customers from checking out. But there is a convenience factor in shopping online. Customers can sort through merchandise and deals faster online than at a brick and mortar store, but in the end I think it depends on the kind of shopper that a customer is.

Do you see companies like Amazon or Google adding a fashion sector as a potential competitor?

Nicole – It seems like this is something that many retailers are wondering or asking themselves at the moment . Amazon has definitely changed the game when it comes to delivery standards and immediate customer satisfaction. As retailers, we all look at our competitors and the retail landscape and we try to do our best to offer customers the best possible experience that we can. We live in a time where customers have the option to purchase an item and have it arrive at their door the same day. Amazon is fulfilling a need for customers who want that immediate satisfaction and instant gratification. However, we hope that our customers at Bluefly come to us because we can offer them a unique experience that perhaps our other competitors cannot offer them.

Observing the current hype around labels shifting more into e-commerce (like LVMH), do you think these developments are a threat?

Jessica – It’s incredible to see how much the industry is moving towards e-commerce and focusing on their online presence. More than a threat, every single development is a learning opportunity to better ourselves. I think it’s important to view competitors as partners to be inspired by and learn from. E-commerce is allowing brands to create a more curated experience for customers, and hopefully Bluefly is providing our own unique experience for our customer base.

Are customers more attracted to the website or is the mobile App taking off more?

Michelle – Currently, our customers seem more attracted to the website than the app. This could be due to our emails and social media posts that redirect our customers to the site. We also reach a wider audience on our website because customers can access it on both desktop and mobile platforms, whereas the app requires users to download it to their phones. However, we hope to see an increase in our mobile app usage as we continue to develop it.

Jessica – I’d agree that our customers are attracted to our website more. That’s mainly where our focus lies, and where it seems to lie for many other ecommerce retailers as well. But, our mobile platform is something we’re definitely shifting our focus on in hopes to improve it and drive more traffic towards in the future. People spend majority of their time on their phones now, so creating a more attractive mobile app experience is ideal. I think mobile apps are definitely a component in where the future of digital marketing is heading.

Where do you think digital marketing is heading to in future?

Nicole – I think it is hard to predict exactly where digital marketing is headed but that’s what is so great about it. It is ever changing and all we can do as marketers is do our best to stay informed about the trends and technological advances that could change how we reach or approach our customers in the digital world. All we can do is keep our eyes open and be ready to adapt!
It’s great to see that technology plays a major role at Bluefly and as a strong online retailer I’m curious to see how the shopping experience is going to evolve in the future. 
Franziska

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