Kate Spade & Co. is one of my favourite fashion and housewares brands. Some of the things that come to mind when I think of the brand are patterns especially polka dots, cute dresses, handbags and their social media marketing.
Kate Spade & Co. is an American fashion house that started in 1993 selling beautiful handbags. Their main target market at the time was upper-middle-class women. Her first shop opened in Soho, New York City in 1996. In 2004, they had expanded to 13 stores all over the United States. While originally only selling handbags, the company expanded to sell stationary, organizers, eyewear, pyjamas, umbrellas, and shoes.
Later on, they expanded to a full women’s clothing line, bedding, and home decor. Kate Spade now has over 175 stores around the world and sold in more than 450 stores internationally. The company is now owned by Liz Claiborne.
Kate Spade has a very distinctive brand voice and social media allows it to be heard in a much more authentic way. It allows their audience to take part in the brand by tagging, pinning, liking, tweeting and following. Kate Spade was an early adopter of Social Media and it’s been one of their best marketing decisions.
The following are Kate Spade’s social media accounts:
- Kate Spade New York Facebook Page
- Kate Spade New York Instagram
- Kate Spade New York Pinterest
- Kate Spade New York Youtube
Looking through all the accounts you can pinpoint three different types of posts they use. Each type together creates a balanced marketing plan that keeps the viewer interested and isn’t always selling to the customer.
Featured Product Post
This type of post, is showcasing their product (or a service). It’s usually a well polished photo that has magazine quality.
honey, we shrunk the hayden! a favorite handbag, now made adorably mini: http://bit.ly/1TVm1fU(bonus: a crossbody strap means it's practical, too!)
Posted by kate spade new york on Monday, February 15, 2016
Event Post
This post is a behind the scenes of an event. Usually a photo that could have been taken on a phone. This gives the audience the feeling of being right there or maybe their best friend just posted their weekend photos. Authenticity is key for this type of post. It’s selling the brand more than a specific product.
Storytelling Post
Their #missadventure videos come to mind in this category. They star Anna Kendrick in her adventures around New York while wearing Kate Spade. They are quirky, fun and targeted towards women in their 20’s. The story might span more than one post, helping people come back for more. These posts are designed to get likes and be shared. They are brand building and loyalty posts.
What can you take away for your business?
Don’t underestimate a good social media plan for your business. Look at having consistence posts that are a combination of featured product/service, events and storytelling. Don’t feel confined to these either. Social media is always evolving and so is your business. Just make sure your posts are not constant selling to your audience. People don’t respond well to that.
If you need help with your social media, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Branding Icon is a series of case studies with the intention of looking at the branding techniques of exceptional businesses. All the logos and other marketing materials are owned by Kate Spade & Co. High Five Creative was not involved in the creation of these assets.
