Topshop & Google Hosting the first interactive catwalk show at London Fashion Week

Case Study27/02/2013

OVERVIEW

On Sunday 17th February, Topshop and Google teamed up for what is claimed to be the first interactive live streamed fashion show of its kind.

WHAT’S ALL THE FUSS ABOUT?

The catwalk show drew a great deal of plaudits for both brands during the height of London Fashion Week.

The show was the first of its kind and is another example of a brand using social platforms to engage users online from a live event.

HOW DID THEY DO THIS?

Using a selection of Google properties and Topshop’s owned channels, the show was brought to life using a number of different activations pre, during and post event.

AUDIENCE INTERACTION IS

POWERFUL

THE BENEFITS OF MAKING LIVE EVENTS INTERACTIVE TO PEOPLE ONLINE

The growing importance of social media and online content

• Social media creates the opportunity for mass-scale participation.

• It brings people closer to their interests.

• An engaged audience is much more valuable than a passive one. Information is absorbed to a much deeper degree when you feel a part of the experience.

THE BENEFITS OF MAKING LIVE EVENTS INTERACTIVE TO PEOPLE ONLINE

The growing importance of social media and online content

• It’s easy to share real-time content and word of mouth is the strongest form of marketing communication.

• Point of purchase potential – consumers can download music, click on the clothes and pre-order items, chat to the design team etc.

• Live events that would have once taken place and passed us by, are now everlasting online through content created and shared.

1. In-store Google+ booth

2. Google+

3. 3D Google maps

4. Google+ hangouts

5. YouTube

6. Model Cam & Shoot The Show

7. ‘Be the buyer’ app

KEY FEATURES OF THE SHOW

1. IN-STORE GOOGLE+ BOOTH

Digital photo booth housed in flagship store

• Three days before the show a ‘Be the model’ digital photo booth was housed in the London flagship store on Oxford Street

• Customers were able to try on their favourite outfits and pose for pictures in the booth, which creates animated GIFs users can share with others on their social networks

• A giant screen was also installed in the store that live streamed the show and all the events in the build-up Interactive Touch

Screen Giant Phone

Google ‘own’ Photo Booth Technology

2. GOOGLE+

Making the most of the Google+ features

• The show was streamed live on Google+

• Users could follow the models experience in the run up to the show and throughout the day

• Prior to the show, content around competitions and model diaries were shared to build anticipation

• As standard with Google+, users could +1 (i.e. like), comment or share this content with friends

3. 3D GOOGLE MAPS

Using 3D Google Maps, viewers were able to see inside the venue and around the gallery before the show

4. GOOGLE+ HANGOUTS

The Google+ video chat feature allowed fans to connect with the design team and Creative Director on a personal level

• Using Google hangouts, Topshop hosted a live Q&A session with their design team and Creative Director, Kate Phelan

• Viewers were able to watch live behind the scenes final preparation for the show

• Google+ hangouts allow you to video chat with up to 9 people at a time. Hangouts can be held privately or made open to the public (the host has control over who is invited into the hangout).

Hangout attendees can be seen along the bottom

5. YOUTUBE

YouTube hosted the backstage video content and the live stream for the show

Live streaming on YouTube means the show has the potential to reach a global audience.

Today, hosting events offline AND online switches the dynamic from exclusive to all-inclusive.

YouTube is great for hosting additional behind the scenes and branded content, bringing fans closer to the event and their idols, in this case the designers.

Live Stream Behind the scenes

6. MODEL CAM and SHOOT THE SHOW

• Witness the show live from a catwalk model’s perspective• Capture and share your favourite moments in real-time

Live HD-cameras were built into the models clothes allowing the viewer to see the catwalk from the models point-of-view.

By clicking the ‘Shoot the show’ button (left) users could capture their favourite moments and share with friends and followers on Twitter, G+, Facebook, Tumblr and Pinterest as they happened.

These were both fantastic innovations for the catwalk

experience.

Both were brilliantly executed and made for a seamless user

experience.

7. BE THE BUYER APP

Fans create and share their own fashion collections using items from the catwalk

• The app is run on Google+ and was not live during the show. It was launched the day after on Monday 18th February

• Topshop experts and influential bloggers provided useful tips and advice on Google+

• There was a competition element too, with the user who selected the best collection winning a shopping spree

• Topshop are using insights taken from the data the app provides, to help their buying team decide what items to bring to retail

1. Drag your items into the boxes located on the right

2. Create your collection

3. Share it on Google +

“We will learn so much about what our customers want through the Be The Buyer app. For instance, if we send a black coat down the runway but all the interest in the app is in a yellow version we can take that feedback into account directly”

(Justin Cooke, Chief Marketing Officer, Topshop)

1. In-store Google+ booth

2. Google+

3. 3D Google maps

4. Google+ hangouts

5. YouTube

6. Model Cam & Shoot The Show

7. ‘Be the buyer’ app

KEY FEATURES OF THE SHOW (REVIEW)All the features knitted together nicely and brought people closer to the show. The staged approach was well executed and made for a richer experience.

PRE

DURING

POST

The foundation stage allowed awareness and excitement to build before the show.

Users are able to interact with the stream and capture their favourite content before sharing with their friends and followers in real time.

Because of all the content captured by Topshop, Google and the viewers, people were able to re-live the event, or witness the show for the first time at their leisure.

HOW WAS THIS EVENT BENEFICIAL TO TOPSHOP?

MAKING A STATEMENT

The battle to stand out against other brands at London Fashion Week is intense. The show generated PR and

positive reviews across the internet and within

the industry.

The online element gave Topshop the

chance to showcase their collection to their entire target audience rather than restricting

the experience to those exclusively invited to

the event

Topshop were able to show that they are an experiential and

innovative brand

“It’s about [using digital] to let customers in and have

access to something that is usually closed off. We want

to connect to the emotional side of the

show”

(Justin Cooke, Topshop’s Chief Marketing Officer)

We have always prided ourselves on being first to market with the latest trends and

product innovation”

(Sir Philip Green, Arcadia)

POSTIVE BRAND EXPERIENCE = POSITIVE WORD OF MOUTH

HOW WAS THIS EVENT BENEFICIAL TO GOOGLE?

THE SLEEPING GIANT – GOOGLE+Are we beginning to see the potential for Google’s social media platform?

4. Increase awareness of their platform features

such as 3D maps & hangouts

2. Encourage inactive Google+ members to

experience the various benefits of the platform

and become active members again

1. Showcase the benefits of using their technology. Prior to the event lots of

people were still unconvinced

1. Showcase the benefits of using their technology. Prior to the event lots of

people were still unconvinced

3. Battle to increase their user base and compete long-term with Facebook

The event allowed Google to:

Although Google was the partner for the

activity, the campaign was integrated across

Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Tumblr

KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS CAMPAIGN

Online users were brought in and made to feel a part of the show through real-

time interactivity and post event

The staged approach was well

thought out, building anticipation up to the

live event

Topshop and Google made it easy for people to capture

and SHARE the content. Reaching a

wider, connected audience

A more ‘complete’ experience was delivered through pre, during and post event activations

DON’T LIMIT YOURSELF TO AT EVENT ACTIVITY!

It’s important to note that this campaign did not start at the event. It started weeks in advance.

Creating ‘buzz’ before the event is as important as what takes place .

Consider not only the audience at the event, but how can you reach out to those at home and online.

Be innovative – using existing technology in a noble way can be as powerful as coming up with something completely new.

A SNAPSHOT OF OTHER BRANDS AT

LONDON FASHION WEEK

Vine is a social platform that allows users to upload

6 second video clips and share them on Twitter &

Facebook

Click here to watch

Burberry have introduced 2 new concepts that allow customers to pre-order clothes off the runway & watch in-store clips of the clothes being created (Click here)

Peter Pilotto posted images on Twitter in a countdown to the show

Designers & bloggers hosted Q&A sessions on twitter using #AskLFW

Burberry, Jonathon Saunders, Paul Smith & the British Fashion Council were using Vine during LFW

Read more here

THE BENEFITS:• Brands can quickly &

easily share insight• Share real-time content• More engaging than

photographs

THE POTENTIAL FOR YOUR BRANDS IS THERE – WILL YOU REALISE IT IN 2013?

Thank You

THANK YOU FOR READING

Tommy Willis (@TommyMWillis)