by martwayne | Apr 26, 2021 | Business of Fashion, Fashion
Is The Fashion Industry Dealing With Fashion Copycats?
Quite frankly, dealing with copycats has been a long standing concern in the Fashion Industry. Fashion doesn’t have the same copyright protection as other creative media. Which means it’s easy for copycats to get away with theft. But before we dive into the gist, let’s understand what copycat Fashion or knockoff fashion is.
To copy a design simply means to produce the same item made by another Designer without getting a license to do so. In most cases, it is sold for a less price.
From my point of view, there are two ways to it. Sometimes big brands rip off designs they have seen on a runway, mass produce them and sell at lower prices.
In other cases, some designers just pick up pictures off the internet to replicate in their collection or a bespoke service. I get to hear some designers say once they change the sleeves and the neckline, then it’s their design! But we all know that is so not true! Well, some folks might say …
“ What has been will be again, and what has been done will be done again”
As regards the impact of copycats in the fashion industry, there are two schools of thought. According to insights and analysis shared by BOF;
“Some say copycats dilute brand equity and damage sales, reducing incentives to innovate. Others argue that copycats are, in fact, healthy for the fashion industry, because they keep trend cycles turning”…
Apparently, not everyone in the Fashion Industry is in support of dealing with copycats. This makes it easier for copycats to get away in a lot of instances. Moreso, these so-called copycats are quick to taking action. They turn out knockoffs in a matter of few days even before the original designs are produced. Is there really a permanent solution to this? Should we fold our arms and accept that it is part of the journey?
Does Intellectual Property Law Exist in the Fashion Industry?
Well, the obvious truth is that not everyone is embracing the ideology that copycat is as old as the Fashion Industry itself. Flashback to the year 2019, when one of the top Nigeria fashion brands, Deola Sagoe issued an intellectual property warning prior to the unveiling of the Deola Tropical Galactica SS20 01 Surreal™️ collection. This was in a bid to set her brand apart and protecting her brand from the copycat plague.
In other words, some Designers have taken great steps to get legal protection for their designs. However, this law varies significantly in different countries. For instance, in the United States, fashion designs are exempt from copyright protection. Now you are wondering how exactly can you deal with the situation, right?
Firstly, you have to face the reality that some brands are out for making money alone. Nothing about creativity. Even the big brands like Zara and Forever 21 consistently knockoff designs from the Runway. More so, these brands have adopted technology into their businesses. They have been able to study the consumer behaviour, trends and how a certain design is perceived by the consumers.
Bottom line, be ready to deal with the copycats!
4 WAYS TO DEAL WITH COPYCATS IN YOUR FASHION BUSINESS
To stand out from the crowd means you are ready to put in the work. You have to create some uniqueness in how you present your designs to your target market. Be creative in your styling, photoshoot, packaging and even your adverts.
Beyond adding watermarks and a unique logo, let your brand identity and aesthetics reflect in your business. Sell the feelings to your consumer so they can spot the difference between your product and the knockoffs.
BE INNOVATIVE AND PROTECT YOUR DESIGNS
You can’t copyright types of clothing but you can copyright your unique prints and also register a patent for truly unique items. So ensure you register your designs under the Patents and Designs Act. For further reading on “Intellectual Property and Fashion in Nigeria” take a look at this article.
Do not for once think your business is too small or assume no one can copy your works. Do your research and take all necessary actions.
CHOOSE A REPUTABLE GARMENT PRODUCTION HOUSE
Work with a garment production house that has a credible reputation. You shouldn’t work with people who’ll reproduce or sell your designs or patterns. Prepare an NDA-non disclosure agreement and make your terms as clear as possible.
DON’T BE WEIGHED DOWN
If you’re hit by a copycat, don’t let it weigh you down! Keep producing unique designs, monitor them and try to figure out the source of the design. Send them a message directly or through your lawyer if they continue to steal your work. Let them know you’re willing to pursue legal action. In some cases, copycats are not worth suing because you might end up wasting money and time. For example, the Aba boys print pick off illustrations from the internet, print it on t-shirts and release at cheap prices.
I such cases, suing might not worth it because the art works are usually poorly printed on low quality T-shirts. Hence, the difference is clear! While it might be tempting to call them out, you may lose more and bring them free publicity when you fight with them.
On a final note, take the necessary steps to protect your designs, get professsional help and make sure you build a unique brand .Dealing with copycats is not an easy task, but know when to act, how to act and when to watch from a distance.
Having said all these, which of the 4-ways discussed above have you tried before or would you implement.
Share with us!⠀
by martwayne | Apr 2, 2021 | Business of Fashion, Fashion
In as much as choosing a target audience for your business is not always easy, there are times when you will need to re-evaluate your business. The truth is that nothing is really constant, not even your market. The fact that a certain demographic was earning a particular figure 5 years ago, does not mean the money will still have the same value neither does it mean their needs can’t change.
More so, with the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic, consumers are being challenged to evaluate their priorities which has ultimately led to new needs and spending criteria.
Some common reasons why you may need to change your target audience are discussed below :⠀⠀
1. When the target audience is too small -if your target audience is too small, you won’t be profitable, it should be big enough to generate profit.
2. When the target audience is too big – When you’re trying to speak to everyone, you will end up reaching no one. Narrow it down to the relevant people but don’t make it too slim.
3. No buying power: Your customers need to have a buying power that can afford your products. If they don’t have enough money to buy your products, then they’re not the right target for your business.
4. Expansion: Sometimes with new innovations and market needs, you’ll discover other opportunities. Such opportunities might lead to an expansion and massive growth. Hence, the need to evaluate who your customers are.
For instance, some Fashion Brands and Garment production Houses have leveraged the covid-19 pandemic to increase the production and sales of nose masks and medical scrubs. Such opportunities come with expansion and a new marketing strategy. Consequently, the need to change their market.
With the evolution of the market as well as the business environment, changing your product consumers can be very useful.
Peradventure you made some wrong generalizations at the start of your business and you see a need to change your target audience, do not hesitate to do so.⠀If bigger companies have been able to do this successfully, so can you.⠀
Do you think it’s necessary for your business to change its target audience? ⠀
Let’s discuss….⠀
RECOMMENDED RESOURCES:
5 Mistakes to Avoid When Starting a Business
How to Spot Business Opportunities
3 Things You need to know
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by martwayne | Mar 30, 2021 | Business of Fashion, Fashion Business
You need to promote your business on Google so your customers can find you with ease.
Business promotion is any communication that attempts to influence people to buy products or services. An entrepreneur’s goal after a target market is identified is how to take the products to them. The way(s) this goal is accomplished is referred to as business promotion.
All businesses need a way to promote their products to create some form of visibility. However, not all businesses need the same kinds or level of promotion. Some businesses might just need word of mouth, a sign-post. For instance, a roadside food vendor. on the other hand, some businesses might need to invest more in a digital presence, billboards, etc.
Having said that, certain business promotions are essential for the growth and development of your business irrespective of your location. Below are five ways to promote your business consistently.
1.Highlight your Benefits and Features
There is a difference between the benefits and the features of your products. You need to clearly state them. The uniqueness of your product could be one of its features and that will set you apart from other business owners. The features of your product are its characteristics, what it is and what it can do. On the other hand, the benefits are the results or the experience your customer will have. The benefits are what will make them buy from you rather than from your competitors.
For example, you can design a dress with a detachable sleeve that can be styled in three ways. The features here will be the design details of the dress while the benefit you offer includes; Multiple styling options and spending less money since one outfit can give different styles.
2. Optimize Your Website
An optimized website is essential for consistent Business promotion. People need to know you exist for them to patronize you. Hence, an effective way to put yourself in their faces is by having an optimized website irrespective of your location. Your business location is not a barrier.
Check out The Best Five ways to Improve Traffic on Your New Website for more details on website optimization.
3. List On Google My Business
With a Google My Business account, you can get your business listed, give your customers more ways to reach you, specify your location on the map, engage with your customers, as a result, promote your business consistently. Google has made it easier for consumers to get results tailored to their location and needs.
4.Start a Blog
People want to read compelling and relevant content on the subject or an industry that interests them. As a result, an optimized blog will enable people to visit your website and in return, makes your business rank more on Google. However, your blog should keep people engaged, have images, links, embedded videos and be mobile responsive. Most importantly, it should have relevant contents.
5.Use Your Social Media Effectively
In simple terms, you can drive traffic to your website via your social media platforms. Through these platforms, you can share your content add links and share to as many people as possible. it can also be reshared by more people. Your social media posts also need to be optimized with relevant keywords to boost your visibility.
In conclusion, to grow a profitable business, you need customers and need to put yourself out there, leverage the free and affordable tools/resources available the and be promote your business consistently.
If you need help figuring out how to set up, grow and run your fashion business, we offer a consulting service and we can help you out.
Recommended Resources
How to Articulate Your Products
MARKETING STRATEGY-Why Instagram and Facebook should be a part of your Marketing Strategy.
3 word of mouth marketing strategies to grow your business
by Sophie | Mar 23, 2021 | Business of Fashion
The fashion industry is very vast, with enormous opportunities. As a fashion business owner, you don’t have to earn money only from selling the clothing you produce. Adding other revenue streams is a smart move. Not only will it help you earn more, but it also gives you a sense of stability and financial security.
Even if your business is doing great, you can have more than you already do. Adding other streams of income will give you that something extra you might be seeking. Not only will it still be in the fashion industry, but it can significantly increase your income.
Inspired by the concept of “not putting all your money-making eggs” in one basket, we’ll be discussing 3 ways to add more revenue streams to your fashion business.
1. Special memberships
One thing a lot of people love is access to exclusive perks. With a special membership available to a limited amount of people for a fee, you can create a new revenue stream for your business. Benefits you can offer to members include discounts, freebies, or freestyling.
Depending on how big your fashion brand has grown, it can benefit from having an exclusive membership.
2. Subscription boxes
Another way to earn more with your fashion brand is by offering a subscription box of curated outfits. For the fashion lovers who love to shop for new clothing, you could curate a box of clothing on a recurring basis for a fixed fee.
For example, if you own a corporate wear brand, you could create a subscription box that sends four workwear outfits to your subscribers monthly for a fixed fee.
3. Wholesale
Starting a wholesale option is an effective revenue-generating stream. You can deliver your products to retailers at a lower price to earn more from selling in bulk.
Wholesale can be tedious, especially if you can’t keep up with the challenges of production. However, with my ebook on how to start a clothing production factory, you’ll be able to get started with little or no money.
4. Brand collaboration
Brand collaborations are an effective way to diversify your revenue channels. You can collaborate with other brands and come up with unique products or packages. Look out for other businesses that are complementary to yours, contact them and propose opportunities for working together. It could be annually, bi-annually, or monthly, it depends on the type of partnership. You will be surprised at how effective it can be.⠀
Can you think of more unique and interesting revenue streams for business owners? Let us know in the comments…
Would you like to start a fashion business but have no idea where to start? We have online courses that cover all aspects of building a successful fashion business.
by Sophie | Mar 2, 2021 | Business of Fashion, Uncategorized
Establishing trust in your business on social media is imperative for every fashion brand. It is perhaps even more important than sales. When customers shop at a physical store, they don’t have to be concerned about issues, like the quality of your clothes or being scammed.
Shopping and ordering on social media is a vastly different experience. Potential customers have less to go on when determining how comfortable they feel making a purchase. Consequently, it’s up to you to quickly earn their trust and curb any skepticism.
Here are 5 techniques for earning trust online from your customers;
1. Use high-quality-images and photos
Quality content can do a lot for your fashion brand on social media. It sets you up apart and improves the way potential customers see you.
They can’t touch or physically see the clothing, all they can use to determine if they should make the purchase is the images you put up. If you take high-quality captivating photos and record videos, it will be much more convincing.
2. Put yourself out there
People like to know the stories and faces behind brands they love, it helps them connect with the business on a deeper level. You can create engaging how-to videos, behind the scenes, styling tips, or just photos of you wearing what you produce.
3. Use Reviews
With reviews, your brand can show potential customers what your existing customers think. It will help increase their confidence and trust in the quality of what you’re selling. Don’t use just Whatsapp screenshots, video reviews, and unboxing videos can also be used.
4. Have a consistent brand identity
From your logo and brand colors to your tone and personality, you must be consistent in everything you do and say. People will come to recognize your brand’s unique style and have more trust in it. Even when other brands steal your content, your audience will be able to tell it’s yours.
5. Provide a great customer experience
The best way to deliver trust is to surprise and delight customers. Give them what they asked for, but on top of that, deliver more, more service, more time, more convenience, and more sensitivity.
Building trust with potential customers is an issue all fashion business owners should take seriously. Even if you don’t have a brand that stands on its own yet, employing these strategies can help prove to your potential customers that your business is trustworthy and legitimate.
Have you developed other strategies to help build trust in your business? Share with us in the comments so others can learn from it.
If you’ll love to learn how to start a garment factory with little to no money I have a Step-by-Step Blueprint that can help you start and run it succesfully.
