Diane Von Furstenberg on Keeping her Brand Relevant
Diane Von Furstenberg on Keeping her Brand Relevant
In a recent interview with Adweek, Diane Von Furstenberg went into detail about why she chose to do a reality TV show, and how she has kept the brand relevant – and how she is already doing so for the future.
Reality TV shows are often seen as a ‘guilty pleasure,’ a form of television watched not for the quality but for the drama they contain. On the other hand, these shows are often great platforms for a brand – take Keeping up with the Kardashians, for example – but considering the legend Diane Von Furstenberg is, that couldn’t be the only draw. “It was one way of reaching [millennials]. Strangely enough, the period of my life that I remember the most is that age between 22 and 30. That’s when I did everything…” she stated in the interview, “…And therefore, talking to girls that age is very important to me. I relate to them, and I also feel it’s so great because that’s the moment when if you say one thing, you open a door and their lives could change.”
Reaching millennials, specifically young women, is a great focus of Von Furstenberg’s strategy behind her company’s future success, “You stay relevant by putting the young woman in the center of everything. It’s always the young women who bring their mothers back.” Von Furstenberg’s success has also been achieved through her adept integration of technology and fashion, as well as her use of social media platforms to bring her brand directly to the consumer’s favored screen. Featuring Google Glass on her spring/summer 2013 catwalk was one example of her willingness to embrace technology, along with the brand’s early production of accessories specifically for technology. “Yes, I’ve been very, very excited about technology. It’s very much part of what we’re doing, which is all solution driven. I think we will no longer discuss technology and fashion as two separate things. Technology is so much a part of our life that we don’t think about it that way anymore.”
Her methods overall seem straightforward and effective: putting the young woman at the center, targeting the current generation via platforms innate to their lifestyle, and integrating technology into fashion. Considering the attachment so many have to their smartphones, and the undeniable attention people devote to social media, it’s no wonder the brand continues so prominently.
Diane Von Furstenberg on Keeping her Brand Relevant
