TOPSHOP demonstrates how Google+ should be done

PR week recently highlighted how Google+ is largely ignored by the public relations industry and therefore brands are missing a trick when it comes to helping audiences find relevant content on the web. Over the course of London Fashion Week, Topshop pioneered the most interactive and forward thinking fashion show on the calendar through a partnership with Google+. Non-fashion brands, take note.

Topshop regularly use social media channels as the primary tools with which to build consumer excitement about their activity. Google+ has 500 million subscribers and 235 million active users and is a hugely important for SEO. Topshop recognised a great PR opportunity through a LFW partnership with Google+ and created an inspiring, integrated campaign in tune with consumers’ wants and needs.

Creating a consumer narrative

Topshop created a strong consumer driven narrative in the run up to, during and following on from the LFW show. All content was curated on Topshop’s Google+ page and the brand’s website as well as other social media platforms.
Cristian Cussen, Google+’s European head of marketing took charge of storyboarding a clear narrative for the brand, mapping a strategic narrative order and releasing a trailer to summarize the project storyline 5 days prior to the London catwalk show (see top of post).

“The Future of the Fashion Show”

In the days leading up to the LFW show, model favourites such as Cara Delevigne and Jourdan Dunn started an online diary ‘Road to the Runway.’ Collated on Google+, this documented their fashion week journey – from the first fitting through to the moments before they hit the catwalk. Google maps also enabled fashion enthusiasts the ability to explore the show space at the Tate Modern in 3D, before the show was even streamed!

In store activity at the Topshop flagship on Oxford Street carried the virtual activity offline, with the installation of a G+ photo booth. Custom designed by Google+, it let consumers try on their favourite outfits and then upload a digital image to an interactive store window. Alongside this activity, Topshop also shared intimate behind the scenes videos on its own YouTube channel and invited bloggers and fans to join a Google Hangout with Katie Phelan, Topshop’s creative director.

During the show, HD micro cameras attached to models created the first real time runway camera, allowing people to watch the show from a model’s point of view as they strutted down the catwalk. This was of course live-streamed across multi channels and onto a large screen at the flagship store.

Turning consumer conversation into consumer action

Sparking consumer conversation with engaging content is obviously a key objective for many brands’ digital initiatives but filtering those conversations into measurable data is a hugely important part of any successful social campaign. Topshop enabled video content from their Unique AW13 catwalk to be swiped into a wishlist and in turn this wishlist was displayed on the Topshop homepage. Furthermore, Topshop is cleverly using the data gathered from the Google+ Hangout app to give buyers a voice in what items from the catwalk show actually make it to retail, enabling consumers the ability to influence the buying decision like never before.

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