Fashion designers have been known for their tin ears when it comes to customers' requests - be it clothes designed for the size 12 or priced to the downsized pocketbook. There are signs, though, that this is changing as designers reach out to customer via Facebook and Twitter to incorporate their feedback into their products.
Athletic wear retailer Lululemon's first-quarter operating profits more than tripled since the same period last year in part due to its use of social media. "We learn on Facebook and through social media what are our guests are really screaming for, and we actually use the feedback," says Lululemon CEO Christine Day. (via Forbes). The company has made tweaks to where pockets sit on pants to the placement of waistbands on running shorts as a result. Francesca Audelo, who started a line of vintage- inspired hair accessories called FancyThat, also incorporates customer feedback into designs, according to Forbes.
"The comments from my customers have shaped the way I design my headbands, and even the way I've set prices," she says. "I have lowered and raised my prices based on customer feedback."
Retailers Paved the Way
It was the retailers who were the first to embrace social media in their operations. These include Kaboodle, ShopWiki, ThisNext and Giantner - all of which approach the market in a slightly different fashion, writes Entrepreneur magazine. Their end goal, though, is to bring together online shoppers and the retailer in a collaborative environment. For example, Judy Strauss, associate professor of marketing at the University of Nevada, Reno, and co-author of the study "Radically Transparent: Monitoring and Managing Reputations Online" tells of a recent incident with Giantnerd. The e-tailer's CEO Randall Weidberg read online consumer complaints about the way a unisex day pack it sold irritated the skin. He informed the product's manufacturer and using the online feedback collaborated with it to improve the day pack.
Read MarketingVox's related story: Some Retail Sites More Social Than Others
