Let the trumpets sound! Yes I'm inlove with Ted Baker! Don't worry, Ted is not a cat for those who know me well. (I named one of my rescue cats Johnny Walker). It's a.....
BRAND. So bachelors, don't be disheartened. There's still hope. (So who's the tall, dark handsome guy on my Instagram page? Stay tuned...) Now back to the matter at heart. I truly am inlove. Read on!
While I am a loyal consumer, blogging about fashion brands is a rarity for me as I only select brands that offer high quality, parallel value, and creativity. Ted Baker fulfills all three tenets. But it's their marketing campaign that attracted me above all.
After following the social media hype leading up to the store opening, when invited to the Ted Baker pre VIP grand opening, I gratefully accepted. First a little about the night of the opening.
Ted Baker, from England, crossed the pond and made a splash at the lux Lincoln Road shopping promenade in South Beach. Ted, in following Roman tradition, served Florida classic cocktails and my all-time favorite, the pina colada.
The staff and dedicated fans were dressed for the occasion in Ted Baker quintessential buttoned-up British fashion. My heart was aflutter when surrounded by men who looked like they took a time machine from the early 1900's in their #TedtoToe suits. Another clever marketing campaign by the brand.
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| To be surrounded by dapper and dashing men who know how to dress... Attending and blogging about these events is such a tough job but... |
Attendees were encouraged to shop. No need to ask me twice! I immediately was drawn to a midi dress with vibrant print in pastel and bold colors bordered by black that swayed into the waist. While I have a small frame, I wondered if my curves would go against the style of the slim cut of the brand. Luckily with my medium height and dress size 4, the midi dress was ideal for me. After trying it on, I knew this would be my new go-to dress for occasions requiring Miami sophistication.
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| At a recent wedding in Key West (March 2015) |
Ted Baker is one of the UK's fasting growing leading lifestyle brands. The collection captures the heritage of British tailoring with a thoroughly contemporary outlook. Ted's approach is focused on an unwavering attention to detail and a firm commitment to quality with little touches that make Ted Baker products stand out from the rest. It originated with menswear and has branched out to womenswear and accessories. The incorporation of Miami colors and playfulness is ideal for the Miami fashionista for style and grace.
Most impressive to me is their approach to marketing. While Ted Baker is a fictitious character, the personality of the brand, "refined by quirky", is that of the founder Ray Kelvin. Yes "quirky".
We created a shirt that everyone in the country for some wonderful reason wanted to wear. It was during the period of Acid House and Garage, and they wore these bright acidy colour shirts. These particular shirts had a really nice soft feel. Even to this day I remember it.
I created these shirts and it was like there was suddenly a famine and everyone in the country just wanted these shirts. They used to queue, no word of a lie, down the street to get the shirts on a Saturday in the five shops we had. (Ray Kelvin)
Whether intentionally or not, adding fuel to the eccentricity is the fact that very few have ever seen Ray Kelvin. He never shows his face in public. He considers himself "an ugly buggar".
As if a commitment to quality, attention to detail, a memorable refined- but- quirky style, were enough attributes to set it apart-- It is not. The vision and discipline and creativity to leverage social media instead of traditional advertising campaigns is another ingredient to their winning formula. As a preacher and practitioner of this marketing philosophy, it's easy to follow as a small business owner. But a global brand reaching £700 million is unheard of. Simply GENIUS!
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| The campaign for the opening to general public |
Ted Baker has seamlessly harnessed all aspects of social media-twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram. With catchy campaigns like #FindTed as a teaser and invitation to join the search like a hunt for a treasure chest, or #TedLovesMiami to show appreciation to a new home city, #TedtoToe to encourage fans to choose the brand for all apparel and accessories, #PinchMe, and so on demonstrate the effectiveness to ENGAGE customers and KEEP them interested. Ted Baker is not just churning out cookie cutter patterns. Ted includes the customer in the brand process. And that's exactly how I built my small business! Great minds...
Yes I'm inlove with Ted Baker branding. But most of all, the brand inspires me to keep charging forward with other innovative ideas.
To view more photos of styles and dresses, click here for Krysha's Shopping Kapades blog post.
To read about the VIP Grand Opening and the campaign leading up to the opening, click here for My Fabulous Florida blog post.
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