Approach Denmark – one of the happiest nations in the world.

by Andrine | Aug 6, 2018

Approach Denmark – one of the happiest nations in the world.

Are you expanding into a new market? Or pitching your story to a magazine? Or are you simply working on a marketing strategy to help you succeed in the Danish market. Look no further – we have what you need to know, along with the most noteworthy fashion profiles.

Denmark is considered to be one of the happiest nations in the world; synonymous with a laid-back way of living, a sophisticated sense of aesthetics and of course, the concept of ‘hygge’. Picture a warm atmosphere, candles, spending time with friends and family — over some warm æbleskiver and gløgg — that’s hygge.

Denmark is a small country, hence a small media landscape. To gain insight into their press and major social media trends, as well as the best way to navigate Danish culture, check out our video to hear directly from our Founder, Jens Hamborg Koefoed.

https://vimeo.com/281612190

Danish Influencers

We also asked Jens, who lives and breathes the Danish fashion and design industry, to namedrop a few ‘ones to watch’, or influential people.

“Thanks to the internet, we now have access to a plethora of people paving the way, making it impossible to narrow down a top 5 or top 10 list of influential people on the fashion radar. But here are a few of my personal favourites within the media scene: Frederik Lentz Andersen from Egmont publishing and Mads Emil Møller Grove from Aller Publishing – two forces within the men’s fashion industry. Emili Sindlev and Sophia Roe are both growing rapidly and working with leading international brands, as well as, Thora Valdimars and Jeanette Madsen, now full time content-creators and stylists, focusing on their own platforms.”

All screenshots are taken from Instagram.

Germany: Why and how to conquer the lifestyle market

VOCAST has been curating lists for the German Fashion and Home Interior sectors for many years now. Due to the high relevance of the German Market for all brands in both segments, we hosted webinars for you to learn more about the potential of Germany and how to...

Up & Coming Influencers: community curators & social shifters

Up and coming influencers, otherwise known as micro-influencers, are without a doubt one of the most exciting demographics on social media in the eyes of any lifestyle brand. Micro-influencers are usually defined by having a humble number of followers whilst having a...

How content can help your wholesale clients sell more

The most cost-efficient marketing program that all brands can execute with next to zero budget. Across most of the western world, retail has been challenged for years by the Internet leading to the mass closure of many small independent stores. And then came...

The right way to conquer the German market

by Christian Nilsson | Jul 19, 2018

The right way to conquer the German market

Germany is one of the major economies within Europe with a population of over 82 million and a German-speaking media market of over 100 million people; including Austria, large parts of Switzerland, as well as German-speaking minorities in Belgium, Luxembourg and even Denmark. We have gathered the most important facts to help pave the way in entering a relevant market.

With more than 85% of adult German online users, social networks and online publications are becoming a great marketing tool to target consumers. We’ve handpicked and curated lists of German mass media, sharing from online publications to niche Influencers – to make sure your message reaches the right people. Gain insight into their landscape, major social media trends and the best way to address Germans. Check out our video, where Jens Hamborg Koefoed, Co-founder of VOCAST, chats with Vanessa, our German Fashion & Design Curator.

Finding the right network

Have you had trouble locating those right editors on LinkedIn? Might be because Germany has its own business network called XING. And because XING has been around longer than LinkedIn, most likely you will find German professionals there. In general, brands cannot expect to get the same results from their social media campaigns as in other markets. Germans continue to catch up with all social channels. Online publications have a wide reach, like brigitte.de with more than 7,4 million unique users, and many German influencers reach up to over 3 million followers on Instagram. Another quick tip to know on how to approach those niche influencers or someone in the market – we recommend being direct and accurate when reaching out. No loose ends or they might lose interest quick.

Top 5 social media channels in Germany*:

Facebook (32 million)
Instagram (25 million)
XING (15 million)
LinkedIn (13 million)
YouTube (6 million)

*based on numbers of active users by Hootsuite

Vanessa, who is our German fashion and interior curator, has been with VOCAST since October 2016. Holding a background in Fashion design and online marketing, she has worked for several fashion and lifestyle brands like Baum und Pferdgarten, Noa Noa and L’Oréal. If you have any questions about the German market, reach out to Vanessa at vanessa@vocast.com

Germany: Why and how to conquer the lifestyle market

VOCAST has been curating lists for the German Fashion and Home Interior sectors for many years now. Due to the high relevance of the German Market for all brands in both segments, we hosted webinars for you to learn more about the potential of Germany and how to...

Up & Coming Influencers: community curators & social shifters

Up and coming influencers, otherwise known as micro-influencers, are without a doubt one of the most exciting demographics on social media in the eyes of any lifestyle brand. Micro-influencers are usually defined by having a humble number of followers whilst having a...

How content can help your wholesale clients sell more

The most cost-efficient marketing program that all brands can execute with next to zero budget. Across most of the western world, retail has been challenged for years by the Internet leading to the mass closure of many small independent stores. And then came...

Why content should be shared in small snacks instead of big meals

by Andrine | Jul 11, 2018

Why content should be shared in small snacks instead of big meals

Internet and social media has changed the media industry and the way we consume content. From big bites to small bites, and that changes the way you should share content as a marketeer.

For me it is inspiring to see how small of a time gap Instagram manages to sneak into. Whereas I might postpone important books and articles that gives me a lot of value in my profession, Instagram gets my attention numerous times a day. Walking to the coffee machine takes 15,57 seconds at my office, and in that time I consume eight stories from five people and one ad. I actually timed it just to check. And brewing an espresso takes almost a minute. No telling how many stories, posts and ads that could give me, however that minute is far from enough to read a meaningful article and reflect over what it means for me or my company. And then there is the bus, the subway, during breakfast and the numerous small breaks we have during the day.

My point in mentioning Instagram is, that busy modern life yields little time for reflecting and digging deep. Whereas there are a thousand gaps during a day for simple snacks to pass through the filter. And more often than not, I end up never reading or finishing that important article because other things take over focus and it becomes outdated? The changed behaviour in how content is consumed is very visible in the traditional media industry.

Busy makes binary

All over the western world the domination trend in print publications has been a steady decline in revenue and reach since around beginning of the new millennium. This results in more busy editorial staff accepting more and more pre-produced content from brands like product shots, press releases and generally letting steady advertisers gain more ground in the editorial sections of the publication.

Looking towards scientific studies on editorial production it seems the same number of people produces 2-3 times the amount of content than they did just ten years ago. So what happens to people when you have to do more faster? One of the things we have noticed is, that busy tends to make people more binary. When you are swamped with emails and others things you have to process – you tend to choose the easy ones first. Looking for YES/NO in your to-do list, dilemmas and bigger things, where you have complicated assessments gets to stay longer on the to-do list before it becomes urgent enough to process.

So what does that mean for brands catering to journalists and digital influencers to share their images and words?

Communicate in snacks instead of meals. Do not send a We transfer link with an entire collection saying: “This is what we did. Hope you find something interesting in there?” Show them only what they like.

Do your research on your target group. Look at their social media feed and learn their taste and current state of mind and give them something that matches: “We just did a new ring collection of more than 100 products, but these three are the three you would like.” (I know because I analyse your social media feed and your content production and have historic data on your download behavior in our digital showroom and your sample history).

Select what you think is relevant and present it to that specific set of people and you will give them a binary choice. As oppose to a complicated task – they get an easy choice of sharing/publishing. Get in the mindset of a person who lives in a fast-pace environment – where it becomes habitual to grab and go. Cater to the online publishing behavior thus getting more coverage and staying on top of mind. Simply do research and execute a day to day plan. This is all it takes.

Jens Hamborg Koefoed

Founder of VOCAST

When Jens is not at VOCAST, he is probably chasing his twins around trying to make them behave. Loves surfing, traveling to tropic places and telling Steve Jobs anecdotes. Passionate about everything, lately about making the perfect how-to-live-sustainable-while-still-enjoying-life-list.

ANDRE ARTIKLER

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GDPR & Contact Data: how your information should be treated

by Christian Nilsson | Jun 27, 2018

GDPR & Contact Data: how your information should be treated

You’ve come up with the perfect rolodex of contacts for your reach and have treated their data with respect. And naturally, the GDPR is making you think twice about compliance and about how to handle everything from this point on.

No worries. We have set a few important points for you to follow, when dealing with the GDPR. It is easier than you think, as long as you follow the steps.

“With a relatively small effort, when setting up the process, the GDPR & anti-spam regulation can both be handled smoothly. All it takes is a structured approach to obtaining consent and provide the needed information. Just remember that certain minimum requirements apply; both in respect of content as well timing of a consent and a privacy policy.”

Tim Nielsen, attorney-at-law, DAHL Law Firm

We highly recommend that you protect personal data and beware of accidental “spam” – with the objective of being transparent in the usage of information.

Here are some rules to follow:

Cannot send an email; call first.

Document it (must prove consent).

Purpose – why are you reaching out?

Privacy Policy

Store it securely; so data does not leak out.

Here are some rules to follow:

Cannot send an email; call first.

Document it (must prove consent).

Purpose – why are you reaching out?

Privacy Policy

Store it securely; so data does not leak out.

Consider at least two things:

Legal basis for using data (“Am I permitted to do what I intend with the data?”)
The legal basis will usually be consent with newsletters, press-releases and other commercial content.

Information on use (“this is what I intend to do with the data”)
The information will usually be your privacy policy; it is intended to help your audience understand what details/info we are storing/obtaining on your behalf. It should clearly inform about what info in your brand (web, app, public services) is being stored. E-mails concerning marketing activities are also covered by the anti-spam regulation.

Getting consent for marketing activities:

– Consumers: no contact by telephone or e-mail is possible without consent, which must this either be initiated by the consumer itself of obtained physically.

– Non-consumers: contact by telephone is possible without consent – but not e-mail.

– Marketing activities comprise almost all commercial activities; if in doubt, it is probably a marketing activity, if you are a commercial business. Other exceptions and restrictions apply.

– Privacy Policy – you should mention the use of info. For example, how it is being utilised.

We believe that you should have control of your data. Some of our services offer this type of control. Please consult further details: sales@vocast.com

NOT-SO-FUN FACT

Unsolicited marketing e-mails: DKK 10,000 up to 100 e-mails, DKK 100 per e-mail above 100. Breach of data privacy rules: up to the highest of EUR 20,000,000 or 4% of your global turnover (though actual level of fines is currently not known).

Læs også hvorfor det er vigtigt at målrette sin kommunikation, istedet for kun at fokusere på de store mediehuse: Journalistikken har aldrig haft bedre vilkår

Birgitte Herskind is a Danish fashion designer based in Copenhagen with a passion for beautiful materials and unconventional cuts. She focuses on the balance between tradition, fashion, quality and innovation.

Morten Hald er frontend-udvikler og grafiker hos VOCAST. Han er desuden husets e-mailguru, brænder for funktionelt og smukt design, elsker at spille fodbold og har en passion for B2C-marketing.

ANDRE ARTIKLER

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Content drives sales

by Christian Nilsson | May 15, 2018

Content drives sales

Traditionally VOCAST has been developed to improve workflow in PR and relations with journalists and digital influencers. However, VOCAST has also become a tool for sales at the Birgitte Herskind office. Wing-Yan Lo, who is in charge of international sales and brand awareness for the brand, has begun to apply VOCAST features in her work routine to set the brand aside from their competitors.

“The fashion industry is very competitive. Especially if you sell your clothes in multi-brand shops, it is important to make yourself noticed and a way to do that is to create good looking content, for your customers to use. If you leave it up to each shop to take their own photos of the clothing, often it won’t meet the brand’s standards. By making the content available for them, we have control over how our brand is represented and eventually sales will also improve”, says Wing-Yan Lo.

The process of sharing that crucial content is one of the things that the VOCAST digital showroom have improved for Birgitte Herskind’s customers and for Wing-Yan herself.

“Before we started using VOCAST our lookbook and campaign pictures was sent out by e-mail so the quality of the pictures was lower and it took longer. Now it’s super easy for our customers to download content to use directly on their own websites and social media. It’s easier for everyone and the result is better.”

Enhancing customer relations

Not only has the digital showroom helped to boost sales for Birgitte Herskind, it has also helped create stronger relations to customers and agents. According to Wing-Yan Lo it makes a huge difference to be able to point customers in the direction of the digital showroom.

“We make new content available every month in the digital showroom, and we teach our customers and agents to check it each time. In this way we improve the relationship with them, especially the ones not located nearby. When they can visit our digital showroom regularly and follow what is new in our brand, I can tell that our customers feel more connected to us and we feel more connected to them as well”, says Wing-Yan Lo.

With so many different customers using Birgitte Herskind’s digital showroom in Europe and overseas, simplicity of the platform is an important factor.

“Even though we have many Spanish and French-speaking customers with limited English, it’s very intuitive, so they can manage to use it anyway”, says Wing-Yan Lo. “It’s a complete product and I can only see us using it more in the future”.

Læs også hvorfor det er vigtigt at målrette sin kommunikation, istedet for kun at fokusere på de store mediehuse: Journalistikken har aldrig haft bedre vilkår

Birgitte Herskind is a Danish fashion designer based in Copenhagen with a passion for beautiful materials and unconventional cuts. She focuses on the balance between tradition, fashion, quality and innovation.

Morten Hald er frontend-udvikler og grafiker hos VOCAST. Han er desuden husets e-mailguru, brænder for funktionelt og smukt design, elsker at spille fodbold og har en passion for B2C-marketing.

ANDRE ARTIKLER

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8 tips for more publicity

by Christian Nilsson | May 15, 2018

8 tips for more publicity

Communication and marketing people aim to get their content published. But the journalists receive a lot of stories daily, and it’s far from every story that makes it in to the newspaper or magazine.

VOCAST has interviewed 89 journalists, divided into four different media types, and asked them what makes a press release interesting to read.

Here’s what they answered:

The content must reflect the interests of the media and readers. It’s all about the angle of the story.
The content must be new and current.
It is preferable if the story is sent to a few recipients and a form of exclusivity can be guaranteed.
Press releases must have a critical angle and a clear message.
It is especially good if it comes from a credible sender and contains credible facts and numbers.
It is a prerequisite that the press release is well written in a dimmed language. That meaning drop the superlatives and stick to the facts.
The press release must be short and accurate.
For a local newspaper it is important that the press release is locally anchored and relevant to the citizens in the geographical area.

ANDRE ARTIKLER

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