#complementary minds

[co-minds-blog]

Shopping On-The-Go

This year has been all about the power of mobile – and mobile commerce. When consumers are using mobile, they want anytime, anywhere access to information, they want simple tasks and they expect relevant solutions. To stand out, linking mobile marketing with actionable mobile commerce is key.

So who stands out this year so far? Read about our favorites.

  1) GILT

What it’s about? Gilt is arguably one of the most successful e-commerce platforms – and active on mobile for some time now. Over the past few years, Gilt has been running mobile-only deals to educate consumers to use it’s mobile app. This summer they are kicking off their ‘Summer Must-Haves’ campaign until August 22. Every Saturday at noon ET Gilt will debut new mobile exclusive sales for women, men and home.

Review: It’s pretty amazing. Gilt features big discounts, great brands and you can shop all summer long from wherever you are. The mobile exclusives and first look previews create excitement for the consumer – and they make 40 % of overall revenue just from mobile. Excellent!

  2) LOUIS VUITTON

What it’s about? The newby among m-tailers, French fashion house Louis Vuitton unveiled its new mobile commerce site July 1, which offers consumers in the United States the opportunity to shop on the go. Louis Vuitton chose to break the news via a short video that inspires spontaneity in the consumer.

Review: The marketing is already great – the movie is imaginative and invites the consumer to try the mobile shopping site. And for everyone who knows the LV site - with it’s complexity and long loading times – the mobile site is a revelation. Simple, user-friendly, straight to the point - amazing! 

3) HARRODS What it’s about? Following the launch of their redesigned site in 2012, the release of their new, mobile site represents another key milestone on Harrods roadmap for improving the end-to-end shopping experience for their local and international consumer base. The new site allows customers to shop Harrods many departments through their smartphones.

Review: Offering international consumers a way to shop on the go is likely to help boost Harrods sales and open the store up to new customers. The site is very clean with plenty of options for viewing the products in a visually rich way. The site also increases convenience by allowing registered customers to sign into their Harrods.com accounts for a faster checkout and to access their saved items via mobile. Bravo!

4) BELL&ROSS

What it’s about? The watches & jewelry sector is slowly moving further into the digital sphere. Watchmaker Bell & Ross is taking its print advertisement to the next level by placing a QR code on the page to allow consumers who are interested in the product to find more information and purchase products via their mobile devices.

[co-minds-blog]

Web 2.0 – Our Favorite Sites Revamp

Innovative online concepts are set to relaunch by integrating more closely content and commerce, or by making exclusive content even more elite.

1) REFINERY29 What’s it about? Over the last eight years, first-time entrepreneurs Philippe von Borries and Justin Stefano have steadily turned what began as a local online guide to New York’s cool, independent retailers into a next generation Fashion Media Company. In the coming month, Refinery29 is set to relaunch, yet again, in a move that will more closely connect content with product, and introduce sophisticated personalization to the site. What can you expect? The goal is to drive the connection between brands and the consumer. Right now the articles & stories are separated from the shop – so we are guessing the relaunch will contain a ‘shop-directly-out-of-the-story’ move. Much more interesting is the ‘deeper exploration and discovery through personalization’ the founders are aiming for with an underlying knowledge database of consumers interests. We shall see!

BEFORE (or now in this case)

  AFTER - No preview of the future site yet since it will launch in a month. So we take the opportunity to introduce the founder: Philippe von Borries (left) and Justin Stefano.

(Source www.businessoffashion.com) 

2) AHALIFE What’s it about? Since launching two years ago, AHAlife has already managed successfully to connect more closely brands with curators and commerce for the ultimate discovery experience. On May 3rd the site launched with a refreshed design and innovative new approach to the content and product discovery process.

What can you expect? Since the beginning, AHAlife’s mission was to showcase new products by placing the unique item and it’s designer in the spotlight. Now the focus has moved even more so towards discovery and consumer experience with the new site structured like an online magazine. The story comes first – and via a quick click, the reader/ shopper can directly shop the content and products. We love it!

BEFORE

AFTER 

3) ASW What’s it about? Remember that invite-only social networking site nicknamed ‘the Facebook of millionaires’ that created a big buzz back in… 2005? A tool to keep in touch with people across the globe turned into more of an online-dating site rather than an exclusive jet-set club. Over the course of the last year they have been mapping a new strategy in preparation for a complete relaunch with the aim to become even smaller and more exclusive than before.

What can you expect? The redesigned site will focus on travel, offering city guides, hotel discounts and access to office space in a couple of cities. It will remain true to its social roots, with monthly events in 50 cities and 12 group trips a year. Membership will be resized down to 250.000, and there will be a switch from ad-based to subscription based for an annual fee of $105 – if you were lucky enough to get re-invited. We’ll check it out!

BEFORE

AFTER

[co-minds-blog]

Digital Storytelling of Luxury Brands

The Luxury Industry continues its storytelling – and it’s exploration of the online world. Check out some of our favorite storytellers this season!

JAEGER-LECOULTRE

What’s it about: The Luxury watch brand Jaeger-LeCoultre marks its 180 years anniversary with reinventions of the brand's iconic models Rendez-vous and Reverso and a short film with brand ambassador Diane Kruger. The fashion-forward actress/ model has long been a face of the Swiss haute couture watch label, and the 2 minute clip ‘Reinvent Yourself’ highlights Diane's resume, which includes being a ballerina, model and actress. So how often can we reinvent ourselves? The answer: Infinitly. Our Take: Jaeger-LeCoultre made a beautiful movie that plays homage to the leading actress and fits perfectly to the sophisticated brand. The film has been live for one week, with almost 630.000 views on YouTube, bravo.

2)    CHANEL

What’s it about: During the Cruise collection in Singapore Chanel aired for the first time it’s new 18min-long movie ‘Once upon a time…’directed by Karl Lagerfeld with Keira Knightley as Coco Chanel. The star-studded film – starring among others Chanel ambassadors such as Lindsay Wixson, Saskia De Brauw, Stella Tennant and Anna Mouglalis – illustrates how Gabrielle Chanel opened her first hat store in Deauville in 1913. Our Take: As one can expect – beautifully shot in black and white, very classic and true to the style of that time, yet modern – this movie is another masterpiece of the Kaiser. With subtleties and 18 minutes in length, it’s definitely a movie for the connoisseur.  

FERRAGAMO

What’s it about: Footwear and accessories label Salvatore Ferragamo is flaunting its brand roots through a microsite, branded film and exhibition that engage consumers in the legends of shoemaking. The brand launched its exhibition 'The Amazing Shoemaker' April 19 at the Salvatore Ferragamo Museum in Florence. To celebrate the launch, the brand created a microsite and short film that tell the history of the shoemaker’s first shoe. Our Take: A whimsical fairytale – very creative storytelling, embedded in a stand-alone microsite of the brand. All part of the exhibition ‘The Amazing Shoemaker’ in Florence. This is a true example of strengthening the online/ offline brand connection.

[co-minds-blog]

WE ARE LIVE!

com·ple·men·ta·ry/ˌkämpləˈment(ə)rē/

Adjective:

Completing; forming a complement.

(of two or more different things) Combining in such a way as to enhance or emphasize each other's qualities.

What started as a fateful pairing during our MBA in International Luxury Brand Management at ESSEC Business School in Paris turned out to be our calling: We launched our International Consulting Company COMPLEMENTARY MINDS with offices in Berlin, New York, & Paris. Today, it is with great excitement that we share the launch of our website www.complementaryminds.com   We hope you love it as much as we do!  Strategic. Visionary. Intuitive. We think together.   Anna, Annie & Nora

[co-minds-blog]

Our Story

com·ple·men·ta·ry

Adjective:

1.Completing; forming a complement.

2.(of two or more different things) Combining in such a way as to enhance or emphasize each other's qualities.

Different cities, different backgrounds, different strengths  - together unstoppable.

Managing countless projects together during our time in Paris, the term ‘teamwork’ received a new meaning. We realized that we not only combined our unique skillsets and experiences, but that our minds completed each other. And what started as a fateful pairing during our MBA in International Luxury Brand Management at ESSEC turned out to be our calling, Complementary Minds.

Anna, our strategic mind from Munich, always organized and artfully adept, left behind a top notch consulting position to follow her heart.

Annie, our visionary mind from New York, couldn’t see herself managing only figures for one of the ‘Big Four’ accountancy firms in future, but wanted to explore her creative side – and her love for fashion.

Nora, our creative mind from Tokyo, knew that Paris would be the next step to learn more about the luxury industry per se – and to discover her roots. Call it intuition.