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Business of Fashion
26-05-2025
- Business
- Business of Fashion
How Portuguese Brands Are Implementing Digital Strategies Today
On May 13, the Portuguese Footwear, Components and Leather Goods Manufacturers' (APICCAPS) hosted a day-long series of panel talks and keynote discussions as part of the Digi4Fashion project, which supports native Portuguese footwear and fashion brands with the implementation of advanced digital technologies. There, speakers dissected the digital opportunities for this audience — as well as regional production and manufacturing experts — today. Entitled 'How to Create the Perfect Digital Strategy', the event was held at the Super Bock Arena in Porto, Portugal. Throughout the day, global industry experts presented on timely and practical solutions for the ever-evolving digital commercial landscape, and legacy and emerging Portuguese labels spoke on navigating the digital landscape today. More than 200 professionals from across design, production and manufacturing, marketing and PR were in attendance. APICCAPS sought to provide this programming as an entity that launched 50 years ago to represent and support Portugal's traditional leather goods and footwear production companies. Today, it includes more than 1,900 Portuguese companies that employ over 40,000 people. 'Digital is a gateway to new markets — and ways of creating value. It serves to amplify what we do best: creating quality products and sharing them with the world,' Luis Onofre, president of APICCAPS, told BoF at the event. 'This is how great opportunities come about.' Over the next decade, the Portuguese government has pledged an investment of over €600 million for technological innovation in the Portuguese supply chain, to optimise production and add to the competitive advantage of Europe's second-largest footwear exporter. At the event, The Business of Fashion's (BoF) commercial editorial features director Sophie Soar presented on opportunities and innovation in e-commerce. The talk covered evolving consumer behaviour, how to build the perfect e-commerce site, and some of the next-generation technologies shaping online retail today. The audience also heard from leaders at Condé Nast and Lisboa Fashion Week, as well as entrepreneurs, creatives and content creators across the Portuguese industries. Below, BoF shares some of the most pertinent challenges and opportunities shaping digital strategies for Portuguese footwear and fashion retailers today — as informed by interviews with executives at brands including Luis Onofre, Ambitious, Sanjo and Lemonade, as well as the presentation Soar gave at the event. More than 200 professionals from across design, production and manufacturing, marketing and PR were in attendance. Optimising for the New Product and Brand Discovery Journey Today, consumers are discovering brands through more digital channels than ever before — with the first and deepest connection likely to happen over social media. In fact, brand discovery through social media is now equally as common as through search engines, with 38 percent and 37 percent of customers using the discovery methods, respectively. As a result, the way in which consumers discover a brand's own e-commerce site is predominantly at the end of the consumer journey, having been driven there from points of discovery across social media, newsletters and other forms of content discovery. This new consumer journey was reflected by an event attendee Silvia Silva, founder and chief executive of the digital-first accessories brand Lemonade. While 'the main selling point for the brand is our e-commerce, [...] the main strategy is working with social campaigns,' she told BoF. Another attendee — Vítor Costa, creative director of legacy footwear brand Sanjo — told BoF that when Sanjo relaunched a few years ago, the 92-year-old brand introduced a digital communication strategy around brand newsletters and social media activity, to drive customers to both digital and physical stores. Digital is a gateway to new markets — and ways of creating value. It serves to amplify what we do best: creating quality products and sharing them with the world. — Luis Onofre, president of APICCAPS. Optimising various touchpoints consumers have with a brand across channels is key to delivering a consistent — and engaging — brand message. 'It is typically best practice for brands to aim for a consistent look and feel between their homepage and their digital presence across social media feeds, newsletters and [other platforms], particularly if their customers are coming from the likes of Instagram and TikTok,' Soar said on stage. An example she highlighted was Hailey Bieber's beauty business Rhode, which spotlights highly engaged social content with Bieber on the brand's homepage. Indeed, the consumers discovering brands and products off-site first are typically driven not to a brand's homepage but to a product page — where they have the most intent to purchase. As a result, optimising these product pages is critical, with many brands upping their game here. 'You'll see more high-quality photography and videos, more detailed information customised to individual items — and answering the kind of questions consumers might have,' Soar said on stage. She made reference to Loewe's product pages, which answer key questions consumers will have — and likely will not find elsewhere online. For instance, on the Loewe Puzzle Bag product page 'How do I style this bag? What's the story behind it? What fits inside it?' Telling a Brand Story in an Oversaturated Market Consumers today are overwhelmed with choice, which is negatively impacting engagement and conversion online, and the way consumers are seeking out products. In BoF and McKinsey & Co.'s The State of Fashion 2025 report, 74 percent of customers report walking away from online purchases due to the volume of choice. This oversaturated market is naturally having a distinct impact on brands as well, as noted by André Ribeiro, marketing and communications director at Ambitious, a family-run footwear brand launched in 2008. 'This competition of new brands emerging all the time is so overwhelming,' said Ribeiro. 'That's pressuring digital.' He also notes how it is driving up the cost of 'influencer marketing, paid media, paid search, and every other strategy or investment.' As BoF reported in 2023, customer acquisition costs were rising on average 70 percent on TikTok and 39 percent on Meta platforms. In 2022, advertisers spent about $29 to acquire each customer, compared with $9 in 2013. The price of online advertising has only increased. What's more, the algorithm is hard to predict, throwing new challenges at social strategies. As Luis Onofre, founder of his eponymous brand and president of APICCAPS, shared with BoF: 'It's changing every day. We need a different approach every day. A different TikTok goes viral, sometimes it's funny [content] but only two or three people watch it. And what is the point to spend maybe €10,000 or €15,000 on production and nobody's gonna see it.' Indeed, the e-commerce homepage remains a critical — and often underutilised — space to tell a brand's story. It provides a 'look into your creative vision and universe,' as Soar said on stage, spotlighting brands like On and their ethos are professional and everyday athletes. These narratives then tie back to the product lines they offer, divided by the activities in which their consumers engage. Silva shared how her brand focuses on storytelling around the quality of their hats to educate consumers on their price point. (Lemonade hats sit between €65 and €640, with its classic fedora hat at €165). 'We try to show the way we produce our hats,' said Silva. 'We do it super traditionally. They are made by hand. It's super hard to [communicate to] the right people, but with the right storytelling, you can.' Sanjo has faced challenges around communicating the role Portugal plays in the brand narrative, with Costa noting, 'Portugal is best known for its manufacturing abilities and sometimes, that's our strength. But it can also pose some challenges because when you try to go global, when you try to build a brand, that is sometimes seen as a disadvantage in a way.' Each brand needs to have its own design perspective or capability to deliver something special to the consumer. — Vítor Costa, creative director of Sanjo. For Ribeiro at Ambitious, he added that the narrative around Portugal is 'opening doors in terms of product quality perception to the consumer.' Sanjo, which relies on its nearly 100-year legacy, is innovating to attract younger and newer demographics to broaden its appeal — particularly in places like Japan and Scandinavia. However, it notes that competing with global giants and fast fashion in a tight economy poses its challenges. 'How can we not be so overwhelmed by [the markets]? By having something unique. Each brand needs to have its own design perspective or capability to deliver something special to the consumer — which will differentiate it in the market today,' said Costa. Leveraging AI Technologies to Meet Consumer Needs in Personalisation New technologies are transforming the ways in which retailers connect with customers. As such tools become increasingly embedded across the value chain, brands are aptly positioned to leverage them to increase consumer engagement and sales. Ambitious, for example, is turning its priority towards using data-driven insights and digital tools to optimise customer engagement. 'The investment in digital opens doors to retail.' However, a new era of brand and product discovery — underpinned by AI-powered curation across content and search — will help users find not just any product, but the right product. In fact, 84 percent of brands report that hyper-personalised experiences across customer touchpoints is a top priority in 2025, according to The State of Fashion 2025 report — making it a must-have to implement. The consumer is also keen to try new tools and technologies, with 86 percent of consumers who haven't used AI for shopping would be interested in using it to research products or get information, according to research by IBM. Both the search bar and chatbots are areas 'ripe for AI-optimisation,' Soar said on stage. 'Large language-powered shopping assistants — leveraging open sources like ChatGPT combined with a website' own data — allow users to receive more interactive Q&A, and offer customised product recommendations.' The technology provides a solution to the need for 'edit' (offering the best options) versus 'access' (providing many options) — with AI able to share with consumers their recommendations for items. Next generation technologies can also assist with size-and-fit challenges. These account for a majority of returns today — which are reaching unprecedented levels. Customers sending back about $218 billion in merchandise bought online in 2023 (up from $100 billion in 2020). 'The digitisation of our industry is the focus for continuing the evolution of our brands,' said Onofre. However, he suggests brands must find a delicate balance, and not use AI to replace the human touch that gives products their emotional resonance. 'Instead of robotics, people want to feel that products are handmade. This is really important for the future.' This is a sponsored feature paid for by APICCAPS as part of a BoF partnership.
Business of Fashion
19-05-2025
- Business
- Business of Fashion
The 2025 Playbook for Employer Branding
Today, job candidates assess the suitability and opportunities of a prospective workplace as much as employers assess these candidates for their capabilities and potential in a role. Employees are also increasingly looking to align their personal values with their employers'. For instance, a Deloitte survey from last year found that 77 percent of Gen-Z believe it's important to work for organisations that share their values. It is no longer the case that young generations form an opinion of a company based just on its products or services. Instead, ethical practices, commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and social impact are also taken into account. What's more, salary is still top of mind for younger generations entering the workforce in a turbulent macroeconomic climate. However, a separate Deloitte study shows that, given the choice of accepting a better-paying but boring job versus one that was more interesting but doesn't pay as well, Gen-Z was fairly evenly split over the choice. 'The new generation, Gen-Z, really feel empowered to make a choice about where they work, even if consumer sentiment is down, even if inflation is record high,' said The Business of Fashion's (BoF) senior correspondent Sheena Butler-Young in a LinkedIn Live with BoF's commercial features editorial director, Sophie Soar, on The 2025 Playbook for Employer Branding. Businesses must grapple with changing employee expectations including work-life balance, flexible hours, and perks and benefits. Health and wellness, for instance, has become a key element in corporate benefit packages at a range of companies from luxury giants like LVMH, midsize fashion brands like Theory and beauty companies like Glossier. A 'one-size-fits-all' approach to workplace perks and benefits, learning and development opportunities, and career progressions, no longer works. Global offices must consider regional nuances across different workplace locations, as well as the multiple generations in their workforce. Below, BoF condenses key insights from the LinkedIn Live, The 2025 Playbook for Employer Branding. Embody and Demonstrate the Company Values Butler-Young and Soar discussed the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) rollbacks in the US, and the potential political divisions among the workforce of today. They noted how it is important for employers to communicate and remain consistent around the workplace values that they stand behind. However, there has been a notable step back from outright communication — even before President Trump issued executive orders in January that took aim at DEI policies. In February 2024, brands' and retailers' communications and activities relating to Black History Month in the US appeared to stall alongside momentum on diversity efforts across the board. Brands began steering clear of political claims ahead of, and now following, a divisive election year. Employers must consider if they need to demonstrate and communicate more clearly what it is that they're doing. — Sophie Soar, commercial features editorial director at BoF. That said, Butler-Young also noted a move amid businesses looking to demonstrate their values and initiatives through actions, rather than words alone. 'You should do it more than you say it, but I don't think you shouldn't say it at all,' she said. 'You don't have to speak up about everything, but have some things that you can truly stand behind as an organisation. Being clear on what that thing is, that you're good at it and knowing that your employees care about it.' Some brands and businesses take demonstrative actions seriously — Patagonia's founder Yvon Chouinard gave away the entirety of his company's shares and restructured Patagonia's ownership to reinvest Patagonia's profits towards combating climate change. Others demonstrate commitments to their values through other, less radical actions, such as publishing work towards environmental and social governance targets, or updating their hiring strategies for more inclusive practices. That said, employers should not assume that potential — or even current — employees know about their company's values and the initiatives or activations around these. 'You should definitely live the reality first and then demonstrate it,' said Soar. 'Employers must consider if they need to demonstrate and communicate more clearly what it is that they're doing, because there are a lot of assumptions that people know what an employer is doing or offering its community of employees or consumers.' Some brands and businesses are already sharing narratives around their employer branding — providing a peek inside their offices, or spotlighting employees and their talents — through their social media output. 'We're seeing all sorts of brands across TikTok and Instagram putting forward snapshots of an office and employees in the office,' said Soar. 'Whether you are aware of the fact that you're doing this or not, that is an aspect of employer branding.' Approach Return-to-Office Policies Strategically Business leaders are experimenting with return-to-office strategies, with many workplaces and employees adjusting to work-from-home turned hybrid working practices during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. While some workplaces are remaining flexible or fully remote, others are setting stricter parameters around office attendance — with some companies mandating the full five-day working week back in the office. If you start enforcing certain structures, there will be a massive knock-on impact on recruitment and retention. — Sheena Butler-Young, senior correspondent at BoF. This kind of practice is beneficial in encouraging greater collaboration and building a sense of camaraderie and community among colleagues. 'No one can dispute how important it is to collaborate in-person, to be around people, to not be holed up in your apartment or your house every day for your own mental health needs,' said Butler-Young. 'The risk is that we go too far back into traditional norms or being rigid around that.' Employers need to be realistic about what is expected about a return to the office — and must take into account the personal needs of each employee and varying methods of working. For instance, some individuals that live further away from the office, who were hired on the basis of remote working policies, might feel ostracised by new policies. Some juniors, however, may struggle to learn remotely when onboarded over asynchronous communication platforms like Slack and Zoom calls. 'Previously, when we were hiring in a much more work-from-home environment, it meant that you could hire people who weren't living within the immediate region where your office is based. It allowed [us] to open up the talent pool,' said Soar. 'But if you start enforcing certain structures, and these [employees] do not live close to the office, for example, they're not going to have the same opportunities available to them [and] there will be a massive knock-on impact on recruitment and retention,' she added. A return to office in 2025 is not necessarily a negative thing. It instills a sense of routine and structure for employees, and provides them opportunities for face-to-face interactions with members of the senior management and leadership team. Butler-Young and Soar discussed the idea that, if workplaces are mandating five days a week or set days back in the office, employers should consider certain levels of flexibility. For instance, there must be an understanding that an employee may have to leave at 4pm to go and pick up their children from school — but can continue working later to finish if necessary. 'An employer that doesn't have common sense rules around workplace flexibility is not where I want to be,' added Butler-Young. Align Company Perks and Services to All Generations and Regions Companies that expand beyond one area or region must take into account the social and cultural norms of every location. After all, what juniors in New York might value versus executives in Shanghai, for example, will likely differ. Butler-Young spoke to the importance of having brand codes that are firm and immovable but adapted regionally, taking into consideration the nuances of local codes within a functional multi-national workplace. 'If you're a US-based company and you're expanding to Europe or China, and you assume that your current values will immediately resonate with your new region, you will go wrong,' said Butler-Young. 'Instead, you must hire the right mix of local talents and add that local flair to understand the core values of the region and adapt your company's policies accordingly.' For the first time in employment history, there are now up to five generations of talent in the same workplace — and employers can stand to benefit from tapping into the unique offerings and skills of each age group. Younger employers can learn from more experienced workers, and for older generations to pick up emerging skills and technologies. However, it is imperative that employers don't assume anything about one age group, like assuming that all members of Gen-Z are automatically technologically fluent, or that older generations aspire to manage and run large teams. 'The opportunity comes from actually tapping into the unique offerings of each group,' said Butler-Young. 'It's really about paying attention to individual contribution, not assuming anything about one generation, and having everyone work together to collaborate.' 'An emphasis on mentoring in both directions is important — and so is actually formalising it, and not just hoping it'll happen on its own,' she added. Implementing a cross-functional approach throughout the business and giving employees the opportunity to display their different perspectives can lead to a more functional workplace. However, the business must account for providing support, perks and services that address the needs of all generations. Butler-Young and Soar discussed, for instance, how Gen-Z are in fact driving forward new trends like sober socialising and wellness-oriented community building. These are typically more inclusive activities for those who do not drink, and help promote healthier lifestyles. Soar also notes how this generation takes their mental health seriously. Butler-Young suggested that workplaces should take into account other, previously sidelined health challenges that can impact employees at all stages of their life. 'What about someone that is maybe a woman that's over the age of 50 in your workplace? Do you have a mechanism that takes into account her life stage? [...] Some companies are offering these menopause awareness roundtables and forums,' Butler-Young added as an example. 'Remember as an organisation that [...] this is a whole person that's coming to work for you. And if they are not well, you're not going to get productivity out of them.' If you are interested in showcasing your employer brand on BoF, please reach out to Disclaimer: This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Business of Fashion
09-05-2025
- Business
- Business of Fashion
Navigating Market Uncertainty and Digital Transformation in Fashion
In Partnership With 2025 is likely to be a time of reckoning for many brands and businesses in fashion, with shifting macro-forces driving market uncertainty and the need for rapid transformation. This in turn provides an opportunity for brands that move nimbly and adapt quickly, and that prioritise technological innovation across the value chain. Join us on Wednesday, May 21 at 17:00 BST / 12:00 EDT for our next #BoFLive. In this session, BoF's commercial features editorial director Sophie Soar will be joined by Lectra's chief strategy and product officer Maximilien Abadie and head of advisory at Beyond Luxury Group Andrea Pavon to discuss technological innovation driving change in the fashion industry — and the structural change and mindset shifts required to make it happen. This #BoFLIVE is brought to you in partnership with Lectra and is open to all - simply register below to secure your spot.
