Third Wave Fashion // JANUARY 2014 // THE CONTENT + COMMERCE ISSUE | Page 22

SPECIAL FEATURE
// CONTENT & COMMERCE

MERGING CONTENT WITH COMMERCE

TODAY
By Liza Kindred

ird Wave Fashion’s Founder

T

en years ago the content and
We have always told our clients: if
commerce landscape was
you’re a brand or a retailer, think like a
straightforward: there was
publisher. If you’re a publisher, think
c ont e nt , a n d t h e re w a s
like a brand.
commerce. Ecommerce
stores were just starting to
come into their own
(megastores like Amazon
were finally starting to
turn profits), and the
media industr y was
grappling with what the
new topography would be
(Huffington Post hadn’t
-- Avi Savar, author of Content To Commerce
even launched yet).

transparency. Just because your primary
focus is selling goods does not mean
that you’re not in the content game. e
best brands are taking advantage of easy
publishing tools and the
interest of talented stylist
and journalists and are
creating beautiful, original
content for their customers.

“In order for brands to succeed in
today’s socially connected world, they
must think like publishers and act like
media networks.”

Today, almost every publisher is
desperately seeking new revenue
streams, while smart stores are getting
into the content creation game. It’s no
longer enough to do one thing well.

BRANDS + RETAILERS:
THINK LIKE A PUBLISHER
Today’s consumers demand context and
entertainment, information and

e same branding
principles that always matter
still apply here: believe in the
intelligence of your
customers, tell compelling
stories, and stay authentic to
your brand voice. Use your content as a
way to add value to your customer’s
lives. e online menswear purveyor
Mr. Porter does a fantastic job of this
with their Style Help section.
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