The Last Blog

This week is sadly the last week blogging for PR research.  Through the last eleven weeks I have been able to learn and relate the different topics discussed in class to fashion and entertainment concepts and blog about them.  For our last week we have been asked to comment on two other blogs. 

The first blog that caught my attention was Kayla’s blog on surveys.  Her blog discussed the different ways the fashion industry uses surveys through questionnaire or interviews.  She goes into specific examples of how online surveys are used to distinguish popular fashion opinions and how the surveys can help fashion companies see what their consumers are thinking and how to make their shopping experiences better.  The example she used about the “jeggings” question was interesting to me because I would have immediately assumed that everyone knows what jeggings are.  That specific survey did a great job in making sure that everyone understood the question and gave equal opportunities for a response.   Another example used was the way Macy’s and Aldo have online surveys for their customers in hopes to see the positive and negative aspects of their products.   When researching for this specific concept I was amazed by the vast amounts of surveys available to the public. 

The Following week we had to discuss experimental research.  In these blogs I found Fran’s which discusses a potential experiment done on social media.  This concept was interesting because as we know, there is a fast growing interest for social media and companies are always looking for new and inventive ways to ensure their companies success.  Fran talks about measuring how effective social media is in getting a company name out to the public and different benefits of the experiment.  She also posted a graph showing the drastic change companies made in their usage of social media from 2007-2008.  It was fascinating to see how many companies decided to use social media. 

Through the past eleven weeks it has been extremely interesting to see the different ways research is used in our everyday lives.  We are constantly observing and adapting our lives to new information which is what research is all about. 

Experimental Fashion

Experimenting with fashion is always risky business.  There is always the concern of…will this look work? Or how will people react to this new product?  Designers today have a new outlook on fashion and have started to experiment with different influences, fabrics and design cuts to make new and embellished creations for upcoming seasons. 

Fashion is an extremely powerful aspect and lately it is doing a lot more than just making statements.  As one of the largest industries in the world, it greatly relies on agriculture and is one of the most heavily featured aspects in the media.  Because of this the fashion industry has taken it upon themselves to become more socially and environmentally responsible.  It has come to some peoples attention that transgression is huge in fashion through their use of sweatshops, hazardous working conditions, unfair wages for workers and on the ecological end, uses high amount of toxic chemicals, pesticides and water wastage. 

These conditions did not stand well for people in the fashion business and for consumers buying the products.  With that said the organization called Global Action Through Fashion came along and changed the way you can wear and buy fashion in a ethical and conventional way.   The people at GATF are taking it upon themselves to educate both the fashion industry and the consumers of the different ways fashion could actually be hurting our environment.  Designers such as Stella McCartney, Marc Jacobs and Versace took interest in this experiment and recently made this year’s New York fashion week into a showcase of one of a kind designs made from recyclable, sustainable and earth-friendly materials. 

Because fashion is so powerful, this fashion friendly experiment did extremely well with the public expanding to other well known designers and stores.  Although  this experiment may not have had a control group, the different variable are seen in two different groups of people: The people who are informed and change the way they shop and the people who are informed and still chose to buy from manufacturers using inhumane sweatshops and toxic chemicals.  It may not be easy to escape all the conditions of unethical fashion, but there are definitely ways to go about ecological shopping. 

Everywhere you look recently there are reminders on how to keep the earth green and planet clean.  It is important that an industry as influential as fashion takes their stand on the environment, and they did so by experimenting with eco friendly fabrics and new and improved ways on advertising and reusing their products. 

Surveying the Public

When typing in entertainment surveys into Google I was overwhelmed by the response that came up.  As one of the most popular and used research methods in the PR industry, surveying is a cheap and easy way to get examples on experiences and actions people feel strongly about.  In the world of entertainment and fashion surveys are taken daily to see which brand is more well liked, which shoes are the new “it” trend and which new celebrity bachelor has taken our hearts this week. 

When looking through the different survey sites, it was fascinating to see the different topics and results.  There were surveys on music, movies, fashion, television and so much more.  It is important that we take these surveys into consideration when doing research because if done properly, they are a extremely helpful and factual way of gaining incite on a certain topic. 

It is important to use surveys in entertainment so you can have a feel and understanding of what the public is interested in.  As a whole, we tend to change our minds very quickly and surveys are an simple and quick way to get new information we are interested in.  One specific survey site that I found that was of interest to me surveyed different people on upcoming music albums, video gaming devices and new movie releases to gain insight on whether people were interested and intended to buy the product. 

In the world of fashion Elle Magazine goes above and beyond the call of surveying and took it upon them to question young adults on relationships, shoes, clothing and so much more.  Surveys like this are of interest to majority of females and are a great way for that demographic to learn new information and gain knowledge on new and up coming trends. 

Observing Other Observations

This week have to comment on other students blogs from the previous week.  It was interesting to see what my other fellow bloggers had to say about qualitative research and their interpretation of how it is used in everyday life…

One blog that caught my attention was Kayla’s Blog on fashion.  She discusses the different ways designers such as Michael Kors and department store Bloomingdales decide on what is going to be the “it fashion” for this season and how they determine what methods are best to reach consumers.  Kayla explains that through qualitative research fashion designers observe perceptions and attitudes of people in their natural environments.  It was interesting to read Kayla’s blog because it was very similar to the one I wrote about Tommy Hilfiger.  It is an attention-grabbing idea to think that the clothes, jewelry, shoes and accessories we wear were all brainstormed and designed through designers using their sensory intuitions and observations in how people shop and what they are shopping for.  Every season a new line of fashion merchandise appears on the floors of stores across the world.  Each of these products was carefully discussed and thought out as a result of qualitative research. 

The other blog I looked at was Brittany’s.  She had a very similar concept as Kayla in that fashion is extremely qualitative and is the result of designers observing what is around them and making them into beautiful cloth creations.  Brittany quotes “every element of fashion represents a certain attitude, period of time or personality.  Every day we observe these elements of fashion through street fashion.”    I really liked her connection to Elle Magazine and how they photograph “street chic” photos of woman everyday and then give comments and observations. As she mentioned, Elle is an extremely well reputable fashion magazine and the fact that they are using qualitative observation show how important and popular it is. This idea is very compelling because when working in Manhattan this past summer I was the one walking down the streets observing what the people on Park and Fifth Avenue were wearing and tried to make it my own by using their ideas.  Fashion is something that everyone observes and interprets for themselves, and whether they want to believe it or not is interpreted through qualitative observation.  Brittany also discusses how runway shows are now using street inspiration for their lines in hopes to relate with the consumer on a different level with hopes that their products will be more appealing and personal.  Just by making a few simple observations, you are gaining insight into those girls’ attitude, behavior, values, culture and lifestyle.

Qualitative Research

As one of today’s top designers in the world of fashion, Tommy Hilfiger has seen and done it all.   Celebrating 25 years of his namesake brand this fall, Hilfiger is currently marketing his 25 year celebration with a flashy show during Fashion Week including tailgate parties and anniversary products.  Although throwing a tailgate may been seen as unprofessional or somewhat obnoxious for someone of his age and fashion standing, Hilfiger has always been one to step outside the box and deliver on many different levels. 

When working in the world of fashion you must always be on top of your game and be one step ahead of the other designers.  Hilfiger is one designer that has always had that extra flare and edge which has made him one of the most well known designers today.  As a designer you are constantly taking ideas from your surroundings pulling what you see, hear, feel, taste and smell and turning it into the next “it” style.  This kind of research is called qualitative observation.  Whether he was aware of it or not Hilfiger has been using qualitative observation for years by using his senses and channeling them into works of clothing. 

  “I wanted to build a business around all this pop culture” said Hilfiger at his fashion show back in September.  To do this Hilfiger gets inspiration from movies, music, celebrities and art and uses them to thread together different signature looks.  These looks have evolved through hippy, preppy, Americana and glitzy glam.  Because he has been in the business for so long he has had influence from different pop icons such as The Beatles to Beyonce to work off of and use their zest and flare and use it in his fashion creations. 

By constantly changing, embellishing and flaring up his different clothing lines Hilfiger is continuously using qualitative observation for motivation and inspiration towards his new designs.  Because he is constantly observing the world he has a basic understanding of human nature which involves change and innovation.  By pulling what is going on in the world of music, movies, television and pop culture Hilfiger has been able to keep his brand well recognized and reputable. 

Unobtrusive Research In Everyday Life

Since we have learned about unobtrusive research it has been brought to my attention that it is more used that one might realize.  After looking through my classmates blogs it was interesting to see the different ways they came up with in which unobtrusive research is used in everyday life. 

When looking at Fran’s blog it opened up my eyes into realizing that we could use unobtrusive research through Facebook and Twitter almost every day if we wanted to.  Celebrities are constantly informing us of their whereabouts and their favorite places to be and favorite “it” designers.  Not only does this give you a small dose of what life would be in the fab lane, but it also allows you to gain a new level of knowledge of what celebrities are up to and what products they are using.  This kind of unobtrusive research is most interesting to me because it allows me to stalk my favorite celebrities while at the same time learning what the latest up to date trends are through constant updated research. 

The other blog I looked at was Brittany’s.  In her blog she discusses the unobtrusive research that Pandora uses to ensure satisfied listeners and fans.   When using Pandora you are able to have different artist and genre playlists and through unobtrusive research the website puts together a list of songs they think you would like off of the artist you chose to begin with.  Not only can Pandora put together lists of songs they things you would be interested in, but if you are connected to Facebook, Pandora can tell you which of your friends like a certain artist in hopes that it gains your interest as well.  This is the newest aspect of Pandora which also uses unobtrusive research. 

Little did we know when starting up with this subject, that it is used in almost all of our social media.   By just scrolling through Pandora, Twitter or Facebook you are able to gain so much research knowledge on your friends, celebrities and musical preferences. 

The Social Network

Being noted as the brilliant movie that defines the decade The Social Network is a new drama film that takes you on the journey about the founding of the internet social networking website Facebook.  Facebook is a worldwide phenomenon that is a quick and easy way to have instant communication, photos, videos and status updates with friends, peers, colleagues and family members.  The Social Network shows you how this popular social network came into action and the different highs and lows of friendship and money. 

After getting dumped by his girlfriend Mark Zuckerberg , a student at Harvard University comes up with an idea to make a website rating the attractiveness of female Harvard undergrads.  After hacking into the schools database of various dorms and using different algorithms he creates a page called FaceMash which is an instant hit with over 22,000 views in just 24 hours.   Zuckenberg is then approached with an idea to have a site for all of Harvard where you would be able to see a profile of information on other students.  To Zuckenberg, this idea is just a draft for his huge master plan. 

After careful research and analysis Zuckenberg realizes that as students we have a constant urge to feel connected and up-to-date with our friends.  Because he was able to see the instant success of FaceMash he used more complex algorithms to make it so you could see pictures, status updates, videos, background information and the ability to send a public message on a friend’s wall. 

The website exploded and currently has over 500 million users from all around the world. 

Facebook has met with some controversy along the way.  It has been blocked intermittently in several countries including Pakistan, Syria, The People’s Republic of China, Vietnam and North Korea.  There were also problems with the website with claims that Zuckerberg stole the idea from Harvard Crew rowers who had approached him with a similar idea a few weeks before Facebook launched. 

Although Zuckerberg did not realize it at the time he was using research in an unobtrusive way.  He took the concept of FaceMash and saw what a huge success it was and used its success as a way to drive another experiment.  He saw that people loved being able to see pictures and feeling connected with friends.  Each week Facebook would expand because of his unobtrusive research.  Without him asking other students he was able to amplify by adding different applications and fields.  Zuckerberg was not directly asking for advice and was not intruding on Facebook followers asking what they liked or did not like, he was able observe and expand his network by observations and indirect measures.  

With a 50 million dollar budget The Social Network has gross over 24 million dollars in just one week of its release.  Review aggregate Rotten Tomatoes reports that 97% of critics have given the film a positive review with an average score of 9.1 out of 10.  Back in January a study was done by Compete.com showing that Facebook was the number two most popular site in the United States under Yahoo.com