Dear ,

Cold weather blew through New York City this past week as we got the remains of Hurricane Michael. My heart goes out to those who were affected by the storm.

In stark contrast to Fast Fashion, Slow Fashion buyers care about:

• Sourcing products that don’t destroy or hurt the environment.
• Paying workers fair wages in safe conditions.
• Finding ways to reuse or recycle old clothes beyond landfills

Therefore, these customers are willing to pay higher prices for quality goods since they intend use them for a long time.

Further they seek ways to reuse or give new life to their existing clothes, providing new business opportunities.

As an avid knitter, I have a visceral connection with the clothes I make. Each piece contains memories of where I bought the yarn and made the garment.

The recent UN report warning that global climate change requires immediate attention underscores the urgency of Slow Fashion October. 

Regardless of how you feel about fashion or your personal style, the Slow Fashion Movement has real lessons for your marketing.

Why?

Because these customers want more – not only from their clothes, but also from other products they buy.  This is particularly true of Millennials who want to do business with ethical companies.

Slow Fashion October inspires us to think not only about how our clothes are made and used over time, but also how they’re disposed of once they’re no longer of service to us.

Actionable Marketing Opportunities:

• Provide quality over quantity. This extends beyond your marketing to your products, one of the original 4Ps of Marketing.
  
  
• Tell your product stories. Let customers know how your products are sourced and the story of their creation.
  
  
• Provide related product services over time, not just at purchase. Include tailoring, repairs and upgrades.
  
  
• Recycle older products. Car dealers learned this lesson. They re-envisioned used cars as pre-owned cars.

To improve your business results, focus on the core elements of your marketing.

A few years ago, Ann Handley dubbed this process “Slow Marketing”.

But it didn’t take off since marketers have an innate dislike for “going slow”.  It makes them feel out-of-touch and behind the times.

Instead they opt for the cutting edge, where you get hurt.

Fast forward to the present where Amazon continues to extend its global reach across many B2C verticals.  

​​​​​​​Further, organic reach via search and social continues to diminish as Sparktoro’s recent analysis reveals.

Don’t interpret these findings to mean that you should stop your organic reach efforts!

Instead augment your organic marketing with paid and earned options.

As a marketer rethink your marketing and offering to stand out to attract and retain a loyal audience.

Don’t worry—you’re not alone as recent social media and content marketing research reveal. (See this week’s Feature articles!)

Instead fortify your marketing with a strong foundation including a documented marketing plan and deep understanding of your audience.

Apply the TIP Method beyond your distribution to ensure that you’re able to track, improve and promote your marketing.

Actionable Marketing Tactics:

• Focus on adjusting and documenting the foundational elements of your marketing.
  
  
• Find your marketing gems. Update and improve them to keep them vibrant just as Slow Fasahionistas do. Here are 100+ ways to recycle content.
  ​​​​​​​
• Repromote your existing quality content. Keep it visible over time. Here are 60+ ways to distribute your content.

Looking for help with your marketing?

Then update your professional skills by taking advantage of these options:

• Missed Content Marketing World 2018? Then get the full information meal for a fraction of the live conference cost. Use code COHEN to SAVE 10% !
  
  
• Attend MarketingProfs B2B Forum on November 13-16, 2018, in San Francisco. It’s chock full of B2B goodness. (I know—I’m on the Advisory Board!) Use code B2B18FRIEND to SAVE $100!
  
  
• Confused about the latest social media changes? Don’t be! Attend Social Media Marketing World in sunny San Diego, March 20-22, 2019. ACT NOW and SAVE!  Prices increase every week.

BTW--If you have any marketing questions that you’d like me to answer, please hit respond and ask!

On a personal note, I’ll be at the Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhinebeck, NY next weekend. Please let me know if you’ll be there.

Click here to get this and previous AMG newsletters on the Web.

​​​​​​​Get the key content marketing insights you need to improve your content marketing for 2019. Actionable tactics included!

​​​​​​​Does your social media marketing fail to deliver results?  Check Sprout Social’s latest research.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​Check out what Baer and Lemin have to say about WOM (aka: Word of Mouth Marketing) in their new book.

​​​​​​​Social Media Marketing World 2019