Fashion Marketing: 7 Ready-to-Print Ideas for Retailers
For clothing retailers, print marketing has to do more than just strike a pose. It has to inspire, inform and influence. Create a catwalk of campaigns with custom print from Smartpress. From stunning lookbooks and catalogs to promotional brochures and signage that sends a message, fashion marketing has never looked better.
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Curate a Lookbook
Whether you’re managing a national clothier or running a charming boutique, no retailer’s marketing is complete without the all-important lookbook. For seasonal collections and limited edition assortments, fashion lookbooks give customers an inside look at every single detail.
So how to create a lookbook that’s en vogue? It’s all about the photography. Imagery that tells a story, that’s aspirational. Artwork that captures even the smallest stitch and brings it into focus. Your photographer plays a big part in creating the right look, but your online printer plays an even bigger one.
Vibrant imagery that’s runway ready? That’s guaranteed when you design and print your fashion catalogs with Smartpress. And the format to get you a premium look and feel that’s always in-style? Perfect Bound Booklets. With a seamless square spine, they elevate every outfit, whether displayed on a coffee table or handed out at a cash wrap.
Design your own fashion lookbook template or use one of ours. Explore coated and uncoated paper stocks, plus sophisticated matte and luxe gloss UV coatings. And to really make a statement, add custom foil printing to your lookbook cover with Foil Perfect Bound Booklets. In four colors (or even clear gloss), foil’s anything but a passing fad.
Hint: Need inspo for your own custom book printing? See how it’s done: Immersive Experience: Lookbook Printing Boosts the Bottom Line.
The New Networking
Once you’ve nailed the lookbook, it’s time to accessorize. And we don’t mean handbags and jewelry. Fashion marketing requires supporting print pieces for networking within the industry and for outreach to potential partners and clients.
The networking trend that’s here to stay? Business Cards, of course. But not those boring, uninspired ones you’re thinking of – those are so last season (and last decade). Fashion business cards speak volumes about your product, so say it loudly with custom die-cut designs, vertical originations, Soft Touch laminate, and our favorite, foil.
For advertising your garments on the go, think clean lines and timeless construction: custom Brochures. With double-sided printing, perforation and more than 10 folding options for online printing, your fashion brochure design is the right fit for any campaign.
And since fashion is all about creativity, make sure your fashion marketing is, too. Meaning? Postcards dressed up as package insert cards. No matter what your brand vibe is, your package insert should reflect it. Use one to showcase care instructions, express a thank you or promote upcoming sales and collections.
You can even design postcard mailers to enhance the customer experience. Promote trunk shows or new product lines, even leverage variable data printing to send personalized discounts to loyal clients. Getting your message into your customers’ mailboxes is proven to drive ultramodern ROI.
Finally, they may be small but they make a big impression: clothing hanging tags. They’re for so much more than listing a size. Be thoughtful with this branding opportunity and create custom hang tags that layer subtle details in a strategic shape. Just design flat Cards without a fold and add a drill hole. (And hey, why not print custom thank you cards for employees, customers and business partners while you’re at it?)
Hint: Want more package insert ideas? As a customer-focused online printing shop, we’ve got some for you: Packaging Inserts: 7 Ideas (& Tips) to Increase Engagement.
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Bright Lights, Big Signage
Clothing is all about being seen, so round out your fashion marketing strategy with Indoor and Outdoor Signage. We recommend approaching this holistically. Signage is an extension of your brand voice and sets an expectation for the customer, so think about the rest of your print pieces to create a cohesive look from top to bottom.
Branded signs and retail store signs are all part of Smartpress’ wide ranging online printing services. Your signage gets the couture treatment with custom sizes, green alternative materials and easy install options no matter where your display is.
We’ve even got you covered for styling events and local fashion weeks with Hanging Banners. Make haute happen with grommets, pole pockets and ball bungees that give your message a flattering silhouette in any space.
Hint: See how marketing ideas for another retail industry can translate to fashion: Jewelry Marketing: 3 Ways to Add Bling to Your Business.
Design Tips
Before you sew your strategy into place, consider these design tips to avoid a print marketing faux pas.
Color
- Pay attention to color – it’s a huge driver in fashion marketing! Use it to set a tone that comes through your branding or seasonal print pieces.
- Stick to the same color spectrum (natural, vibrant, etc.) to create cohesion.
- Add black or white accents to support the overall colors in your campaign.
Photography
- Shoot imagery with an appropriate depth of field (in super simple terms: how much of your image is in focus). This allows you to hone in on the details you want to pull out of the photo.
- Cropping is crucial! Find textures and patterns that you can highlight and accentuate.
- Crop in on intricate stitching or a clean hem to show the quality and craftsmanship of the entire piece – those details elevate your brand.
