YOUR BRAND IS OUTSTANDING. BUT IS IT STANDING OUT?
Working with THE STYLE GATE can effectively answer this question.
Due to limited budget and lack of in-house skills, nowadays startups as well as established companies realise that outsourcing to innovator and experts is faster and cheaper than doing it all themselves. In fact, more and more advisory boards are working directly with CEOs and entrepreneurs on product and market improvement. Not only is recruiting third-party expertise a cost-saving choice, but also an opportunity to have different perspectives, even gain new insights into the business.
BRAND POSITIONING
Image, quality, “made in” – these are all essential ingredients for starting or re-building a brand. Today’s dynamic and demanding marketplace require more than that: a compelling vision, multi-dimensional and adaptable strategies, a brand ambassador and more. These tools – and knowing how to use them – are crucial steps if you want to go beyond “outstanding” to truly “stand out”.
COMMERCIAL AND DISTRIBUTION STRATEGIES
THE STYLE GATE is your business accelerator. Whatever your business model – wholesale or retail, joint venture or agency – not only we have the caliber to introduce the best partners from one country to another, set up meetings with them and furnish the discussion process, but we can also prepare business plans, negotiate the best commercial and financial conditions, and provide legal advice for the conclusion of contracts. In the case of JV or direct market investment, we can assist in determining the most suitable corporate form. For trade mark registrations, THE STYLE GATE can handle all aspects of organisational procedures from market exclusivity to proof of preferential origin.
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
Your product assortment has good quality and the right price point, but it is simply not performing. Is it due to the lack of marketing investment? No. Lack of a well-known designer? No. The answer is pretty simple: short product lifecycle. THE STYLE GATE will show you how to move fast enough for this generation of customers who demand instant gratification. The secret is to understand their preferences and provide them with a high-octane experience. To achieve this, THE STYLE GATE works with a specific network of tailor’s workshops and laboratories in Italy and around the world to ensure the best quality at the best cost.
DIGITAL CULTURE AND “BRICKS VS CLICKS”
Luxury companies know all too well that investing in digital has become essential for growth. But their most common mistake is putting technology first. THE STYLE GATE gets to heart of the issue: the consumers. Knowing your customers and what “makes them tick” is the first step to digital success. Whether it’s the product or the shopping experience, they need an integrated platform on and offline. For example, they should be able to pick up merchandise or make a return over your website or in your store. They’d want to read up on reviews before making a purchase, and have the peace of mind of having dedicated after-sales service. Good customer relations with the brand will make them feel involved, and above all, valued.
COMMUNICATION AND MARKETING PLANS
In a world where the boundaries between consumer, brand and product are increasingly blurring, identifying an effective way to communicate your brand has become more important than ever. But there is not just one right answer. Communication strategies have to evolve as quickly as constantly-changing technology and media, while the desperate need for good results with minimal budget and complex channels make this task more daunting than ever. THE STYLE GATE will guide you to identify the right objective for your communication, align your ambitions with your budget, and finally, get your brand message across with success.
RETAIL PLANNING AND MERCHANDISING
While THE STYLE GATE firmly believes that an effective shopping experience is to build sales by converting visitors into buyers, their “experience by square metre” is equally important. The better the retail layout, product offer and space circulation, the more strongly the consumer will feel about time well spent in store. In fact, a gratifying experience boosted by a skilled retail team – who provide the information necessary to make an emotionally-satisfying decision in store – will transform an occasional shopper to a loyal one. To reach this goal, THE STYLE GATE sources the best experts and contractors, from architectural design to team hiring, to execute the entire retail plan.
THE STRAIGHT-TO-CONSUMER MODEL ONLINE
THE STYLE GATE approaches luxury by creating a straight-to-consumer label from the get-go. This is the future of next-generation luxury brands. The digital-age customer no longer wants to shop in a world built upon 50-year-old business models. Straight-to-consumer is the antidote to the malaise of the current system: collections are delivered to stores in the wrong season; the fashion calendars are misaligned… A straight-to-consumer model offers many advantages, from having greater control over markdowns and carrying a larger stock than any multi-brand store can ever dream of, to marketing directly to the final consumer, controlling the message that you convey, and, ultimately, creating a truly personal experience.
MANAGEMENT SEARCH, BRAND SCOUTING AND COMPETITORS PROFILING
THE STYLE GATE has its pulse on the luxury market, from knowing what is happening behind the scene, to knowing whom the newest creative or management talents are. Whether you want to recruit that great manager from your competitor, design the right floor plan for your department store, invest in a new franchise, or simply want to know if the neighbour’s grass is really greener than yours, THE STYLE GATE will source specific information, the right brands, designers and executives through its widespread business connections network.
Always a step ahead, our “intelligence to fashion and luxury” is second to none.