AFC Covid-19 Recovery Webinar Series

Supported by City of Sydney

These have been uncertain and challenging times for businesses of all sizes.

While our earlier webinar series looked at the Covid-19 Response, now thanks to the support of the City of Sydney and a host of industry experts, we're working through Covid-19 Recovery.

This latest webinar series sees a selection of leaders from our industry explore what recovery looks like for fashion businesses in relation to the impacts of Covid-19. From merchandise planning and retail strategies, through to navigating consumer sentiment and brand messaging, and connecting to audiences in a virtual world.

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Catch up on some of the Webinar sessions and content below.

Fabric, a creative agency specialising in fashion and lifestyle brands, hosted a session around the timely topic of 'Navigating Uncertainty'. Fabric's strategy team; Gemma Rees (Managing Partner, Fabric), Keenan Motto (Creative Partner, Fabric), and Matt Springate (Chief Strategy Officer, Fabric) shared a report on how brands can navigate and respond to COVID-19, hoping to give some confidence and optimism to anyone responsible for managing brands during this uncertain time.   

Fabric identified eight emerging values that they think people will care about as the crisis progresses (each of these are fuelled by Australia’s unique values as a country) and provided a simple framework to help brands navigate this change. They focused on the longer term strategies that brands can deploy, inspired by cultural insight from the present, and historical data from previous crises.  

Merchandise Planning is about getting the most out of your inventory - how it’s planned, invested, flowed and traded - to achieve the most profitable outcomes. In these challenging times, this is more critical than ever, to control cash flow and margins. The presentation from Susan Martin, CEO & Founder of SMART IN PLANNING focused on stock management, today and into the future, to lay the road to retail recovery.

Susan has 25 years in Merchandise Planning in the Retail sector, based in Australia and South Africa. With extensive experience, grounded in best practice and developed through a career of implementing, integrating and managing the Planning function, she has a strong track record.  Formerly responsible for Merchandise Planning at the Cotton On Group, globally, Susan has worked both in established businesses and more dynamic environments.  She now operates her own business called SMART IN PLANNING. Along with her team, they provide Planning as a service, and have worked with over 70 businesses and brands, with a combined annual turnover of $9 billion, since their launch 5 years ago.

Join the SMART IN PLANNING community HERE

By staying connected with SMART IN PLANNING, you'll also receive Susan's blog 'Planning Matters', and updates on news, media and events.

Matt Newell and Danny Lattouf from THE GENERAL STORE presented on the rise of a new dawn post-pandemic and its retail recovery.

Drawing on experience engaging and working closely with retailers and industry leaders over the last 12 weeks, both Matt and Danny took us through their point of view on the regenerative powers of the experience we've all just been through and what the promise of recovery looks like as we enter "a new dawn".

The presentation dove into and explored the three stages of it all - moving through what Matt calls; The Freefall, The Twilight Zone and A New Dawn.

Pairing strategy, philosophy, best practice examples of recovery mindsets and world class retail experiences (even pre-virus), THE GENERAL STORE partners shared their optimistic outlook to the market of the future.

Jack Morton Worldwide, a specialist in live brand experiences, shared some insights on how to deliver the magic of live in a digital world. Exploring the differences between hybrid and virtual, the team offered some practical tips in creating engaging content for virtual no matter where you are.

Maintaining a close connection with your audience during a time defined by social distancing is difficult. Reaching an audience is not the same as connecting with them – in the same way, that streaming your favourite band isn't the same as seeing them live. The most emotive, most engaging experiences are responsive, they are participatory and involve all our senses. This is experience design.

The power of live, face-to-face engagement is undeniable. Sometimes, circumstances such as budget constraints (or a virus!) mean that live is not enough or not an option. Simply re-creating what you did virtually won't cut it. So, how will you approach the showcase of your next collection if fashion week has been cancelled? What’s going to be the most effective way to engage buyers when in-person meetings are on hold?

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MORE TO COME

AFC will continue to deliver Industry support through webinar sessions and online events. To keep updated with events and opportunities, subscribe the AFC Newsletter HERE, and become an AFC Member HERE.