“This research shows that a great number of fashion houses aren’t as mobile-savvy as they need to be in today’s digital world”
PHOTO CREDIT: Susan Sermoneta
With New York Fashion Week underway, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and its Mobile Marketing Center of Excellence are unveiling “Fashion on Phones,” an in-depth study that looks at the mobile readiness of the Women’s Wear Daily (WWD) official list of “Top 100 Fashion Brands” – revealing that 17 percent are without a mobile-optimized website. Leading apparel, technology and high-fashion brands that lack a mobile site include:
• | American Apparel | • | DKNY | • | Seiko | |||||||||||||||
• | Bali | • | Fruit of the Loom | • | Timex | |||||||||||||||
• | Candie’s | • | Joe Boxer | • | Vanity Fair | |||||||||||||||
• | Casio | • | Maidenform | • | Versace | |||||||||||||||
• | Cherokee | • | Playtex | |||||||||||||||||
• | Danskin | • | Reebok |
In addition to auditing each of the labels on the WWD list for mobile-optimized sites, IAB looked at whether or not they offer key features mobile consumers are likely to seek:
• | App Cross-Promotion – Less than a quarter (24%) of brands with apps had an app store link on their mobile site | |||
• | Link to Desktop Site – More than half (59%) of brands with mobile-optimized sites feature a direct link to their desktop site from their mobile web page | |||
• | Optimized Search – More than a third (35%) of brands do not offer mobile-optimized search results | |||
• | Store Locator – The majority (85%) of brands included a tool to let consumers easily find a store in their area | |||
• | Tap-To-Call Phone Numbers – Nearly two-thirds (64%) of brands offer tappable phone numbers within two or fewer taps from the homepage |
The study’s structure also allowed for the creation of a “M-score,” an index that grades and ranks the list of top fashion brands on their overall mobile web presence. As a result, four labels garnered perfect scores:
• | The North Face | |||
• | Pink | |||
• | Tiffany & Co. | |||
• | Victoria’s Secret |
Without either a mobile site or any mobile-friendly features, three were sent to the bottom of the rankings:
| • | Candie’s | |||
| • | Casio | |||
| • | Joe Boxer |
“A strong mobile presence should be the ‘must-have’ item on every fashion brand’s shopping list this season,” said Anna Bager, Vice President and General Manager, Mobile Center of Marketing Excellence, IAB. “Eighty-three percent of WWD’s list of top fashion brands have mobile-optimized websites – but 100 percent of them should have one. These brands may be driving the fashion trends of today, but many are missing a trend that could help them connect directly to style-loving consumers – mobile.”
Beyond the factors that were included in the “M-score” rankings, IAB examined the fashion houses on the list against other key mobile strategies as well:
• | Branded Downloadable Apps – iPhone apps are most popular among fashion labels (47%), with Android apps at a close second (43%), trailed by iPad apps at a distant third (26%) | |||
• | Responsive Design – A fairly small percentage (37%) ensure a good user experience across digital screens through responsive web design |
“This research shows that a great number of fashion houses aren’t as mobile-savvy as they need to be in today’s digital world,” said Joe Laszlo, Senior Director, Mobile Marketing Center of Excellence, IAB. “Not all of the brands in the study are focused on e-commerce, but those with a direct retail presence have the strongest imperative to offer great mobile experiences. Doing mobile right will help drive sales both on smartphones and in stores. And, even those without that retail arm can only benefit from a robust mobile presence in the marketplace.”
To download the IAB “Fashion on Phones” report, please visit www.iab.net/fashiononphones.
