Introduction
In a bid to increase online and physical presence, many organizations are turning to news releases. This is where a pre-recorded audio of video message featuring various products, and in this case, the designs by Alexander Wang, are sent to news rooms or online news publications in order to inform prospective customers of the availability of said products. This paper will look into the collaboration of Alexander Wang and Hennes & Mauritz. One of the ways in which the collaboration has been celebrated is though media relations and news releases. The paper will evaluate the benefits of a news release to an organization. The paper will also highlight the media relation efforts in which Alexander Wang and Hennes & Mauritz have been involved since their collaboration.
Benefits of a News Release to an Organization
News releases confer various benefits to the organization. The primary reason of issuing a press release is to increase the awareness concerning the products of the organization. By issuing a press release, the organization benefits from the nominal costs. Unlike the real costs of raising awareness, the nominal costs from a press release do not reflect inflation adjustments. The organization benefits from the nominal cost of the press release. This is because the nominal costs are often less than the market costs of issuing a press release. Through the nominal cost, the organization enjoys the economic benefits of a press release (Kelleher, 2007).
In addition to the nominal costs, organizations the third party credibility of the organizations through which the press release is issued. Third party credibility is very important when issuing a press release or when engaging in media relation activities. The credibility of a media outlet is an important consideration when issuing a press release. According to Mehrabi et al., (2010), credible news sources will increase the value of a news release.
This is because the trustworthiness of a news sources influences the receiver perception with regards to the value of the press release. The news release by Alexander Wang was issued in the Fashion Week of the New York Times. This is a credible news sources that has been in circulation since 1851. Additionally, the news source has a wide reach. By posting the news release with the Fashion Week magazine of the New York Times, Alexander Wang benefited from the third party credibility of the news source.
Media Relation Efforts
In order to increase the market presence and market share, organizations will at times merge or collaborate with other organizations in the same industry. The collaboration of Alexander Wang and Hennes & Mauritz has been documented and debated in fashion circles and dabbed as the “Mother of all Designer Collaborations” (Chabbott, 2014). The two fashion designers have different concepts and operate in different markets. Their collaboration means that they both benefit from the diverse concepts of the two designers. Additionally, their collaboration consolidates their market base. However, media relations efforts were required in order to market their collaboration.
One of the media relation efforts in which they were involved include the use of the social media. One of the efforts in which they were involved was posting news of the collaboration on Instagram, a social networking platform. The use of social networking sites as a marketing tool is very influential, especially in the contemporary globalized world. According to Bashar et al., (2012), modern businesses cannot avoid social networks in their general marketing mix and particularly, the promotional mix. Through the use social networking sites, they not only notified their followers, but also initiated debates over the social networking sites. This helps create online traffic in their online stores, and also raise awareness of their collaboration.
They were also involved in a live event as part of their media relation efforts. The live event dabbed “H&M Loves Music Celebration” (Los Angeles Confidential, 2014). The dance party was part of the celebration of the collaboration where they invited players in the fashion industry and also prospective customers. The celebration was graced by over seven hundred guests, among then famous artists like Kate Bosworth and Katy Perry (Los Angeles Confidential, 2014). The live event helped raise awareness of their collaboration. The presence of celebrities in the live event helped raise the profile of their collaboration. According to Primo (2013), live events are appropriate marketing tools because the real life experiences enhance the memory. Additionally, Alexander Wang and Hennes & Mauritz were able to sell their collaboration to the guests through their interaction in the live event.
Conclusion
The current market environment is very competitive. Businesses are always looking for ways to outcompete their rivals. In this light, the collaboration by Alexander Wang and Hennes & Mauritz not only consolidate their market base, but also consolidate a base of ideas that will revolutionize the fashion world. In order to promote their promotion, Alexander Wang and Hennes & Mauritz issues news releases and also took part in media relation efforts. The benefits of these activities transcend both economic and information aspects. the collaboration was backed with effective promotional strategies that will help achieve the objectives of the collaboration.
References
Bashar, A., Ahmad, I. & Wasiq, M. (2012). Effectiveness of social media as a marketing tool: An empirical study. International journal of marketing, financial services & management research, 1(11): 88-99
Chabbott, S. (2014). Alexander Wang and H&M join forces in the Mother of all designer collaborations. Retrieved from>http://www.glamour.com/fashion/blogs/dressed/2014/04 /alexander-wang-and-hm-join-for
Kelleher, T. (2007). Public Relations Online: Lasting Concepts for Changing Media. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, Inc.
Los Angeles Confidential (2014). H&M Loves Music Celebration. Retrieved from> http://la- confidential-magazine.com/galleries/h-and-m-loves-music-celebration-at-coachella-with- kate-bosworth
Mehrabi, D., Ali, M. & Hassan, M. (2010). Research attention to the credibility of information sources. Media ethics, 21(2):
Primo, D. (2013). Live Event Marketing - Content Strategy's New Star and the Most Underutilized Content Marketing Tool! Retrieved from> http://www.huffingtonpost.com/diane-primo/live-event-marketing-cont_b_3839055.html
