In recent years, New York Fashion Week has experienced a multidimensional adoption of technology.
I contend that NYFW’s adoption of technology utilizes aspects of both Systems Theory and Uses & Gratifications Theory.
Under Systems Theory, successful organizations recognize the dynamic nature of the environments in which they operate. As political, social, and economic conditions change, the organizations make reciprocal adjustments to their Public Relations campaigns, aiming to maintain support from invested stakeholders. Systems can be either open or closed, yet most innovative organizations prefer an open system, which allows for two-way communication with its stakeholders.
The Uses & Gratifications Theory illustrates that people are selective about the media they use and consume, and that they choose particular media to satisfy specific needs. In order to be compelling and effective, organizations must necessarily know their audience, and target different stakeholders using different methods.
Taking advantage of the ubiquity that is the internet, NYFW representatives post the show schedule online months in advance, getting viewers excited about and planning for their Fashion Week experience.
Several applications have been designed in order to facilitate the organization’s goals of giving a wider audience a better experience, thus boosting their reputation and approval, and staying current with Fashion Week trends.
In September 2010, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week introduced Fashion GPS, a technology offering quick seating and check-in for guests at their shows. This system prevents show-crashers, it allows designers to keep track of who was at their show, and it gives a certain prestige to NYFW.
At http://www.nytimes.com/newsgraphics/2013/09/13/fashion-week-editors-picks/, one can explore an interactive exhibit of designer’s collections.
There exist a multitude of websites dedicated to live-streaming the shows, expanding the reach of NYFW from celebrities and press to anyone that wants to engage.
To make NYFW even more tech-savvy, MADE Fashion Week—second only to MBFW in number of shows put on during the week—is using a real-time iPhone application to raise its attendance numbers, “The application listens for specific sound waves that will be played over the speakers during runway shows throughout the week. These sound waves, inaudible to the human ear, are synched to the shows themselves and tell the app which outfit is on display at any time. The app will then automatically pull up a photograph of the outfit — taken by a photographer on the scene — as well as the designer’s name, biography and contact information. Users can share the photographs through various forms of social media and save looks to their phones” (Brustein).
This example of adapting to current trends in fashion by adopting several new technologies corresponds to both Systems Theory and Uses & Gratifications Theory. Relative to UGT, consumers are able to exercise great control over which media they use, it is beneficial to organizations to provide multiple ways for users to access the product. Consumers have so many options today, so making it as simple as possible for them to participate with your organization is key. In addition, the theory fits the example as it pertains to human needs and desires. We generally love to feel close to celebrities. By giving the general public access to such an exclusive event, NYFW is gratifying this desire. Widening the participating audience and boosting viewership was a pivotal and positive move for the organization. The UGT also states the main reasons people use their phones—entertainment, fashion and status, mobility, and immediate access. It is undeniable that each one of these is satisfied by NYFW.
The connection between Systems Theory and NYFW’s Public Relations campaign is strong. The organization realized the changing social and technological environments and adapted their business structure to maintain a strong media presence. By incorporating all the applications and live-streams into their event, they are boosting their reputation with stakeholders. The general audience has a larger role in NYFW than ever before and is happy about it. Designers did not like the exclusion, they wanted the public to partake in the magnificence that is NWFW.
Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, the newest Event Planner for MBFW approves of the tech-upgrades, “Fashion, ultimately, is for the masses, the more that we can open it up to people who, before, were only seeing it on television, or only seeing it in the magazines, the more it will become real life for them. Exclusivity was something we wanted to get away from” (Williams).
Brustein, Joshua. “At Fashion Week, a Peek at a New Tactic for Marketers.” The New York Times 6 Feb. 2012. Online. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/06/at-fashion-week-a-peek-at-a-new-tactic-for-marketers/
Williams, Alex. “Marshaling Fashion’s Troops.” International New York Times. 2012. Web. <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/09/fashion/09upclose.html>.
http://nymag.com/thecut/2010/08/three_ways_to_check_into_fashi.html
http://www.nytimes.com/newsgraphics/2013/09/13/fashion-week-editors-picks/
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/09/fashion/09livestream.html?_r=0
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/12/business/12shows.html
http://ldjproductions.com/#/services/
http://newyorkfashionweeklive.com/
https://fashiongps.com/
http://img.com/services/event-management.aspx
