An Inside Look at Marc Jacobs

The Marc Jacobs 2010 fashion show was a hit with both press and fans. The live-streaming gave fashionistas an inside look and the fun styles were a favorite among critics and buyers. In this video I share my reaction to the show and some footage so that you can make a decision for yourself. Did Marc Jacobs live up to his stellar reputation?

Diversification. Can it Result in a Crisis?

Developing ways to set yourself apart from competitors is a vital part of any industry. In the cut throat fashion industry, it is a must. Designers are constantly creating new lines that are unique and trendy, but recently, some designers have been branching out to completely new product lines. Can these new attempts at diversification be pushed too far? And what does that mean for the company?

It seems that Fashion mogul Marc Jacobs is slowing monopolizing New York City's West Village owning 5 clothing stores in the Bleecker Street are, and now he is looking to expand his hold with the opening of a book store.

New York magazine recently reported that Biography Book Shop on Bleecker Street now has a sign on the window saying, "A bookstore will be opening here Winter 2010."And the magazine claims that the book store will belong to designer Marc Jacobs. It is rumored to have the clever name "Book Marc" and to be the fashion icons 6th store in the area.

While this may seem a strange endeavor for a fashion designer, it is not the first time Jacobs has stepped out of the box. His latest store in Milan featured a full service cafe.

So this poses the question, does a book store stray too far from the company's image, and could it potentially cause a crisis for the company down the road?

Looking into the success of Marc Jacobs stores, I am compelled to answer no. Based on the popularity of this American designer, it seems that everything he touches turns to gold. It seems that people are drawn to anything with the Marc Jacobs name. It is my belief that if a cafe in Milan can succeed, so can a book store in New York.

Technology: An Emerging Trend In Crisis Management

Throughout this blog, I have discussed several actual and potential crises that plague corporations. However, it is important to realize that the way a crisis was handled in the past, may not be as effective today. Current trends in society, technology, and the marketplace can have an impact on how a company should manage crises. In this post, I will focus on how changes in technology have created new trends companies adhere to when communicating with their public throughout the crisis.

Internally, the increasing trend of reliance on technology has impacted how companies send messages to their target public. Because so many people have access to the Internet, a company's website is now one of the most important medias used to reach consumers. Looking into the website for Marc Jacobs, the only form of communication currently available on the page is a "contact" link to the email addresses of various employees.

I feel that this is not a very proactive design for the company. If a crisis were to occur, people would undoubtedly go to their page for information, and the only information they receive is how to e-mail titled employees. If the website had a information section, that would be a more productive way to disseminate information in the time of a crisis.

Reliance on the Internet can also effect how a company manages a crisis on an external level. With the general public utilizing social medias such as Facebook, Twitter, blogs and LinkedIn to gather information on a company, it is important to utilize these mediums to communicate with publics. Social media can be an extremely efficient and easy way for a company to reach its target audiences.

Once again, Marc Jacobs is not prepared to utilize this media if a crisis were to occur. The company does not currently host a twitter or Facebook page. As I mentioned in a previous post, they once did, but the endeavor proved to be short lived. By capitalizing on the worlds increasing reliance on technology, companies, such as Marc Jacobs, could be prepared to communicate with their audiences should a crisis occur.

Ethical dilemmas influence how almost every company makes decisions. While today the creation of a Company Code of Ethics is common, it is the actual implementation of said code where many corporations falter.

When planning for a crisis, it is important for a company to assess if some of their current practices could be viewed as unethical by consumers.

Looking into the fashion-house Marc Jacobs, I have begun to determine where possible ethical breaches may occur within the organization. As a manufacturer of clothing, purses, and accessories, Marc Jacobs has the potential of being linked with sweatshop manufacturing.

Issues similar to this have questioned the ethics of several big name corporations such as Nike, The Gap, and Ralph Lauren, and have had detrimental effects on the company. If such an issues were to be linked the the Marc Jacobs name, it would have to potential to cause serious harm to the image of the company.

Fortunately, Marc Jacobs has not been connected with these serious issues and has been able to protect its image as an ethical company whose main focus is on its customers!

Marc Jacobs: Fashion Week Recap

Marc Jacobs has taken Mercedes Fashion Week by storm, introducing new innovative ways for his fans to catch the runway show. Fellow fashionistas comment on Jacobs' use of social media to live-stream the catwalk.

Seeing the Opportunity in a Crisis

An ancient Chinese proverb states that "a crisis is an opportunity riding a dangerous wind". It has been shown time and again that this statement is true. From every crisis comes the opportunity for an organization to learn from past mistakes and take action to prevent a similar crisis from occurring in the future.

The steps to organizational learning are clear. According to our textbook Crisis Management in the New Strategy Landscape, you should first assess "what went right and what went wrong" with you crisis communication plan. From there, changes can be made to the plan to ensure the stability and safety of your company in the future. This is why learning from previous mistakes is one of the most essential steps in crisis communication.

Throughout this blog, I have outlined several potential and realized crises surrounding the fashion-house Marc Jacobs. Most recently, my post discussed how Jacobs faced a crisis at the company's NY Fashion Week after party, when company President Robert Duffy uploaded a nude photograph of a model to his Twitter page. This offended many publics and was scrutinized by the media. Duffy publicly apologized for the post, and eventually closed his Twitter page.

Although the crisis had little effect on the overall image of the Marc Jacobs brand, the company can still learn from this event. I would suggest making changes to the company's decision to launch a twitter page. Instead of using Duffy to carry out this tactic, I believe that a member of the PR team would be more successful. Through changing who controls the Twitter page, Marc Jacobs can continue 2-way communication with their audiences while monitoring what it tweeted and therefore decreasing the chances of a similar crisis occurring again.

Fashion D-Day

"In fashion, one day you're in and the next you're out"

These words are spoken by famous model Heidi Klum on every episode on Project Runway and have quickly become words to live by for many aspiring and established fashion designers. In an industry where there is a constant fight to get to the top, and an even harder one to stay there, it becomes imperative for all designers to know that their downfall will not be because of their communication team.

With this in mind, communication (especially in the time of a crisis) has become an essential part of almost every well-established fashion house and for most upcoming designers. Chapter 8 of Crisis Mangement in the New Startegy Landscape states that when a crisis occurs, it is necessary to communicate with internal stakeholders in a different manner than you would external stakeholders.

The fashion house Marc Jacobs has been at the top of American fashion for many years now due to the inventive runway shows and trendy designs. While I do not know what the Jacobs team communication plan is, I believe they must be doing a good job in order to remain at the top of the industry.

If Marc Jacobs were to face a crisis today, they would need to designate a spokesperson to communicate with external publics such as the media, customers, and other public groups. I feel that within the Marc Jacobs company, the person best suited to handle this responsibility is company President Robert Duffy. He is a well-known man in the fashion industry and would therefore be take seriously by publics.

On the other hand, while dealing with internal stakeholders such as management and employees, the best person to communicate with them would probably be Marc Jacobs himself. This is because Marc is the owner of the company, the most respected, and the only reason the company exists. It is his brain child, and more often than not, any crisis that may occur would directly effect him.

Crisis on the Runway

New York Fashion Week has come and gone leaving in its wake a plethora of stories and updates about the major designers. Opinions on which designer runway shows topped the list began circling across the media immediately, more often than not, placing Marc Jacobs right at the top! Reviews were rave, applauding Jacobs simple background and wearable Fall line. The high of this runway success however, did not last long. As always, the company's next crisis was right around the corner at the shows after-party.

It seems Marc Jacobs President Robert Duffy can't help but to stir up controversy on his recently removed Twitter page. At the fashion shows after party, Duffy decided to upload so pictures from his phone to his Twitter page. While I am sure fans were excited to get an inside look at the happening of a party that was privy to fashion insiders Rachel Zoe and Bee Shaffer, they may have gotten more than they bargained for when Duffy uploaded a photo of a naked man to the page.

Crises like this can occur at the drop of a hat, which is why it's important to have a PR team that can effectively manage it. Responding quickly and mitigating the effects of the crisis show to be extremely important while a crisis is occurring. While Duffy quickly admitted that posting the photo was not showing the best judgement, it seems the Marc Jacobs PR department may have had enough of how Twittering mishaps.

This was not the first issue the Jacobs brand has seen since Duffy began Twittering a mere month ago, so it was no surprise to me when a few days later, he bowed out of the twittershpere. So it makes me wonder... Did Duffy choose to say goodbye to Twitter, or was the site just causing the company too many issues?

The Organizational Strategy

The fashion industry is an ever changing field that requires people to stay on top of their game. One day a designer could be the new "it" designer, and the next they could be out. Therefore, sustaining popularity and a name in the fashion world is something that requires a great deal of strategic planning.

Our text discusses how an organizations decision on where to place themselves in the industry can impact their prevalence to crises. With this in mind, we see that this decision is one that must not be take lightly. It should involve a lot of research and strategic decision making.

An organization can choose to operate within a single industry, in multiple related industries, or in multiple unrelated industries. There are both benefits and drawbacks to both, but it seems to me that when done right, operating in multiple related industries decreases a company's overall risk of enduring crises. I believe that Marc Jacobs has done just that.

As a company, I believe that Marc Jacobs' organizational strategy is to practice in related diversification. This is a term our text book defines as operating multiple businesses in related industries.

Not only is Jacobs a top designer of women's clothing, but he also has a men's line, a couture line, accessories, and various perfumes. Because all of these product lines go together and demonstrate the high quality image Jacobs has become known for, the crisis prevalence could be seen as small.

For example, while other top designers are facing issues due to the failing economy, Jacobs is still prevailing with his less expensive lines like "Marc by Marc Jacobs". This ability to branch out to different demographics has helped the company remain profitable when others are in crisis. I feel that following in the footsteps of Jacobs and diversifying product lines would be beneficial to other designers as well.

Fashion Emergency! Are You Prepared?

Disaster on the runway can occur at any point in a fashion mogule's career. Being the creative director of the prestigous fashion design house Louis Vuitton and the designer of his own successful lines, Marc Jacobs has to be prepared for when trouble arises.

In preparing for a crisis, one of the first steps that must be taken is the creation of a strong crisis management team. When developing the crisis management team, it is important to choose members that can handle stress, listen to the stakeholders and victims, work well in a group and communicate well with publics. If a company fails to successfully choose the members of their crisis management team, the effectiveness of all of their crisis communication efforts will suffer.

Once this team is selected, they will be responsible for developing a crisis management plan to be executed if and when an organization faces a crisis. In my previous posts, I have discussed some crises Marc Jacobs has faced in the past. From recent plagarism lawsuits to his infamous bribery scandal, it seems that the Jacobs crisis management team has chosen a specfic strategy. Keep Quiet.

Understanding the that fashion industry, like any other industry is prone to various crises, it is clear that the Jacobs PR department must get more information into all potential risks to the company and develop strong guidelines on how to react to them. When crises have occurred in the past, representatives for the company have been hesitant to comment or release statements. This is not a very effective way to contain and minimize the damage of a crisis.

Had the company prepared for potential crises and drafted a crisis management plan, they would have had more success in protecting the image of the brand. As Marc Jacobs has seen, it is possible for a crisis to occur in any industry, fashion included, and it's time for major fashion houses to step up and prepare for the inevitable fashion emergency.

New Media Creating a Crisis

As stated in my previous posts, an organizational crisis can come from a variety of outside sources, be it political-legal, economic, social or technological. Although many of there forces can be the cause of crisis, they also present opportunities.

For instance, technological factors include scientific improvements and innovations that create both opportunities and threats for a company. Advances in technology such as the Internet, computers, satellites have proven to be very beneficial to many different industries, the fashion industry included. Today, almost every major designer has an online website that allows customers easy access to their clothing at any time. Also, designers such as Marc Jacobs are taking advantage of new technologies such as live streaming to broadcast their fashion shows online.

While advances in technology has proven to be very beneficial to designers and the fashion world, it can also be the cause of problems. Recently, Robert C. Duffy, President of the fashion house Marc Jacobs created a Twitter account. His tweets, which provide insider information about upcoming lines and shows along with candid photos of Jacobs at work designing his latest masterpiece; became instantly popular gaining over 4,000 followers within two short weeks. While his use of social media has proven to be a very successful promotional tool, it has also caused several issues for the company.

For example, when Duffy released several top executive phone numbers on his twitter page, the company faced an extreme overflow of calls that they were unprepared to deal with. This not only compromised the time of the companys executives, but also tied up their phone lines and prevented important phone calls from getting through. Although this may not seem like an extreme crisis, it proved to be detrimental to the fashion house.

This examples goes to show that no matter how much you may want to, you cannot control what people choose to post on the internet. Although Duffy probably did not think much of it at the time, he created a minor crisis for the organization through the use of his social media page.

To check out Duffy's twitter page, click here!

Get Started Before It's An Issue - Crisis Prevention

It is never a question of if a crisis will occur, but when. This phrase is a cornerstone of crisis communication and has proven time and again to be true. It doesn't matter if you are a Fortune 500 cooperation, a non-profit organization, or the local "Mom and Pop" store, the reality is eventually, your company will face some degree of a crisis.

A crisis is any situation that may effect a company's image, reputation, or integrity and must be dealt with quickly. The best way to deal with whatever crisis may come your way is to prevent it. By developing a strategic approach to crisis prevention, a company can ensure that the come out of the situation in the best way possible.

Most crises have clear warning signals, and by researching and understanding the potential threats to your organization, you should be able to deal with a crisis quickly and effectively. In my previous post I discussed how fashion powerhouse Marc Jacobs could face a crisis caused by either internal and external factors. If left alone, many of these factors I mentioned such as the failing economy and selling of counterfeit Jacobs goods, could potentially turn into crises for the company.

Because Marc Jacobs is such a well-known and sought after fashion line, it is important for the company to have a strong crisis prevention plan in place. The need for crisis prevention was clear when the Marc Jacobs name was dragged through the mud in a 2008 bribery scandal. While it was not reported that the company knew about the use of bribes to attain the Armory for their show during the 2008 New York Fashion Week (the space was booked through an outside agency), they received a lot of bad press on the issue. Even after the news broke, Jacobs did not issue any statements and refused to comment when asked about it. Had Marc Jacobs assesed the potential risks to allowing a different agency to book their venue, they may have avioded being involved in the scandal at all.

Welcome!

Throughout the semester this blog will allow me to relate issues discussed in my crisis communication class to everyday life. I will be following American designer, Marc Jacobs. As the designer of his own signature line and the Creative Director of the prominent French design house Louis Vuitton, Jacobs is constantly in the public eye. In this blog I will apply the information I learn from the textbook and in-class discussions to developing a crisis communication strategy for this fashion mogul and his top of the line brands.

In class this week, Professor Laskin explained that crises can be caused by an outside or inside error (deliberate or not). Marc Jacobs, for example, can potentially face crises from outside causes such as the failing economy and outsiders selling "knock-off" versions of his designer products on the black market or inside causes such as faulty products or the plagiarism of others' designs.

For example, a few years back Marc Jacobs was accused of plagiarising the design of one of his scarfs. The son of the Swedish man who originally created the design recognized the similarities and filed a suit against Jacobs. For more on the plagiarism scandal, click here.

DISCLAIMER

This is a student’s blog for Crisis Communication class at Quinnipiac University. As such, I as the author of this blog make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis. Opinions expressed on this blog are Courtney McLeish's personal opinions and do not represent opinion of the Quinnipiac University or opinion of the instructor of the class.