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April 14, 2008
Erebelle update
If you've been reading us for a while, you may know about our work with Erebelle, an Austin-based women's clothing brand that we've invested in. Here's an update.
Website.
An updated website that positions the brand ("active wear for women") and showcases all of its pieces is nearly finished. To date, Erebelle has been sold only in boutiques and fitness centers around the country; a later update will add ecommerce to the site using GoodBarry, a SAS-based ecommerce suite with many appealing, if not overwhelming, features.
- The good: Creating a new website is relatively easy, especially when companies like XHTMLized turn complex designs into wonderfully composed CSS. Plus, an updated site with contemporary colors creates palpable internal excitement when its set to replace a neutral, drab-looking site.
- The challenge: Ecommerce is still not easy in the age of Web 2.0.
Packaging.
We asked Church readers for ideas to create buzz-worthy packaging. Readers shared some terrific thoughts, including Gaetan Giannini's advertising class at Cedar Crest University. The overwhelming response: environmentally friendly packaging is a bold and authentic statement. Makes sense since Erebelle is based in environmentally friendly Austin, Texas. We're researching eco-packaging options.
- The good: People outside the company love to participate with their ideas.
- The challenge: People in various departments (marketing, design, operations, etc.) are often not on the same page about new ideas.
Summer Collection Launch Party.
If you are in Austin Thursday, April 17, 2008, you are invited to a coming-out party for Erebelle, which will launch the Summer '08 line. The party will be at the Girl Next Door boutique, 250 W. 2nd Street. Party starts at 6 pm and goes 'til 8:30 pm. RSVP to events[at]erebelle.com or on Facebook here.
- The good: Inviting customers and prospects to meet other customers and people inside the company is customer evangelism 101.
- The challenge: When your brand is sold only through channels and no community-building work has been done, getting the names of just a handful of customers can be a daunting challenge.
Facebook.
Speaking of Facebook, part of our marketing remodeling work has focused on creating an Erebelle presence on the big social-networking site. We turned those duties over to our marketing protege, Christina Castro, a student at St. Edward's University who is social-media savvy. Christina has painstakingly built our Erebelle Facebook page, which features the latest photos
of the Summer '08 line. The FB fan site also features photos of current customers wearing the
clothes.
- The good: Facebook's tools are intuitive and easy to use.
- The challenge: How do you you create a page that doesn't look like the 100 billion other pages on Facebook?
Other blogs that reference Erebelle update:
The site came up kinda slow (I'm assuming it was loading the pics) but then it hummed right along.
Good luck with the ecommerce; that was by far the most challenging addition to my site.
And love the Facebook stuff Christina is doing. I'm gonna watch that closely.
Have you thought about using Myspace as well as Facebook? I think Myspace would allow for a little more freedom. You could add videos, or commercials that Erebelle has aired. Creat a background to load with the logo. You could also have a link for your facbook site on the myspace site and vice-versa.
Just thought I'd come and see how Erebell was progressing. I am in Gaetan's class at Cedar Crest.
It seems Facebook could present several opportunities but then limit them at the same time. Without the customization of profiles and not being able to market the fan pages as easily, it sometimes seems futile to create them... we will definitely check it out though!
I've found Facebook an ugly mess. How top people can use it boggles the mind. The only thing I like about it is the easy at which content can be posted there while not actually being on the site.
I like Facebook and found allot of my friends and interesting sites there.
