1. What is your favourite current consumer brand, and why?
Ukraine brand Bettter (founded by VOGUE stylist Julia Pelipas) is doing great things. They redesign existing clothes and give them a new life cycle. Being sustainable while maintaining a high and aspirational fashion brand is hard to do. Many brands go hard on the sustainable angle and lose that high-fashion-desire-factor. Bettter does it beautifully - in my humble opinion. And omg the newness, the designs, the aesthetics! Bettter launched in 2020 so is still very new. I hope, when they are ready, they will ‘connect’ more and share more content that we can connect to. Perhaps Bettter can be the brand that inspires ‘us consumers’ to see that sustainability can be fashionable and that not everything needs to be new to feel new. Who knows, we might finally demand and inspire change in the fashion industry, the 3rd biggest polluter.
2. What are your three top sources to stay informed about the world of ecommerce and consumer brands?
Oof, I’m going to disappoint here. Truthfully, my main interest lies with what drives us. (Nerd-alert!) I read a-lot of books about psychology, human behaviour, and the zeitgeist. Art and fashion are my source for aesthetic inspiration. Every once in a while I go on a research rampage, read the pile of newsletters in my inbox or contact people in my network to get an update about the “need to knows”. But my focus is understanding humans first and trying to find an answer for our ever changing desires or problems. Preferably in a way that helps the world in some way. If I do my job right, it should translate to whatever newness arises. But maybe I’m doing it all wrong, lol.
3. What is one easy thing any brand could start doing today to be more relevant for its customers?
Engage. Talk to them. Be their friend! Yes, it’s a lot, I know. Although it’s of course not the only way, I truly believe building a community is what makes brands go beyond the products they sell and gain the power to truly inspire meaningful change. Chances are you are not the only brand selling *insert product* on the market. It’s my belief they will choose you over your competitor because you make them feel like they matter. Like they are a part of something bigger. Like they are special for choosing you.
“But Mirte, we have 40k followers on insta! I can’t reply to all of their DM’s!”
I know, I’ve been there. Why not be honest and tell them that? Thank them for reaching out in a public message and then find a new way to make them feel seen. There is a creative, sustainable and authentic solution for everything.