FN Summit: Rebecca and Uri Minkoff on Social Media

Photo via WWD

Rebecca and Uri Minkoff are a fashion power couple, but not in the traditional way. The brother-sister duo seems to have it down. Rebecca Minkoff, which launched in 2005 as a lifestyle brand with a focus on accessories, has not only grown rapidly, but is also expanding rapidly. Clothing was introduced in 2011, Shoe sales are up 100% this year, and they have a successful marketing strategy using an unusual platform: Instagram. Well, unusual in terms of marketing. Brands normally run ads in magazines, make commercials, or have billboards with the models faces splashed across Times Square. But with the rise of Social Media, brands are finding all kinds of new ways to reach their customer. And the Minkoffs' pride themselves in being “pioneers of the digital space” according to Uri, so it makes sense that they are the first brand to leverage Instagram in such a new way.

Rebecca's Shoe of the Day- via Rebecca Minkoff Twitter

The Minkoff’s Instagram ‘campaign’ started with Rebecca simply posting her shoe of the day or her outfits, and people responded, and copied. She often gets several hundred likes and comments within the first hour of the photo. This is not only a way to reach the consumer in an unstressful social media environment, but it is also a great way to get feedback about their designs. Customers can comment on what they like and don’t like and the Minkoffs’ take all that into consideration, because after all, the more engagement with the customer, the better.

Photo via Rebeca Minkoff Twitter

Of course, this advertising leads to a lot of traffic on their site or partner sites, because an instagrammer will often ask where the product is from, who it is by, etc. The Minkoffs once posted a picture of one of their bracelets that wasn’t selling very well, and the sales instantly went up. Though the Minkoffs have found that solely sales work hasn’t worked, people like to have a human connection, and they like seeing a personal side of Rebecca. The Designer, Mother, and Entrepreneur enjoys showing her followers everyday life, because there is “something nice about seeing something you might do shown by your favorite designer,” she says, “even if it is just a normal thing, people relate to it.”