Liz Fraser is the brand president and CEO of Kate Spade New York and has had an extensive career in designer fashion. Here Fraser explains how being “an emotional brand” makes for the “magic” that creates Kate Spade New York’s unique omnichannel customer experience. And how the brand is harnessing the power of TikTok, through social listening.
Before joining the Kate Spade New York team, Fraser was the president at Marc Jacobs, CEO at Anne Klein and had worked in the executive teams of Escada and Esprit de Corp. She was also president of luxury womenswear brand Lafayette 148 New York.
Inside Retail : Customer experience is crucial in the retail industry. How does Kate Spade New York prioritise customer satisfaction, both online and in-store?
Liz Fraser: We are an emotional brand, building emotional connections with our customers. There are many ways we approach this effort, and customer experience is such a crucial one, which we consider in many ways.
Our sales associates bring the magic of our brand to life and build personal relationships with our customers. We’ve had customers shopping while on vacation in another city, who continue to shop with that sales associate from afar after returning home. We’ve had guests host engagement parties in stores. When stores closed during the pandemic, we had customers reaching out to their sales associates just to check in on them.
To support our sales teams, we provide ongoing training on how best to interact with our
customers. We continue to increase the use of our clienteling platform to connect our customers with our stylists, spur repeat purchases and help deliver a more personalised experience.
We pulse post-purchase surveys to our customers both online and in-store and conduct focus groups, shop-alongs, and customer intercepts to understand and stay close to our customers.
IR: The retail landscape has evolved, especially with the rise of e-commerce. How does Kate Spade New York navigate the challenges of bricks-and-mortar retail while also expanding its digital footprint?
LF: We believe the best experiences are omni, designed to consider the range of touchpoints in the customer journey, often including both digital and in-person. This is how consumers are evolving and we want to meet them where they are and we strive to make the shopping experience as cohesive as possible.
Consumers research online before purchasing in-store, so in addition to training our in-store team, we have focused on enhancing our product detail pages to provide the customer with as much information about the product as possible. We highlight the voice of the customer in the digital experience through ratings and reviews, as customer feedback is incorporated throughout our site and in marketing assets.
We integrate the magic of our sales associates into the digital ecosystem through our sales associates’ Key Opinion Leader (KOL) program, in which associates create social content highlighting products they are most inspired by and excited about.
The power of TikTok for product discovery is incredible.
IR: How does Kate Spade New York leverage social media and digital marketing to connect with its audience?
LF: We develop distinct strategies for each platform and create stories most relevant for the audience and medium. Through testing and targeting, we gain insight as to which products are best suited for audience cohorts. Social listening also helps us identify trends and react to social trends quickly.
We also stay very close to what our audience is asking to see on social media and try to create content quickly that answers them. This is especially true on TikTok. Fans will ask about a certain bag or collection and we’ll create a video reply within days (sometimes hours).
In addition, we work with a range of creators. We look at each partnership as a true collaboration, working together on concepts and thinking outside of the typical fashion-focused influence.
For Spring, for example, we wanted to partner with creators who are also givers of joy and help to evoke that feeling we’re conveying in the Spring campaign. Partners included a baker, a florist, a singer and more.
IR: Does the brand identity and retail strategy differ in the Australian market, compared to the US?
LF: Kate Spade New York has such a clear DNA and perspective, and joy has always been central to it. Anchored in joy, our brand is unique, yet universal. We all know and have felt that spark of joy in moments big and small. This brand identity is so inherent to us and is consistent in how we show up across the globe.
Our mix of distribution channels in the US and Australian markets is similar, including a network of specialty and outlet stores, a strong e-commerce presence, and wholesale business.
The key differences in these markets for us lie in their respective maturity. While Kate Spade New York started in New York just over 30 years ago, the brand is a lot younger in Australia and presents us with a lot of opportunity for growth, particularly around market share and brand awareness.
IR: When did Kate Spade New York open its first boutique in Australia?
LF: We opened our first Australian boutique in 2014 in Melbourne’s Emporium, and our local footprint has since expanded to 10 stores across Australia and New Zealand. Globally, we have nearly 400 stores, of which almost half are in the US.
IR: Can you share any insight regarding Kate Spade New York’s growth in the US, ANZ and Asian markets – or globally – since entering the market?
LF: Kate Spade New York started as a dream, with a wonderfully determined vision. Kate Brosnahan Spade made the first samples for her ideal handbag out of construction paper.
The brand launched in 1993 with six versions of a bag called Sam. Today, we are a truly global lifestyle brand, with everything from handbags, jewellery, footwear and ready-to-wear, to perfume, stationery, and tea kettles.
Handbags are still our bread and butter. We’re constantly innovating with new styles and executions, from core to seasonal fashion items.
Starting in New York, the US is by far our largest market, followed by Japan.
We see so much potential to grow further in the APAC region and invest in it by opening and renovating stores as well as marketing initiatives. When we began to roll out our new uptown/downtown store concept last year, China was among the first locations, and we continue to grow the brand there. South-east Asia and ANZ are younger markets for us, as mentioned, and we have so much runway ahead.
IR: Does the brand have any unique concepts tailored for the ANZ markets?
LF: Australians have a unique appreciation for high-quality materials and craftsmanship, and Kate Spade New York remains committed to delivering beautifully made products in quality materials, and executed with thoughtful details.
We aim to be global-minded in our Social Impact mission and efforts. Last year, Kate Spade ANZ announced our partnership with Full Stop Australia, one of the country’s leading sexual, domestic and family violence response-and-recovery services. In addition to a monetary donation, Kate Spade ANZ continues to support the work of Full Stop Australia through collaborative events and fundraising initiatives.
This story first appeared in the May 2024 issue of Inside Retail Australia magazine.
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