My all-time favorite person on Twitter is
DKNY PR Girl. She was one of the
very first to revolutionize how brands use Twitter because she began tweeting
more personal day-to-day insights into what a public relations person does, how
the fashion world operates and general life observations. She started out doing
it anonymously, and eventually, she revealed herself as Aliza Licht, the Donna Karan SVP of
Global Communications. Thus, she has a lot of authority and experience in the fashion social media arena. So even though the Twitter handle itself is
a corporation, the person I trust most on social media—specifically Twitter—is
Aliza.
I trust her because she’s honest. Aliza runs a popular series called
#ShowRequests, in which she reveals ridiculous e-mail requests from people who want to attend or are attending the DKNY and Donna Karan fashion week runway shows. It's hilarious, but it doesn't directly shame anyone either.
If have a product question, Aliza is fast and helpful. You can tell that she knows the products inside and out, as demonstrated by the tweet below, and she gives great advice and shopping encouragement when needed. I think I've asked her questions or answered her questions on many occasions, and she's incredibly responsive in both cases.
Additionally, she is able to create intimate conversations all day long with
followers, all the while answering questions and furthering conversations.
Lastly, Aliza isn't over self-promotional. Sure, she shares her favorite DKNY and Donna Karan products, celebrity outfits and magazine editorials, but it feels more like a carefully curated selection of her favorite things. It helps that her tone is incredibly conversational, so you always feel like you're talking to one of your closest friends.
By gaining trust from users like me, Aliza has built a lot of brand loyalty. Not only that, she's built her own brand under her own name. Aliza gets invited to guest speak at educational and fashion events every year, and now, she has a book in the works called
Leave Your Mark.
Nhi,
ReplyDeleteI think you picked an excellent example this week, and something that I had not noticed that plays importance into developing trust online is modesty. The DKNY PR girl started out anonymous- this tells me she didn't want to share her story for personal gain but she simply just wanted to give her followers a glimpse into the life of a PR maven to a fashion house. Ostentatious boasting about a position or skills one possesses is a sure sign that the person is over compensating in my opinion. A true authority rests on the knowledge that they are sharing valuable information with people who care. I think that the DKNY PR girl also shows a willingness to learn from her followers as well in a humorous yet sincere way, she asks engaging questions and answers questions from her fans as well. This type of honest exchange is refreshing in what is becoming a more and more automated realm. Thank you for sharing this brand, I'm going to start following her!
Hi Wendy,
DeleteThanks for your insight on Aliza's modesty! It was actually a huge mystery for a while, and everyone was so fascinated by her true identity. And yes, she's constantly asking for opinions and input, and I find that so refreshing when so many social media agendas involve pushing products and brands.