Last week, I was fortunate enough to be invited to attend What’s New What’s Next at The New York Design Center. A little background: The New York Design Center (NYDC) is a place where lighting, fabric, furniture, and other design companies have their showrooms. Their showroom is their space to display their products for interior designers to peruse, be inspired by, and purchase for projects. What’s New What’s Next is an annual gathering at NYDC that brings together designers and industry professionals for talks, Q and A sessions, book signings, and other events, while companies and designers are able to present their new items and collaborations. I was so excited to be invited to attend a presentation given by DwellStudio’s Christiane Lemieux in the Global Views showroom, where she talked about branding and growing your business. I’m a HUGE fan of DwellStudio so this was such a pleasure for me! Christiane’s talk was geared towards small business owners and designers, and as a blogger I found that her ideas and thoughts really resonated. More photos and Christiane’s branding advice after the jump!
Christiane also talked a lot about storytelling. She said that you need to know your audience, and you have to “woo” your audience. In the old days, companies used to put out ads saying “come shop here!” But nowadays, brands have to draw their customers (or readers) in – which is where social media comes into play. Christiane does all of the Instagramming for DwellStudio herself – there’s no social media team, so it’s all authentic. When DwellStudio Instagrams a picture of textiles in India, it’s because Christiane is in India. I think that kind of authenticity means a lot when it comes to getting your audience to buy into your brand and your story.
Christiane talked about communicating effectively with your audience. At DwellStudio, she does this through books, (like her coffee table book Undecorate), through social media, and through blogging. I was excited to hear that she’s currently working on a new book!
