Meet Leanne
We first became aware of Leanne's work when she featured our Mini Basic Backpack on her blog basikattire.com. Not only do we love her paired back sense of style and simple colour palette, but the environments in which she chooses to be photographed.
Leanne now works as our Social Media Specialist and is currently curating our Twitter and Pinterest feeds.
We asked Leanne a few questions about AD and social media...
How did you first hear about Alfie Douglas?
I first spotted AD on Instagram + ever since i've been hooked.
What attracted you to our brand and and the Mini Basic Backpack in particular?Initially it was the minimal, yet functional design of the Mini Basic Backpack that immediately attracted me. This led me to looking for the product on alfiedouglas.com, which is where I found out about the family, the process, care and attention that went into the products; I loved the fact that the brand was making handmade timeless pieces that were not boring, I had never heard of / seen anything like it. I am now a self confessed addict and can't wait to build my own collection of AD bags & accessories.
You are now working on our social networks, how important do you feel social media is for new brands? I see social media as a 'live' portfolio for everyone who uses it and it is now a vital part in helping build a brand. I not only found out about AD through social media, but AD found out about me and my blog too! It's fantastic for immediate engagement with current and potential customers, feedback and inspiration. I think it also helps new brands save time and money, keeps brands aware of what is happening in the industry and if used in the right way, definitely helps to build a strong customer base.
What are the struggles of curating social content and a strong brand voice? I think the biggest challenge is how fast social media is moving / changing, information can become easily over saturated & repetitive. I think this is especially difficult with a brand like AD where such a huge part of the brand is about process / gradual development. Sometimes it's frustrating that we can't have the bags pop up in 3D form in a tweet because when you see the products in real life, that's when you can truly appreciate how special they really are.
Where do you see social media going, will there be a backlash, has it gone too far? Right now, i'd say it feels slightly stagnant. With more and more social networks opting for sponsored posts / advertising and (sometimes) flooding timelines, i'm not sure if they are doing themselves more harm than good. I do believe that people will always be intrigued by other people and that video based social networks will begin to dominate... to me it's a scary thought, but typing may just become an old way of communicating through social media.
