Big business and brand awareness are vastly different than they were even one decade ago. The leaders in the industry are not advertisement executives in expensive suits, they’re savvy and intelligent social media specialists. These professionals don’t even think in the same manner as their predecessors, likely because they’re not even playing the same game as their predecessors. Whether it’s a personality or a physical product, it’s all about connection and unique content these days. Having multiple areas of expertise makes one more effective, like Portugal’s Carolina Matos. She began her career as a Stylist and Fashion Producer and then evolved organically into social media production. Her creativity and “eye” for coming up with concepts for shoots, magazines, and fashion shows made for her a natural for applying these strengths to the digital platform; her degree in Fashion Marketing from Parsons School of Design in New York City augmented this.
At the recommendation of other notable clients, Micaela Oliveira enlisted Matos to expand the breadth and awareness of her brand on social media. The Portuguese fashion designer is known for her unique approach which spans from bridal wear and haute couture to prêt-à-porter and beyond. Universally recognized for embodying both elegance and sensuality, Oliveira’s creations have been presented around the world from Mozambique Fashion Week to Barcelona. The ultimate goal of Carolina’s work was not to establish Micaela’s designs but rather to find a way of making them accessible to new customers. Successful social media is not simply about volume of exposure but more accurately, in using the tool properly and most effectively. The ability to do so is not to be understated. Carolina relates, “When I started with Micaela, her social media was very editorial; showing big fashion productions in magnificent places and being over the top glamorous. While it was impressive, it wasn’t personable enough the get followers to engage with her unless they were brides looking for that type of look. She wanted to keep her glamorous high fashion designs but be trendier in the way that the biggest celebrities and models were actually dressing for red carpet events. Her overall image needed to have an edge and for that I planned riskier photoshoots, guiding her during the design process and creating different marketing assets to be used for social media promotion.”
To create this new direction, Matos created an entirely new marketing strategy with brand guidelines. Lookbooks and Moodboards were created and photoshoots were planned. Content and frequency of posts were carefully calculated. If this all sounds more like a high-end fashion publication than uploading a photo that you’re excited about, it’s all due to the sensibilities and training Carolina brings from the fashion world…partnered with her expertise in SM platforms. More runway looks, behind the scenes creations for televised dancing contests, celebrity placement, and more youthful models allowed her social media design to expand Micaela Oliveira’s reputation and sales. As Carolina communicates, “I strived to make her more appealing to a younger audience; creating more sex appeal and curiosity around the beautiful models and celebrities we dressed. Her image online evolved from a conservative perspective to that of a more organic, trendy, and younger personality. It was important to display Micaela, the designer, more present and involved at trendy events such as festivals and fashion weeks around the world.”
Before you make the mistake of writing off this success as purely a product of Carolina’s knowledge of fashion, you’d be well advised to consider her success with a number of other brands. Her work on the social media team for Australia’s Bloch garnered two Ad awards for innovative campaigns. Bloch has a long history of producing exceptional hand-made pointe shoes for revered ballet dancers worldwide. Matos and the team created an entirely new consistent marketing strategy and brand guidelines meant to appeal to a multinational consumer base. Further evidence of her versatility can be found in Carolina’s work with Websites Depot where she is responsible for social media marketing assets and promotion. Matos informs, “I’ve created a new digital strategy for social for the company's LA location and new locations in New York and San Diego. I’ve been able to help Websites Depot clients cultivate a better social media presence, boosting their online presence and sales.”
Versatility coupled with self-awareness is the key to any brand expanding its success. It’s also the essential elements to the career of Carolina Matos herself. From her early days as a fashion journalist in Portugal to traversing the globe in the modern arena of social media, the ability to apply her knowledge and talent to a variety of clients serves both sides of this equation quite well. In embracing the modern means of communicating, Carolina has reinforced the idea that almost anything is evergreen when you know how to frame it properly.