MR PORTER

Since launching in February 2011, MR PORTER has quickly grown to become the number one online retail destination for men's style. A place where style conscious men can go to not only shop over 180 of the worlds leading fashion and lifestyle brands, but also enjoy expert weekly editorial content that rivals that of GQ and Esquire.

What caught my eye back in 2011 was how the site is perfectly designed to target men who typically see shopping as more of a chore than a leisure activity.... A hard market to crack. The clever folk at MR PORTER didn't just model the brand on it's hugely successful sister site Net-A-Porter, unlike many of it's rivals (in my eyes, there is no competition..) MR PORTER really understood how men shop, and realised that a product driven site would not keep its consumers wanting to come back for more. Instead, they took an editorial approach, making it more like an online magazine that happens to sell clothes too. When you first land on the site, you are confronted with this weeks headline article, usually an article focused around a style-setting man (yes, they use the word 'style' over 'fashion'..) who is successful in his industry. This ranges from famous hollywood stars to stylish men at the top of their game in their chosen industry.

All editorial is beautifully presented in a clean, sleek style, using a monochrome colour pallet to keep it simple and fuss-free. Other features to note are the 'Style Help' section, where men can head if they want to swat up on wardrobe essentials, latest trends, and my favourite.. the Stylepedia in case they need to know the difference between Alexander McQueen and Acne, or find out what a Raglan is. Everything within the editorial sections subtly link back to product, so consumers can 'shop the look' easily. This is a great feature as it eliminates the browsing phase, something men find frustrating and a timewaste. This way, product is organised into categories or trends meaning consumers can pick and choose what's most suited to them and shop whole looks without having to flick between different tabs.

What I really want to talk about is MR PORTER offline, something that I find fascinating for any online brand. Translating an online brand to offline can be tricky, and needs a very strategic approach as you are essentially bringing the brand to life and giving it a real personality, and often the first time consumers have seen the brand beyond their computer screen. Offline activity is essential for a brand, as it increases brand awareness, often encourages consumer engagement and also heightens brand perception. The locations the brand choose to execute their offline activity is also essential, as this is what the consumer will relate the brand to. For MR PORTER, locations like Canary Wharf and London Collections: Men are popular, you would never see them strolling the streets of Brixton for example. All activity is executed by hot, hot male models, dressed impeccably in MR PORTER gear- exactly how you'd imagine a MR PORTER man to be. 

MR PORTER have nailed this transition from online to offline. Their offline marketing activity has included things such as a luxury branded gelato cart giving away free gelato at London Collections: Men, and events such as House Festival. A MR PORTER Cafe was constructed in Canary Wharf, giving away free cafe delights to busy bankers and brokers and you can always find them at the hottest events at The Hamptons to LA to St Tropez. And then there is the MR PORTER Post...

 For a site that is driven by top-class editorial content, it seemed natural to create the MR PORTER Post, a paper featuring a condensed version of The Journal (found on the site) which is distributed free of charge to regular customers and registered users, as well as being placed in on-brand stores such as Murdock, the high-end barbers. You can also find the MR PORTER POST being delivered to stylish recipients in on-brand areas like Canary Wharf and Bank by a posse of hot models on sleek branded MR PORTER bikes. This week MR PORTER Post headed to St Tropez, dressed a bunch of model-esque men in Orlebar Brown swim shorts and nothing else, and handed out the paper to the stylish men vacationing at the chic destination. At London Collections: Men last season, they took over a window at The Hospital Club, branded it with MR PORTER Post and made it interactive and shopable, truly merging offline with online. All offline activity is then brought back online and posted on the brand mrporterlive Instagram account, making it visible for not only the passers by that engaged in the activity, but fans across the world can keep up to date and see what the brand are up to. 

Ohhh MR PORTER, J'Adore.