No ratings yet.

We can all agree that the fashion industry is the kind of industry where people need to innovate more and more, thus stepping up their game and being ready to come up with ideas that align to a more sustainable future. 

While thinking about AI and its use across many other industries such as healthcare or finance, have you ever wondered what can be accomplished with AI technology in any of sectors within the fashion industry? 

Robert-Islam (2020) talks about new revolutionary ways of bridging the world of fashion with AI capabilities, allowing more room for design and creative showcasing of brands. She also mentions that so far gaps have been filled by AI with regards to more efficient production processes and increasing sales conversion within the fashion industry, but that more exploration can increase its potential. One example is from the London College of Fashion, where a couple of students have volunteered for an AI course which teaches them Python to gather data and use it for many creative solutions in areas of fashion. 

Amongst many applications of AI within fashion, maybe the most remarkable outcome of the course was the virtual fashion show that took place using a 3D environment and 3D-generated outfits (Robert-Islam, 2020). The way they used past data for creating the virtual fashion show is by replicating dynamics from archives of fashion shows videos. The application was translated both into a VR and an AR experience. As a new form of content creation, one that even Balenciaga has chosen in one of their runaway shows, the head of the Fashion Innovation Agency at the College seems to think that the entire budget is feasible for both smaller and bigger brands (Robert-Islam, 2020).

Now, what I think it is most fascinating in this story is the potential AI has for the creation of more frequent and exquisite runaway shows. Using data from traditional fashion events to teach an algorithm the fundamentals of running a fashion show and empowering people’s creativity in a digital form will enable brands to rely much more on virtual realities. Another side of the story is that using virtual realities for the conversion of a traditional model into a new reality will also mean adapting the whole industry. While AI is already being used for driving efficiency in fashion production, as Robert-Islam (2020) points out, testing new products, using old patterns to come up with new ones and even showcasing the latest collection of the season are all gaining momentum. 

Source:

Roberts-Islam, B. (2020, September 21). Why Fashion Needs More Imagination When It Comes To Using Artificial Intelligence. Forbes. Retrieved October 16, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/brookerobertsislam/2020/09/21/why-fashion-needs-more-imagination-when-it-comes-to-using-artificial-intelligence/

No ratings yet.

We all know Instagram as the one app that is ever changing. From its beginning and until the present moment, Instagram has gone through a massive ‘make-over’. It started from a chronological stream of photos which developed quickly into an algorithm that considers what people like and are interested in and rank the posts displayed in their feed accordingly (Hackett, 2022).

A first noteworthy update was inspired by the Snapchat platform, such that Instagram introduced the Stories functionality in 2016. Users could see it as a first step towards building a new image of their platform, from being mainly a picture sharing platform to a more videos-based platform. Furthermore, 2018 saw the addition of the IGTV function which allows users to upload videos longer than 1 minute in their feed. In 2020, following an “ascent” of TikTok as a video-sharing platform, Instagram introduced Reels, thus becoming its main competitor (Mosseri, 2021).

The interesting story at play here is how users took the recent updates Instagram has made to its platform. While the intent was directed towards becoming as video dominant as possible, it seems like users did not appreciate the new changes. With celebrities taking a stance on Instagram shifting towards a “new TikTok” and having more of a random and ad targeted algorithm in their feed, the head of Instagram spoke openly about the new changes which are going to be reverted. According to the businessman, what Instagram did with its new shift was to take a risk and learn more from its users (Milmo, 2022).

Why I wanted to write an article on the topic of Instagram vs. TikTok is because I think Instagram’s strategy works in what regards listening to consumers and adapting based on the market. Having so much data at hand is powerful and the social media giant has proved it. Their algorithm was developed as a function which takes available data from consumers and gives it back in a new form of content. Moreover, developing and trying out new ideas can result in backlashes from consumers. It is crucial how you respond and what you learn from this. Instagram was on a continuous learning path with all the implementations it has brought forward, and I do not think it will stop here. 

Lastly, positioning yourself in a market where only a couple of players have made it can be both risky and advantageous. It is a battle of the first mover on one hand, the one who manages to establish a competitive advantage over the others, and the power of adaptation and change on the other hand. Learning from its competitors, Instagram changed over the years, adapted to the wants of consumers and thus stayed in top amongst users’ favourite platform. Moreover, Instagram became not only a hub for amusement and fun, but a platform where many businesses find a place for developing a strategy. To leave you with a last note, flexibility in strategy thinking and market adaptation, especially in a digital era that is continuously evolving, make one business to stay on top of their game. 

Sources

Hackett, S. (2022). The Complete Timeline Of Instagram Updates That Have Changed The Way We Gram. Kicksta. Retrieved October 6, 2022, from https://blog.kicksta.co/the-complete-timeline-of-instagram-updates/#Instagram_Updates_2019

Milmo, D. (2022, July 29). Instagram rolls back some changes to app after user backlash. The Guardian. Retrieved October 6, 2022, from https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/jul/28/instagram-rolls-back-some-changes-to-app

Mosseri, A. (2021). Shedding More Light on How Instagram Works. about.instagram.com. Retrieved October 6, 2022, from https://about.instagram.com/blog/announcements/shedding-more-light-on-how-instagram-works

Wynne, M. (2021). Instagram Reels vs TikTok: Which should you be using? Creative Bloq. Retrieved October 6, 2022, from https://www.creativebloq.com/features/instagram-reels-vs-tiktok