MISWEAR: An online multichannel ecommerce platform in Asia

At ECOMMEDIA, we have recently launched a multi-channel (B2B/B2C/O2O) online e-commerce platform in Asia for Spanish fashion brands. The MISWEAR platform aims to improve brand positioning and facilitate access to Spanish products in the main Asia-Pacific markets.

• By establishing a multi-channel platform, fashion brands will be able to communicate their brands in Chinese and sell their products directly to Asian consumers, as well as access wholesale distribution channels, allowing local importers to place initial orders and replenish stock throughout the season.
• The project is backed by professionals with extensive experience in online sales, digital marketing, and international trade, as well as online strategy consultants for successful footwear and fashion accessories brands.

The e-commerce project created by ECOMMEDIA GLOBAL, a consultancy specializing in combining international strategy, creativity, and digital marketing, was named MISWEAR, a name formed by combining the acronym MIS “Made In Spain” and the English verb “Wear”. The platform will allow Spanish fashion brands to access new Asian markets that are difficult to reach due to their size, distance, and cultural and linguistic differences. By establishing an omni-channel business model, Spanish companies will be able to communicate their brand story, mission, and values in the local language, allowing them to gain brand exposure that directly impacts the Asian consumer in their own language. Likewise, they will gain access to wholesale distribution channels, as it allows local importers to place both initial orders at the start of the season and replenish stock throughout the year.

Ecommedia's initiative primarily aims to contribute to the digital transformation of small and medium-sized enterprises in the Spanish fashion sector, providing brands with domestic production with a digital business solution that will allow them to improve their international positioning by accessing new markets at reduced costs.

The project idea arose from the collaboration of leading professionals in the fashion and international trade sectors. On one hand, the background of the founders, Francisco Galindo, with more than 20 years of experience in the Technology Sector, developer of e-commerce integration software, Digital Marketing consultant, and founder of one of the leading vertical footwear portals in Spain. And, on the other, Andrés Rodes, an international trade specialist with more than 10 years of experience advising companies on strategic commercial planning and implementation in Asia, having worked as a consultant for the Institute for Foreign Trade (ICEX) and the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan.

“The MISWEAR platform is an excellent solution to strengthen brand positioning and streamline the penetration of Spanish companies into the Asia-Pacific region, giving visibility to products, especially those manufactured in Spain that already have great international prestige, including footwear, facilitating access to the product for the final consumer.” states José Plana, Chief Financial Officer of Porronet. The platform's ability to provide access to developed Asian markets with high purchasing power and Westernized tastes means that Spanish brands enjoy great acceptance due to their good value for money.

Why Omni-Channel

Although e-commerce is growing substantially, physical stores still dominate the vast majority of sectors. Therefore, to succeed in a penetration strategy in new markets, brands must promote the sale of their products through both channels.

The MISWEAR business model allows companies to establish their presence in new markets through so-called “New Retail”, which allows simultaneous presence in multiple B2C, B2B, and O2O channels. The B2C (Business-to-Customers) platform offers direct online sales to local consumers by promoting the companies' products, supported by a strong online marketing strategy on local social networks. Likewise, the extensive B2B (Business-to-Business) contact network in the selected markets allows MISWEAR to organically reach retailers, attracted by the flexibility of incorporating new imported products without having to assume the risk and investment of importing. Similarly, the O2O (online-to-offline) solution allows retailers to flexibly replenish products in their stores throughout the season, selecting only the colors and sizes that best suit each market.

“One of the main handicaps for Spanish footwear companies introducing their products into Asian markets is the high investment required for brand exposure, especially in distant markets with significant linguistic and cultural differences,” says Andrés Rodes, co-founder of Ecommedia Global. “Likewise, importers must assume a significant risk to make large imports of products from brands unknown to local consumers, in addition to the high costs of tariffs, storage, and large-scale retailer commissions.” For this reason, MISWEAR aims to offer a comprehensive solution for producers and importers, offering Spanish producers the opportunity to showcase their brands in Asian markets in the local language at a moderate cost. And, at the same time, reduce import risk by eliminating the need to meet minimum import quantities and optimizing local importers' storage costs.

How the MISWEAR platform works

Miswear is a platform created with the aim of connecting Asian consumers and importers with Spanish brands. Brands have an ideal showcase to display their product catalog and reach consumers in their own language.

In the first stage, the brand's potential in the Asian region is assessed, regarding the suitability of style, sizing, pricing policy, certification of origin, etc. The validation process aims to ensure that all brands meet quality standards to properly represent the quality of the “Made in Spain” seal. After validation, product selection and “brand adaptation” proceed by translating the brand profile, story, and values, as well as describing the characteristics of the selected products in the local language. This work is essential for the correct online positioning of the brand through search engines, social networks, newsletters, and the extensive network of Asian influencers who collaborate with Miswear. Once the brand and product content has been adapted to the local market, digital marketing campaigns are carried out aimed at media exposure of the brand and the sale of the localized product at the destination.

About ecommedia in Asia.- Ecommedia is a consultancy specializing in combining strategy, creativity, and digital marketing that offers comprehensive e-commerce services. Ecommedia Global's headquarters are located in Elche (Alicante), and the Asia branch is established in Taiwan due to its suitability as an e-commerce “test market” in the Asian region. The company has a logistics warehouse in Neihu and an office in the center of the capital (Taipei) for administrative management and customer service. The selection of Taiwan as the initial market is determined by the high growth of e-commerce, between 10% and 20% year-on-year, reaching 42 billion US dollars in 2017. As well as the high purchasing power of its consumers, the Westernization of tastes, the accessibility of the market with the wide presence of Facebook, the high penetration of credit cards, the dynamism of logistics, and the strategic location of the market due to its proximity to China, Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea.