Importance of Social Media in DTC Marketing for Fashion brands
May 19, 2023
10 min read
The advent of online shopping has overshadowed the traditional retail experiences. Especially in the wake of the pandemic, the convenience of shopping from the comfort of our homes has made us somewhat lazier and has us relying heavily on social media marketing employed by fashion brands to stay updated with the latest trends.
In response, a new paradigm has emerged within the fashion industry. Alongside established brands like Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Prada, emerging fashion labels have recognized the importance of establishing a social media presence to cultivate a target audience and foster engagement.
Undoubtedly, a compelling social media marketing strategy is imperative for fashion brands seeking success in the vast realm of social platforms. The approach may vary based on the brand and its target audience, encompassing endeavors such as showcasing new season products online, live streaming fashion weeks, and much more.
It is well-established that fashion brands require a well-tailored social media strategy to capture attention in the ever-expanding landscape of social platforms. However, understanding how to promote a clothing brand on social media effectively and implementing key tactics within digital marketing strategies can be overwhelming, given the multitude of available options.
Fortunately, numerous social media platforms offer specific tools and recommendations catered to clothing brands. This allows for the implementation of distinct strategies on each platform, enabling effective connections with the intended target audience.While the choice of platforms to engage with is subjective, this article will provide detailed insights into the creation of suitable content for different platforms, tailored to the unique needs of your fashion brand.
Continue reading to delve into a comprehensive exploration of the social media strategies employed by fashion brands, unveiling the intricacies of this ever-evolving landscape.
Why Does Your Fashion Brand Need a Social Media Strategy?
The emergence of new brands on a daily basis has heightened the importance of excelling in social media marketing like never before. Establishing a strong presence on social media platforms is no longer a luxury that only some can afford. It is now a necessity for businesses across various industries. By leveraging these networks, brands can achieve various objectives, including reaching their target audience, conducting competitor analysis, enhancing brand awareness, ensuring customer satisfaction, boosting sales, and fostering a vibrant community.
Gone are the days when a fashion brand could afford to ignore social media. Nowadays, a brand's absence on these platforms can be equated to non-existence and irrelevance in this age of memes and trends. Window shopping has evolved from physically browsing malls to the virtual realm of social media, where fashion enthusiasts eagerly explore and engage with brands.
Social media influencers have risen to prominence as key trendsetters, capturing the attention of followers who make purchases based on their recommendations. Platforms like Instagram and Pinterest serve as virtual fashion hubs, where users eagerly consume influencer content, save outfit ideas, and make informed buying decisions. The tremendous growth of the influencer marketing industry, witnessing a remarkable 18.8% increase from $13.8 billion in 2021 to $16.4 billion in 2022, further solidifies the importance of a robust social media strategy for brands.
Crafting a well-designed social media strategy has become paramount in our digital age. It is not only a means to connect with the target audience but also a powerful tool to drive revenue and elevate brand accounts. By strategically leveraging social media platforms, fashion brands can tap into the vast potential of these networks, effectively engaging with their audience and nurturing long-term brand loyalty.
How to Market Your Brand in an Optimized Manner?
- Finalize Your Medium
- Facebook: Unleashing the Power of Local Promotion
Facebook, the quintessential social networking site, has evolved to become business-friendly, catering to a wide range of commercial transactions.
Its ability to effectively promote businesses in local communities sets it apart. By leveraging user data, Facebook delivers targeted ads based on users' preferences, liked posts, interactions, and comments. This offers a valuable opportunity for brands seeking to establish a deeper connection with their target audience and create a more comprehensive brand image.
- Twitter: The Realm of Word-of-Mouth Influence
Twitter serves as a platform for live news, real-time updates, engaging discussions, and meme-sharing. Users flock to Twitter to discover random thoughts, insights from favorite writers, opinions of celebrities and public figures, and to connect with their social circles. In the fashion industry, commercials on Twitter are often concise, straightforward, and accompanied by visually appealing images that capture the essence of the brand. The "Twitter effect" has been observed, suggesting that microblogging word-of-mouth shared through platforms like Twitter influences consumers' post-purchase evaluations and early product adoption behaviors.
- Instagram: The Holy Grail of Fashion and Lifestyle
When it comes to the world of fashion, Instagram reigns supreme. It has become an integral platform where fashion magic unfolds on a daily basis. Celebrities endorse renowned fashion brands through captivating posts, and viewers are enticed to explore further by expanding captions or tapping on enticing photos. Fashion brands use this opportunity to drive traffic to their Instagram pages or website landing pages, enticing visitors with discounts and attractive offers. Instagram provides diverse avenues for selling products, including single posts, sponsored ads, and engaging Instagram Stories. It is the social media platform where fashion-conscious individuals converge, scrolling through their feeds while savoring breakfast or indulging in a bit of social media exploration before bedtime. For fashion companies, Instagram represents the ideal realm for social media marketing, offering a global stage accessible anytime, anywhere.
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Influencer Marketing
In the high fashion world, renowned brands are increasingly recognizing the profound impact of strategic PR campaigns. Far from being a mere expenditure, these campaigns serve as powerful tools to elevate branding, enhance visibility, and ultimately generate substantial financial gains. To amplify their reach and bolster sales, these esteemed fashion houses are turning to a coveted ally: influencers. Although some may raise an eyebrow, influencers have emerged as invaluable assets for fashion firms' social media marketing endeavors. Astonishingly, a staggering 49% of discerning consumers now place their trust in these influential figures for product recommendations.
Through captivating video content, influencers possess the remarkable ability to sway their audience's purchasing power. From luxurious vacation escapades that exude effortless elegance, to step-by-step makeup tutorials that unveil the secrets of flawless beauty, these fashion mavens seamlessly blend styling recommendations and product evaluations. The result? A profound impact on consumer behavior, propelling fashion-forward individuals towards desired purchases and coveted fashion treasures.
A truly groundbreaking example of influencer marketing brilliance unfolds when the pinnacle of luxury fashion, Prada, forges an extraordinary alliance with none other than Lil Miquela—an extraordinary American robotic persona. Conceived by the ingenious minds of Trevor McFedries and Sara DeCou in 2016, this captivating It-Girl has amassed a staggering 2.5 million devoted followers, attesting to her undeniable pull in the digital realm. In a momentous partnership, Lil Miquela assumes the reins of Prada's illustrious Instagram account, casting an enchanting spell over the virtual landscape as Milan Fashion Week unfurls its grand tapestry.
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Change Your Approach:Add Videos!
If you wish to master the art of captivating an audience's attention, you have to understand that it rests in the seamless fusion of visual splendor and concise storytelling. The current culture of content consumption is based on mindless scrolling that plagues our social media feeds. Video reigns supreme as the medium that effortlessly captivates and enthralls. Unlike lengthy textual narratives, it possesses an inherent ease of absorption, allowing fashion brands to seize their audience's interest promptly within seconds. The key to triumph in the realm of social media lies in distilling information into bite-sized yet aesthetic snippets—sufficiently engaging to hold viewers spellbound.
Relevancy is the sacred ingredient that must flavor your content. Through the power of video, your fashion brand acquires a resonant voice, empowering you to respond to the ever-evolving tapestry of breaking news, customer trends, and viral sensations.
The most illustrious of brands master the art of real-time strategies, adroitly transforming themselves into a living social discourse. Elegantly intertwined with recurring hashtags that beckon to diverse customer demographics, these campaigns effortlessly spark conversations, breathing life into the very fabric of social discourse. As a fashion luminary, your aim is to ignite fervent discussions, and there is no better way to achieve this than by expertly aligning your videos with the pulse of the present.
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Try Your Theories Out
A/B testing is a valuable research method in the fashion industry to compare different versions of content and determine audience preferences. When it comes to leveraging social media for brand promotion, A/B testing proves highly beneficial.
It helps fashion brands optimize their content strategy by experimenting with variations in copy, photos, videos, headlines, and other elements that may be uncertain. By conducting A/B tests, brands can uncover the types of content that spark meaningful discussions among followers and those that fail to engage.
This valuable insight allows for fine-tuning of content to align with audience preferences, fostering genuine interaction and connection. A/B testing serves as a compass, guiding fashion brands toward captivating content that drives engagement and strengthens their presence on social media platforms. Embracing this enlightening approach, brands can unleash the power of data to craft compelling narratives, cultivate loyalty, and achieve unparalleled success in the ever-evolving digital landscape.
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Focus on Your Branding
The quest to enhance brand awareness is a common aspiration among all marketers. However, devising effective strategies to achieve this goal can be daunting. To aid you in building a robust social media brand presence, consider these tactics, business examples, and actionable steps.
Gone are the days when branding solely relied on logos and colors. Today, it encompasses a holistic approach that encompasses tone, imagery, and target audience. Measuring its impact can be challenging as the success of such branding efforts is more qualitative than quantitative.
Nonetheless, by refining your social media branding, you can gauge results through key indicators like engagement, mentions, and share of voice. Fashion brands can further employ strategies such as regular audience surveys to assess their brand recognition, identify target demographics effectively reached, and ascertain if the perception of their brand aligns with their desired objectives.
By diligently incorporating these insights into your social media endeavors, you can gradually amplify your brand's presence in the digital sphere. Remember, it's not merely about disseminating content but also crafting a cohesive and resonant brand narrative. Through strategic branding efforts and astute analysis of engagement metrics, fashion brands can forge deeper connections, foster brand loyalty, and solidify their position in the ever-evolving landscape of social media.
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Track Your Results
Measuring the outcomes of your social media campaigns is crucial for fashion brands. They help you design your strategy for your future ventures. Utilizing the analytics tools provided by social media platforms allows you to assess the performance of your posts and videos. Additionally, leveraging tools like Google Analytics helps track website traffic from direct clicks on social media posts. By analyzing these metrics, you can gauge the effectiveness of your campaigns in driving engagement and increasing website visits.
Furthermore, analytics provide insights into the popularity and effectiveness of different versions of ads or posts, enabling you to refine your strategies and focus on content that resonates with your audience, driving sales and brand growth.
For fashion brands, investing in social media marketing is of great importance, as it serves as an ideal channel to amplify brand awareness among the target audience. While building a brand reputation on social media requires time and patience, employing the aforementioned tactics sets you on the right path toward developing a strong online brand presence.
Remember, success in social media branding is an ongoing journey that requires continuous monitoring, analysis, and adaptation. By staying attuned to analytics and employing effective strategies, fashion brands can cultivate a compelling online brand identity and establish a lasting connection with their audience.
In Conclusion
The world of fashion and social media is that of vibrancy and superficiality. What you see is what you buy, hence, making what you portray yourself and your brand to be very significant in the consumer’s perception. It becomes imperative to measure the outcomes of social media campaigns, leveraging powerful analytics tools to gain invaluable insights.
By delving into the wealth of data provided by social media platforms and tools like Google Analytics, you can unravel the performance of their posts, videos, and ads. This knowledge empowers them to refine their strategies, optimize content, and drive engagement while keeping a keen eye on the ultimate goal—increasing sales and brand growth.
Remember, your social media journey is not limited to one campaign or one moment. It is an ongoing process of honing your brand identity, nurturing connections, and sparking conversations that resonate with your audience. With each step, you can craft an authentic and captivating brand narrative that stands out amidst the digital noise.
As you begin to embrace newer possibilities, let Saffron Edge be your trusted partner on this exhilarating journey. Our team of experts is ready to guide you through the ever-changing social media landscape, ensuring your brand shines the brightest, and captures the hearts of your audience. If you are ready to take your fashion brand to new heights, contact us today.
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Four Consumer Trends to Help Drive Your Brand Voice in 2022 and Beyond!
The dynamic nature of the business world does not only depend on the transactions, but the consumers who are driving it. It is important for brands to know their consumer base and feed the information and products according to them! In recent years, consumers have witnessed a huge change in the behaviour, preference, and buying pattern. This is backed by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has induced several changes in consumer’s lives. Here we are listing some of the major trends among consumers, which would provide your brand with key growth prospects: 1. Evolution of Customer Centricity Customer Centricity refers to an approach in which consumers' situation, perception and emotions are kept at the core while making a company's strategy. In the last few years, companies are widely adopting this concept and are using this approach for better customer experience and consumer satisfaction. Now, people are becoming smarter and they are aware of their importance in the business world. They are acting as the driver for the business. Thus, one of the highly popular concepts, on which organisations are significantly working is customer centricity. It is of utmost importance to know your target audience well, after all they are bringing you more business opportunities. Using past data and sales patterns, one can easily draw out trends, which prevails among the customers. For example, if a company wants to know at what time their products are majorly searched, then they can use that time for the launch of their new product or solution. There are many companies that are increasingly using solutions like customer data management tools, which help them to evaluate and frame strategies for better brand value. Imagine, knowing what would be the possible next step of the customers you are serving. This would let any company imagine their brand value and customer retention rate. Drawing a pattern out of the data extracted from various sources can help a company to make different strategies. So, it is important to make customers’ the core aspect of your business along with understanding and observing their patterns through historic data. Timings play a crucial role in determining whether a customer would opt for your services or move to your competitors. Hence, you should identify at what time, customers would probably need your assistance and then, show up at that time. Plan for the path, you want them to choose, at the time when they need it! It is that simple, right? 2. High presence of customers in the digital world The reason why the digital world is holding more prominence than the actual world, is its wide adoption among customers as well as companies. The COVID-19 pandemic compelled companies and consumers to shift to online platforms for any kind of interactions and transactions. In the current scenario, the high penetration of the internet and growing adoption of smart devices like laptops, smartphones, are compelling companies to have a decent footprint in the digital domain. Social media platforms like instagram are helping customers to carry out their shopping while scrolling for entertainment. Now, such platforms are not just limited to people’s personal accounts, but also have emerged as a medium for the companies to interact with their customers. For example, companies like Starbucks, Zomato, and Amazon have started sharing various posts on twitter and instagram in order to map their brand in customers’ minds. Since an average person spends a significant time on their phones, scrolling their social media handles, it is best for the companies to enter their domain and connect with them. Influencers on these platforms have a high capability to influence the audience, who generally look for the review before choosing a product. Thus, opting for such marketing tools can help product companies to improve their brand voice. Nobody can deny the fact that social media has the power to influence people. Any information can be spread like fire on social media. So, why can’t you make barbeque out of it? Customers are becoming advanced, they understand the deal and crack it! All you need to do is to present the deal before anyone else does. Apps are making customers’ lives easy and hence, they are opting for it, recently various apps gained popularity because of this. The main points to remember while launching any app for your company are: It should have easy user interface It should have the ’guiding’ factor It should be quick and attractive Considering these pointers can attract more customers towards it and hence, help you in gaining a brand value. So, chase for what you want to be chased for! 3. Growing awareness among customers about their health and environment Consumers across the globe are significantly changing their lifestyle, food habits and even ethics. There is a surge in the population who are opting for sustainability at the core of their living. It is due to the rising awareness among people about the importance of conserving resources and protecting the environment through every small step. Understanding how consumers are thinking and how changes in the environment and social culture are affecting their lives, is crucial. Many companies are highlighting sustainability in their products and processes in order to gain more buzz among consumers. Imagine a food company becoming completely vegan in order to stop cruelty on animals. In this case, people would definitely opt for it. The pandemic has significantly motivated consumers to opt for a clean diet and to be sensitive towards other beings. In a case study, Grubhub, an online food company, published a report in 2021, in which they mentioned that people are significantly opting for their plant-based dishes. Additionally, in comparison to 2020, vegan orders have surged by 17% and vegetarian orders surged by 55%. Similarly, many fashion brands are introducing sustainable clothing and accessories. This shows that consumers are significantly driving up the concept of sustainability due to the high awareness, which is further creating opportunities for the companies to gain momentum in the digital space. Knowing the level of awareness and information consumers have is important for the companies. Along with that, it is important for companies to respect the emotions of the consumers and also fulfil their environmental responsibility. ? 4. Interactive, Relatability and humour Today, the millennials and Gen Z are the most commonly targeted consumer base for the companies. They are the early adopters of various new products, technologies, solutions and services. This is why it is crucial to target and establish an interactive communication with them. Since these generations are not passive acceptors, it requires a lot to maintain a relationship with them. Adding relatability to the content you post on your business accounts can hold on to them. Millennials need companies to have interactive communication with the companies through various modes, especially social media. For that, companies should be very active on different platforms and always welcome the feedback they get from the audience. Also, it is highly important to understand the slangs and language they use and reflect that in your work. Anything cool and funny would always be in trend among the population. Thus, it is important to maintain the relativity and humour part while communicating to the millennials and Gen Z. Meme culture is at its peak, many organisations, no matter in which industry they deal in, are making memes as a fun way to communicate with their customers and engage them to elevate your brand voice. Word of mouth plays a crucial role in influencing and establishing a brand value among consumers. For example, a person wants to buy a television set, then, generally, they ask their known ones and then scroll online for review. In this case, companies need to build brand image among consumers, which builds trust on them and then, further help in expanding the customer base for the company. Building a healthy relationship with the younger generation with rising disposable income can be a boon for the companies. Be humorous, use their language and know their deals! This is all you need to make hustle among them! To Sum up… The relationship between consumers and businesses is not just limited to the trade of goods services with money. It has transformed to the exchange of ideas, emotions and values. Earlier, consumers were passive receivers of the content floated by the companies, which were limited to a few of the mediums only. But, now, it is a broad spectrum, which companies can utilise to boost their presence and strengthen their brand voice. So, after reading some major trends among consumers, now, you can have the idea of boosting your company’s brand value! Just focus on the concepts like Evaluate, Study, Create, Relate and Shoot your business sales! This mantra will give you a clear vision of your target audience and hence, help in creating your brand voice. ...
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How Negative Online Reputation On Social Media Can Ruin Your Business?
"Social networks are a great place to rebuild the reputation" - Mr Knott One of the most widespread marketing tools in the digital age is social media. It is where we can reach out to the huge amount of public just in a single minute. One can do wonders for building their business and establish a strong brand presence in the market. On the opposite hand, social media can also kick-back and destroy a brand reputation in a matter of minutes if not done correctly. This is one of the main reasons why top businesses often take the help of reputation management professionals who are well versed in the ins and outs of managing a brand reputation online. Social media is the most immediate threat to your company's reputation," says Pete Knott, digital consultant at reputation management consultancy Lansons. Remember this 4th of July, when NIKE had to release its Air Max 1 with Betsy Ross Flag on it, to celebrate an American history week. But sportswear behemoth canceled on the distribution of the special edition shoe when Colin Kaepernick advised the company not to do it. Colin Kaepernick had an issue with sneakers design, which features 13 white stars in a circle known as Betsy Ross Flag. He referred this as Revolutionary War-era Version of the American flag, which is associated with the era of slavery. Shortly after Nike announced pulling off the shoes, right-wing politicians, including Ted Cruz and Herman Cain, vocally opposed the decision. It was Arizona governor's tweet that weighed most. He took the twitter not only announcing “embarrassed for Nike” but also step back from the funding for the establishment of Nike facility in the state of Arizona which could have employed 500 people. Source After the tweets, various users started posting about the videos of burning Nike shoes all over the social media platform. This kind of event and incidents can hamper the online reputation of any brand severely. How Your Social Media handles can hurt you Hackers Hackers can cause considerable damage to the social media campaign of the company; it is given that if they manage to break into the account of the company. Imagine if they manage to break in the account of your account and post something that appreciates the terrorist groups. One can’t think of the damage that has been by this to the brand. If it was picked up by other users over social media, then present in the market is negligible. Creative crooks Oh! They are more creative than hackers, but they don’t use the tech that hackers are using. Instead of that, they are willing to take a shorter and easier road for creating damage. They make a fake account of the company and start posting stuff and interact with the audience to gain valuable links under your brand name (as they are disguised as yourself) and run the potential for blocking or creating severe reputation damage to your brand. Internet trolls An Internet troll is a person who says something purposely controversial to gain intention over the big world of the internet. Either they do it for fun or target some individuals or businesses. Trolls only succeed in your reaction. Every time you’re responding to a troll you’re giving them what they want, and this is usually affecting their reach and negatively affect your business. Unhappy customer In recent years customers have released the power of social media. Now they often put their frustration and complaints about products over social media to gain a faster response from the companies. But business has to release; if someone is putting negative comments about their products, this will lead to degradation of the brand presence in the market. Businesses have to make sure that it will provide a proper platform for the complaints and make it public. The ill-advised social media campaign Experience comes in hand will planning a proper social media campaign. Even with this we cant assure you the smooth going for the campaign. But experience will always give you an edge over the other or amateur marketers. Make sure you check regularly social media campaigns so that nothing wrong could take place, which can impact your brand presence in the market. The solution Handling negative comments Unhappy customers are the ones who could ruin your brand reputation over the social media world. They are the ones who put up negative comments about the product and services. Dealing with them is a bit trickier but not that big a deal. Respond to comments as quickly as possible and try to solve their problems. Make sure your tone of using the words won't harm the person as well. Find out where the problem is why the people are posting negative comments publicly. Or provide them a platform to register their complaints so that they won't post it publicly. Cybersecurity Make sure your account id and password is well secured. There should be no loopholes from where hackers can get access to your private information. Mind your words While posting something, keep in mind your words or tone of the language you're using in your post. It should not harm any sentiments of the public from which you can get backlash. Precaution is always better than cure, in this fast-moving world, it is not possible, if post something and then delete it and thinks that no one will see it. Then, my friend, you are wrong. Keep your profile up-to-date. The key to the success of the social media platform is to keep your profile up-to-date on every social media platform. Rather than posting everything on every single platform, go for a different approach for each different platform. Take advantage of the social media management tool If you take help to manage social media platforms from one site or program. I'll suggest you use some of the available programs or you can outsource your social media program. To learn more about reputation management on social media, give us a call today! ...
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Buyer Persona And ROI Go Hand In Hand
Buyer Persona - What is it? In simple comprehensive definition, Buyer personas are typical research-based explication and hand written documentation of what customers want from a ,manufacturer or supplier. What their problems are, what they intend to buy, how they think about that product or commodity they desire, and also knowing what goals that drive their actions etc. A comprehensive understanding of all these customer behavioral changes and strategizing your business with regard to it means you have prepared a customer persona. Now the second step is dependent on how you tend to market yourself to them through your products, commodities or services. ROI In View What is 'Return On Investment (ROI)? On the other hand, your ROI is the return on investment. It is a performance measure that is used to weigh and calculate the effectiveness of an investment. Or it can also be described as medium that is used to compare the efficiency of an investment after considering the exact investment cost. ROI is calculated in a simple way, the profits on an investment divided by the cost of the investment. Whatever outcome it gives is taken as the Return on the investment and it is traditionally expressed in ratio of percentage. How Does ROI And Buyer Persona Relate? Buyer persona and the return on investment should go in hand since both elements focuses on satisfying the potential customer. Until a business person and marketer has a comprehensive idea on what the problems of the audience are, it is seamlessly difficult to figure out where to come in from. What to produce, what service to offer, which solution to provide and above all what type of technical content he should develop for the persona. Here are comprehensive reasons why the buyer persona should inter-connect with to ROI It Helps The Business Person In Decision Making (Buyer Persona) Decision making for the business owner might be somewhat difficult if he does not have a clear understanding on the buyer persona. In this case, he has some good deal of investment cash in his custody; but finds it difficult to know what the mind of the customers is. He also does not know what to produce for them (what their requirements are), and also what platform through which it is easy to convince them into taking action. It Helps The Customers Outsourcing Do you think customers would find it easy to outsource for goods, services and solutions to their insatiable desires and problems without corresponding marketers getting it right? This is impossible. When the ROI and Buyer persona works in hand with each other. It will undoubtedly be easier for both parties to excel with so much hassles. For example, buyers can easily find solutions and remedies to problems any moment in time they seek for it. Reason being that the corresponding marketers have positioned themselves accurately for their customers to find them with ease; this happens after they must have successfully outsourced and collated their personas. It Aids Accuracy In ROI Calculation Calculating your ROI would be a little bit easier when your buyer persona and ROI simultaneously at hand. Once you have an idea on what the problem of the customers are, you can easily tailor your services with regard to them, accurately estimating the investment cost. ...
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