Strategy expands the brand’s presence in Asia and bolsters its digital-first strategy

NEW YORK (May 1, 2017) – Women’s Wear Daily (WWD), the leading source of news and insights for the fashion, retail and beauty industries, is pleased to announce the launch of its dedicated WeChat and Facebook Messenger chatbot accounts.

They debut on the morning of the Met Gala, an annual fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in New York City. Both WWD accounts will initially focus on the event, which celebrates a new exhibition devoted to maverick Japanese designer Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons.

“WWD dedicates significant coverage to the Met Gala, reporting live from the red carpet to bring our readers the latest on the designer attendees, celebrity style and beauty trends,” said

Miles Socha, editor in chief of WWD. “We are excited to introduce our WeChat and Facebook Messenger chatbot accounts on one of the most important days of the fashion calendar, while extending our editorial reach in Asia.”

WWD’s WeChat titled “WWD Fashion + Beauty Report,” will deliver global fashion, beauty, and business news, including “They Are Wearing,” highlighting global street style as well as subscriber-only content. The launch of the dedicated WeChat account compliments WWD’s expansion in Asia, with the establishment of a Chinese bureau and the upcoming Global Fashion & Beauty Forum, to be held in Hong Kong this October.

WWD becomes the first US fashion media brand to build a dedicated chatbot, powered by Headliner Labs. Readers will automatically receive content via Facebook Messenger and optional push notifications, with the chat interface able to recommend additional stories based on the user’s preferences.

“We are incredibly proud to be the first US fashion media brand with a dedicated chatbot, bolstering our strategy as a digital-first company to reach our readers in the way they want to consume their fashion, business and beauty news,” said Paul Jowdy, SVP, Group Publisher, WWD.

“By partnering with WWD to release the first-ever intelligent chatbot by a major US fashion publication, we are pioneering a conversational, mobile-first approach to digital content,” added Caroline Klatt, CEO of Headliner Labs.

For more information about WWD and to follow WWD on WeChat and via chatbot, please visit www.WWD.com, WeChat ID: wwdchinaofficial, and http://m.me/wwd.

About WWD

WWD is the authority for news and trends in the worlds of fashion, beauty and retail. Featuring daily headlines and breaking news from all Women’s Wear Daily publications, WWD provides the most comprehensive coverage anywhere of fashion, beauty and retail news and is the leading destination for all fashion week updates and show reviews from New York, Paris, Milan and London.

Press Contact: Quin Acciani, Public Relations Director, qacciani@pmc.com