British retailer Marks & Spencer celebrated the launch of its new website for Australian customers last week with an event hosted in Sydney by style icons Kate Waterhouse, Bec Judd and Nadia Fairfax (pictured above). Inviting a list of bloggers specially curated by Shopping Links to match the M&S brand and its target audience, the retailer made genuine connections with Australia's style leaders at the event, setting a tone that allows bloggers to post more authentically about the brand in future collaborations.

Select bloggers flew privately from Melbourne to Sydney, arriving at a gorgeous residence in Woollahra where they enjoyed champagne and hors d'oeuvres. They were also gifted a personally engraved tea pot representative of the British based brand and a voucher to shop the newly launched site.

The event generated great exposure for the brand, with several key articles solidifying enthusiasm for M&S among Australian fashion enthusiasts. Immediate coverage appeared on diverse fashion and lifestyle sites, including the travel-centric Eat, Read, Love; men's lifestyle guide, No Paparazzi Man; beauty guide, The Ladida, and international fashion site, Trends VIP, among many other popular Australian sites, such as I Am Jill Wright and Mama Stylista. The diversity of the coverage reflected the range of influencers Shopping Links curated for the event. 

We were pleased to see that the blogger feedback reflected a feeling of resonance with M&S beyond the Moet and chic atmosphere. As stylist Chelsea Kaim wrote on her blog, "It was a privilege to listen and learn about the history of M&S and to know how far they have come," she wrote. "From a single market stall to an international brand both online and in stores." 

Added fashion blogger Brittany Daisy on her own blog, "My sister Ellese and I had a lovely evening getting our very own teapots engraved, listening to the history of the brand and of course, checking out all the amazing clothes in the M&S range."

This appreciation for brand history and identity is something we really try to foster at Shopping Links, and we feel that the genuine connection bloggers felt with M&S is a big part of what made the event so successful. 

Bec Judd showcasing some of her selections curated especially for the home.

Kate Waterhouse shared her selections across homewares with the guests.

Nadia Fairfax curated both fashion and lifestyle sharing her selections from the M&S fitness range.

Scenes from the evening...