-- Carla Buzasi, WGSN's Global Chief Content Officer, is joining from Huffington Post and will oversee content strategy for WGSN
-- Culmination of GBP50m two-year WGSN Group investment programme in technology, content, innovation, people and acquisitions
LONDON, July 21, 2014 (ANTARA/PRNewswire) -- WGSN Group, the knowledge partner for the global style and retail sectors, today announced that the new WGSN.com service will launch on 4th August 2014. The product has been designed around the highly respected Stylesight technology which has been enhanced with additional features to create the new super-platform. The new product will be called WGSN and its visual identity reflects the coming together of these two market-leading trend services.
Based on robust customer research, the new WGSN.com will combine new technology with the world's most talented, commercially creative people to make future trend forecasting as inspirational, accurate and commercially effective as it can be.
WGSN Group offers five pillars of content: consumer intelligence, trend forecasting, commercial product development, retail strategy and data analytics. Within trend forecasting, the new WGSN super-platform will provide technological innovations including fast search, tailored content, increased shareability and a professional design toolkit which will enable sophisticated high resolution zoom, clip functions and extensive print and download facilities.
From August, WGSN.com will also offer an increased scale and breadth of analysis to its 75,000 users. The single platform will offer the viewpoints of content experts from hubs in London, New York, Hong Kong and Sao Paulo, available in five languages.
Steve Newbold, Global Managing Director WGSN Trends, said:
"We are really excited to announce the launch of the new WGSN. We have listened to our customers and taken advantage of technology and innovation to deliver a truly market-changing product. The increased global reach and depth of content within the new platform elevates the value and strength of what WGSN can offer, saving our customers time, helping them collaborate more effectively and giving them even more certainty. Ultimately, it empowers their business to make better decisions and to be more competitive.
"Carla Buzasi, who is joining WGSN in the newly created Global Chief Content Officer role, will lead the content strategy across WGSN.com. She will bring considerable content expertise and sound commercial and editorial judgement which will add a further dimension to the Group's global operations. Carla will also ensure we constantly excel at bringing great content propositions to market which provide a brilliant customer experience," Steve added.
Catriona Macnab, Chief Creative Officer WGSN, said:
"The strength of our global content experts ensures that our customers will continue to have the most trustworthy, innovative and experienced people giving them a creative and commercial point of view. The new, highly-intuitive, super platform is filled with deep local knowledge from all major regions, giving users fast access to whatever they need to grow their business."
Isham Sardouk, SVP Chief Creative Officer Stylesight, said:
"Stylesight's extensive understanding of the American market, the expertise of WGSN in Europe and our combined strength around the world will now come together with all the key features and services our customers need. Our Advisory, research and content teams have mastered the art of deciphering data and applying sharp judgement which helps our clients transform trends into successful creative business. Uniting WGSN and Stylesight will only create more amazing things."
WGSN is a leading provider of global trend forecasting services. Over the past three years, more than GBP50m has been invested in WGSN Group, including in people, technology, infrastructure, content, innovation and acquisitions.
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Notes for Editor:
WGSN Group:
WGSN Group provides strategic intelligence, trend forecasts, actionable insights and accurate product performance data to the style and retail sectors. It has a solid reputation as a leading provider of global, powerful information services that offer market, brand and product forecasts up to five years out. In a world of technology enabled consumers, a wrong decision can cost millions. WGSN's unique and innovative products and services enable the 75,000 global users to reduce risk and make better-informed business decisions. WGSN has trends and information hubs in New York, Hong Kong and London and has 16 offices around the world. It employs approximately 500 people, and more than 50% are content experts.
Carla Buzasi
Carla was the launch editor of the Huffington Post UK. The Huffington Post UK has more than 8 million UVs per month in the UK and has been growing double digit year on year. It has around 9,000 contributing bloggers including David Beckham, Cherie Blair and HRH the Prince of Wales. Prior to the Huffington Post, Carla was Associate/Online Editor at Marie Claire, where she oversaw two site re-launches, 196% unique user growth and 771% revenue growth within 18 months of arriving. From June 2004- Sept 2006, Carla was Deputy Editor at Glamour.com where she conceived and oversaw Fashion Finder, the site's most successful addition in its history. Earlier in her Conde Nast career, Carla wrote for Vogue.com and GQ.com. Carla was awarded the Media Innovator of the Year award in 2012 and has won Editor of the Year in the Online Media Awards for the past two years. She was also named as one of the top 50 female Innovators in Digital Journalism in 2013.
Top Right Group
Top Right Group is an international, B2B, multi-platform media group. Its operating companies provide trusted information, proven analysis and access to new customer groups. The Group delivered revenues of GBP271.4 million in 2013 and headline growth of 12% (9% organic). It has three main business areas, serving around 170,000 global clients:

-- Events, comprising i2i Events Group and Lions Festivals;
-- Information Services, comprising 4C Group and WGSN Group; and
-- Subscription Content, comprising EMAP and MBI.
In 2013, Top Right Group delivered eight new geo-clone or launch events and further increased its international footprint through acquisition of three significant businesses - Educar and Mindset in Brazil and Stylesight, Inc. in the USA. 43% of revenues in 2013 came from international activities. www.topright-group.com
Editor: PR Wire
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