In the cutthroat world of e-commerce, Bluefly.com had carved out a niche as an online clothing discounter.

But the company found itself burdened by its image as a retailer of low-priced dresses, handbags, and other goods, even after a shift in focus made Bluefly a far more fashionable destination.

CEO Melissa Payner realized the company needed to educate the media and the public about its new direction.

"We really had more of an IR focus before and didn't really concentrate on ...