Marketing in the fashion industry today has largely become centered around social influence. More specifically, utilizing social media influencers has become a key way for brands to market themselves and connect with consumers. With social influence, an individual can feel pressure to think or behave a certain way in accordance with a particular group, mass media, or just another individual person. Leading these pressures and behaviors is a reference group, and the type of reference group this excerpt will be focused on is aspirational, which is a group that’s admired and that an individual is “aspiring” or hoping to be like. (https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/21582440241250122)
Gen-Z is said to be the generation that is most effected by influencer culture on TikTok, following many creators that have fashion or lifestyle goals that they are aspiring to. Research has shown us that consumers are likely more inclined to make a purchase that is being endorsed by their favorite creator that they aspire to be like. If marketed properly in partnership with an influencer, an ad may come across as more authentic and relatable, strategically utilizing the connection and trust these creators have with their followers. As an aspirational figure for their followers, influencers have a parasocial relationship with these consumers, leading to a one-sided bond based on trust and greater influence over purchasing behaviors. (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/371902211_Impact_of_fashion_influencers_on_consumers%27_purchase_intentions_theory_of_planned_behaviour_and_mediation_of_attitude)
For example, fashion and lifestyle content creator, Halley Kate (@halleykate), boasts over 1.4 million followers on TikTok of mainly female Gen-Z individuals. Her followers look to her for fashion inspiration and a healthy lifestyle in New York City. A recent ad Halley posted to her TikTok was in partnership with Perfect Bar. She commonly posts outfits of the day videos that showcase what she wears from day to night, and she was able to seamlessly insert the brand promo into this content. Her followers are able to enjoy her typical content while being introduced to the product all at the same time, which maintains a level of trust between Halley and her followers. Halley is able to successfully promote the product, and her followers are inspired to try the Perfect Bar in hopes of achieving Halley’s physique and healthy lifestyle.
In today’s era of marketing in the fashion industry, it’s crucial for brands to understand the strength of social influence and be able to harness the power of social media influencers as aspirational groups.
