One of the greatest marketing experts, Ann Handley once stated that there are “three keys to getting better quality content: Bigger Stories, Braver Marketers, and Bolder Writing and Tone of Voice.” In the fashion industry, many times the most successful designers and brands are ones that decided to take that bold step in advertising to attract attention and increase awareness. Living through the era of “dupes,” there are a lot of companies out there that are all mass-producing the same, or similar, products. How can we, as consumers, differentiate what we want or need? How can we cut through the noise of one viral social media post after another?
At the end of the day, fashion and taste are subjective. Not everyone is going to love the same things, and that’s the true beauty of fashion, that there’s always going to be brand out there to suit your own individual needs. Certain buyers prefer the classics and the basics. Think: Aritzia, Abercrombie, Ralph Lauren. In this particular instance, producing wild content will not be the answer to attracting these customers. With that being said, utilizing influencer marketing can still be a vital tool in attracting this group. Bold content in this scenario would look like pictures and videos of individuals dressed in the “old-money” aesthetic while on a boat in Lake Como or even skiing in Aspen. It’s still bold and almost seemingly unattainable, but understated.
Marketing directed towards those who use fashion to express themselves and showcase their personalities can be a lot of fun. You’re given more of an opportunity to produce something really bold and outlandish. For example, Edie Parker is a relatively famous designer of fun and unique home-goods and handbags in an assortment of textures and colors. The typical buyer of Edie Parker bags would likely have an eccentric or “chill girl” personality, with a bit of a habit that’s frowned upon in 26 states. Their biggest claim to fame is the “Burn Bag” with a built-in lighter. In this case, Ann Handley was absolutely correct in stating that bolder and braver marketing is necessary, because this style of bag is only going to appeal to a certain subset of fashion gurus. Edie Parker is inherently a bold company, so they need to take bold steps with their marketing. They recently launched a successful influencer campaign that even someone like me, who wouldn’t be interested in their products, was able to recognize their brand and respect their efforts. This campaign involved Ashtin Earle, younger sister of world-famous influencer Alix Earle, and the internet’s new favorite “cool girl”. Being that their products and messages can be considered controversial in many ways and in many circles, it was clever and strategic of them to include an influencer that would reach many audiences beyond their typical buyer.
Overall, if there’s any industry that needed bolder and braver marketers, it would be the fashion industry. Every day there’s a new opportunity to be creative in promotion when it comes to fashion.
