In no industry is storytelling as relevant as in the luxury fashion industry. It is not without reason that Coco Chanel already said: “Dress shabbily and they remember the dress; dress impeccably and they remember the woman”. The luxury fashion & beauty industry does nothing but create a feeling. Sell a certain image that the wearer adopts the moment she hangs the bag on her arm, puts on her lipstick or strolls in the dress. Clothing offers the possibility to create the desired appearance or to belong to a certain group. How do you create this story that will enchant the consumer?
Fashion and beauty brands that make optimal use of strong content are able to create more brand awareness, attract more visitors to their website and create a larger fan base with loyal followers.
1. Think about news value
Often enough, as a luxury fashion brand you are working on something without realizing that it has news value (and could therefore generate free publicity). Are you working on a very innovative concept? Are you opening a new branch? Do you help a specific target group that has not yet been addressed. Or do you put them in the spotlight? Are you entering into a special collaboration? These are all topics that have a certain news value, for example, think again about Jacquemus’ flower shop.
Jacquemus really is the king when it comes to creating online momentum. After the beautiful pink catwalk between the lavender fields, which flooded everyone’s feed. They opened a flower shop in Paris where the flowers were wrapped in leftover fabrics from old Jacquemus collections. Original and innovative and also sustainable; a recipe for success and news value. It therefore again created a large online and offline media coverage.
2. Think visually
What works aesthetically well on social media? The chance of generating media attention with an event or pop-up store is greater when it is photogenic.
3. Build a relationship with your brand ambassadors
The more you are personally involved, the more your brand ambassadors and followers will also feel involved with your brand and be willing to share content about you. It doesn’t feel like advertising or a favor to friends. But as something that makes them enthusiastic themselves and therefore likes to talk about it with their network.
4. Use influencers via social media
Not surprisingly, social media and influencers can play an important role in creating momentum. During the past fashion weeks, several big influencers posted a photo of themselves in an LV look on the day of the Louis Vuitton show, with a statement about the fashion show of that day. Just like your front row guests help tell your brand story, so do your online ambassadors. In addition; when different influencers in your Instagram feed share content about the same brand during the same period, this will stand out and therefore create momentum in itself. If you attach a certain theme to it, it will stand out faster among the rest of the photos in someone’s feed.
5 What is a brand archetype?
Carl Jung’s popular model contains 12 brand archetypes, a kind of personalities for brands. It can help a brand create a consistent story in its marketing and make it easier for consumers to identify with a brand. The archetypes that Jung distinguishes are: the everyman, innocent, explorer, caregiver, ruler, magician, rebel, joker, lover, sage, creator and the hero.
Chanel is often characterized as a ‘Lover’, because of its image of femininity and seduction. You could also classify Tiffany’s, the high-end jeweler known for its engagement rings, among other things, as one of the ‘Lover’ brands. Burberry, on the other hand, can be characterized as ‘Ruler’, as the brand is built around the status and prestige of the London lifestyle and the iconic trench coat. Stella McCartney, who stood for honest and cruelty-free products from the start, could be characterized as ‘Innocent’.
Choosing an archetype helps you tailor your brand’s story to your target audience. After all; the people who care about a brand’s prestige and heritage want the idea of buying it the moment they walk into the clothes and require a different approach than consumers who value being ‘unique’ more, which may be better joins a brand that presents itself as ‘Creator’.
6 What is your brand’s unique story?
Now that you have a direction in which you want to profile yourself that fits your brand and target group, it is important to stick to this in all your content creation and communication. Photography, video, copy: it should all be in line with the chosen brand identity.
Levi’s, for example, relies heavily on the versatility of denim and their long history. Ralph Lauren bets heavily on the romance of rural American life.
7 Choosing the right influencers for your luxury fashion brand
Others sometimes tell the story of your brand more powerfully than you do. After all; you can shout all you want, but to a certain extent this will of course always remain a form of commerce. The consumer really brings the story of the brand to life and can reinforce the values that you want your brand to stand for.
