Analysing marketing in the fashion industry

The fashion industry is dynamic and constantly evolving. Even amidst a global pandemic, brands have found innovative ways to appeal to fashion conscious consumers. And this is a key characteristic of the industry. For many years, fashion brands have been able to leverage technological and societal trends to build ever-closer audience relationships.

We’ve investigated this by thoroughly analysing the market before and during the pandemic. We’ve identified a set of leading brands and evaluated their marketing strategies and marketing budgets. Furthermore, we’ve also highlighted the marketing tools, services, and agencies that have contributed to their success. The result is a piece of research packed with compelling insight for any brand marketer, investor, or entrepreneur.

Market understanding

Despite its diversity and complexity, the fashion industry can be best described by three interlinked societal trends – social media usage, fast fashion and sustainability. Social media has become so entwined in the lives of young people that it now guides the products that trend and how long they trend for. This has been perpetuated by the role of influencers and the rise of viral video platforms such as YouTube and TikTok.

The consumer desire to be ‘on trend’ powers fast fashion, backed by the increasing purchasing power of a younger demographic. Yet this group is becoming increasingly concerned about fast fashion’s impact on society. Brands now tread a fine line between the price of fast fashion and their sincerity in tackling its environmental implications. As we move into unprecedented economic times, both brands and consumers must consider this emotional and moral dilemma.

Marketing strategy

Contrary to popular belief, many of the most successful and most innovative brands were founded many decades before the internet came to be. Their continued growth has resulted from clear brand visions, global awareness and sophisticated supply chains. We’ve analysed three major brands from three centuries, all of which continue to drive growth as a result of enviable brand strategies. We’ve also evaluated four market disruptors aiming to establish themselves as major players.

All seven share the ability to recognise and react to the trends presented in Section 1, combined with major marketing budgets and integrated marketing strategies. Of particular note is the sophistication of their influencer relationships and networks. These, along with their striking social media presences, provide a competitive differentiator compared to the millions of startups looking to emulate their success.

Marketing activation

Fashion brands carefully balance their marketing activities between sizeable in-house and agency teams. Broadly speaking, in-house teams facilitate social media, content marketing and marketing automation activities. Yet, their capabilities go beyond most other industries. This is reflected in the complexity of their online tech stacks and their high levels of engagement on social media.

Agencies are used primarily to develop creative and thought-provoking campaigns ideas that can be activated across a broad set of channels. These often deliver an emotional connection that transcends borders and boundaries, and hence has global appeal. This achievement takes a strong agency-brand relationship, making it unsurprising to see long-standing partnerships.

This research includes

• 17 pages of analysis (4,500 words).

• Evidence-based approach.

• Case study examples and success stories.

• Main tools/services/agencies.

• References for additional reading.

• Published July 2020.

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