3 Tricks You Can Learn from Fashion Marketers
Fashion is everywhere. Whether it is on the cover of magazines, the characters in television shows, or even the clothes on your back, fashion has become so integrated into everyday life it seems as though we could not exist without knowledge of the latest designs. The fashion industry has always seemed to be on the cutting edge of advertising, integrating so fluidly into our lives that it goes unnoticed how strongly we are being influenced. Because of the move to the digital world, fashion marketing has gained a plethora of digital platforms through which to advertise, many of which allow for creative deception of the intent to market. Below is a list of tips and tricks the fashion industry uses and how they can be integrated into other industries.
1. Make it “Pretty”
As discussed in the New York Times article “Why We Love Beautiful Things,” Lance Hosey states “brain scan studies reveal that the sight of an attractive product can trigger the part of the motor cerebellum that governs hand movement,” a fact that is particularly helpful when the visual content is viewed on phones, as it can cause the viewer to pause their scrolling to look. Many times fashion marketing will use images with pretty backdrops, attractive models, and stark colors to grasp attention. In the world of visual content grasping someone’s attention if only for a few seconds proves to be crucial for the sale of products as those few seconds are typically more time than ten other products will receive. Not only do appealing color and layout cause someone to pause on the image, but they can trigger an emotional reaction causing the viewer to literally desire the product, impressing upon them the image of the product.
2. Feature Everyday People Using Your Products
One of the most successful ways fashion marketing uses everyday people is through product promotion in “style lover” blogs. A huge trend has developed in which everyday women, and some men, photograph themselves in their outfits for the day, providing links to the items of clothing they are wearing or ones that look similar. This is a genius marketing tool for fashion companies, as often times they do not have to do anything and their products are still viewed by hundreds or even thousands of people. Instagram has made it even easier for bloggers to promote different products through the “liketoknowit” app which encourages Instagram users to “like” a photo in order to receive the specifics about clothing in their email.
Instagram can also be used in simple and cheap product promotion by encouraging customers who have already purchased the product to compete to get featured on the company’s page. The watch company Daniel Wellington does a great job of featuring customers images of the product in different places all around the world. Not only is their Instagram interesting to look at as it features cool backgrounds, but it shows the customer base they have established making the product more reputable and credible.
3. Don’t Let Them Out of Your “Site”
One of the most successful advertising tactics from fashion marketing is the idea of retargeting ads, a method of advertising that ensures the product is never out of sight or mind of the potential purchaser. The way retargeting advertisements work is through algorithms that fill advertising space on Facebook and other social sites with products the person has viewed previously on websites like Nordstrom. By keeping the product on the edge of their pages people are constantly reminded of a product in which they previously showed interest, keeping it fresh in their mind. Sales and other promotions can also be used in these spaces, perpetually encouraging the customer to return to the site and to make the purchase.
The best part about the progress the fashion industry has made in the creation of new marketing channels is their proven success allows for other industries to borrow their techniques and apply them to market their products. By integrating products into social media sites such as blogs and Instagram, the products appear to be more of an accessory to an experience, facilitating the feeling of desire for a product in order to share in similar experiences. By using everyday people the products become achievable, and through tactful creation of the posts, the right colors and layouts can trigger viewers to act upon the emotions of desire they feel.
Eliza Steiner – Content Creator
Created in partnership with Furman University.
