People
“People” is one of the four pillars of the fashion business strategy, focusing on the social aspects and issues of the fashion industry. The word “people” emphasizes diversity and inclusion, and how these features can be used to market to target customers to guide consumption. People use fashion to show their true character and their uniqueness, “Fashion can change and shape lives through its connection to us all” (Corner, 2022). Generation Z is a good example of people who are following fashion trends influenced by social media, posting their photos and opinions on the Internet.
Generation Z—people who born from 1995 to 2010—are true digital natives: from earliest youth, they have been exposed to the internet, to social networks, and to mobile systems. That context has produced a hypercognitive generation very comfortable with collecting and cross-referencing many sources of information and with integrating virtual and offline experiences (McKinsey, 2018). Gen Z consumers are more inclined to shopping online, which they think is more convenient (Drapers, 2022). When choosing fashion items, they are not only concerned with whether it will make them feel comfortable, but also consider whether they will feel more confident by wearing it.
To attract Gen Z consumers, the brand needs to become a positive contributor to their culture. The brand needs to be genuine and not forced. Brands will need to focus on embedding the brand itself into culture and cultural conversations, and in a way that is appropriate and natural – this needs to be organically integrated with social media platforms and online advertising.
One example of a brand responded to diversity is Fenty Beauty. Fenty Beauty is a makeup brand founded by Barbadian singer Rihanna in 2017 in collaboration with Sephora. It focuses on creating formulas that work for all skin tones. Fenty Beauty, is all but synonymous with authentic inclusive marketing, created on the foundation that everyone woman is beautiful and should feel included. In 2017, Fenty Beauty launched 40 shades of foundation, and that has since grown to 50. Chaédria LaBouvier wrote in Allure that Fenty Beauty’s sheer number of foundation colors is “a statement that women of color deserve complex options”.
Rihanna shared that, “It’s important to me that every woman feel included in this brand.” Once this campaign launched, it had a ripple effect called “The Fenty Effect”, a movement calling for brands to challenge the status quo in advertising by creating ads that are diverse and inclusive (Refuelagency, no date).
Reference:
Corner. (2022). Why Fashion Matters. Artsandculture. Available from https://artsandculture.google.com/story/why-fashion-matters/_QKS0J-OeT7HIA [Accessed October 16, 2022].
Francis, Hoefel. (2018). ‘True Gen’: Generation Z and its implications for companies. McKinsey. Available from https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/true-gen-generation-z-and-its-implications-for-companies[Accessed October 16, 2022].
Moran. (2022). Gen Z and Millennials 2022. Drapers. Available from https://www.drapersonline.com/guides/gen-z-and-millennials-2022[Accessed October 16, 2022].
Refuelagency. (No date). 6 Examples of Brands Who Got Multicultural Marketing Right. Refuelagency. Available from https://www.refuelagency.com/blog/multicultural/examples-of-brands-who-got-multicultural-marketing-right/ [Accessed October 16, 2022].