PEOPLE

For the fashion industry to continue to develop, it is vitally important that PEOPLE are involved, this includes designers, brands, as well as consumers. As one of the pillars, the Fashion Business School identified “people” as a crucial component of every organization, having an impact across a broad range of societal and cultural dimensions. Additionally, people are the primary influencers of dynamic markets and business decisions. Thus, companies must rethink their approach to delivering value, especially to the people of Gen Z. 

According to statistics, Generation Z, people born between 1997 and 2015, make up 25% of the world’s population and have a purchasing power of over $360 billion in the United States alone (Schneider and Lee, 2022). It is expected that this generation will soon become the largest cohort of global consumers (Junming and Calvert, 2022), making them one of the most important marketing targets for fashion. 

In light of the fact that Generation Z is the first generation in which mobile devices and social media have become fully integrated into daily life, they are seeking out uniqueness, novelty, and interactive experiences. To be able to appeal to this audience, brands should establish a strong digital and social media presence. For instance, TikTok has grown year over year and Gen Z uses it at twice the rate of millennials (Moran, 2022). GlobalWebIndex data shows that TikTok usage among Gen Z has also increased by 250% among Europeans in 2020 (Buckle, 2020).

Apart from providing convenience through social media engagement, brands should make sure their customers feel both understood and represented. With Gen Z being the most racially and ethnically diverse generation, they place a high priority on commitment to societal change. Gen Zers are more likely to care about human rights, racial and ethnic issues, LGBTQ+ equality, and feminism than any previous generation (Francis and Hoefel, 2018). Therefore, in order to attract this market, brands must demonstrate an authentic commitment to diversity and inclusion. 

An example of a brand that has responded to all the points raised above is Aerie, a lingerie brand which continues to be the leader in inclusivity. With social media campaigns such as the #AerieREAL, the brand has effectively challenged Victoria’s Secret’s dominance within the industry (Glossy, 2021). Comparatively to Victoria’s Secret’s “angels,” Aerie has established its own “Aerie Role Models” by featuring women who have excelled in their fields of passion, such as actress Lana Condor and Olympic gold medalist Aly Raisman (En, 2021). As part of the campaign, they are not only displaying models with “real” bodies, but are also displaying models with insulin pumps, ostomy bags, arm crutches, and more (Leone, 2020), making sure that everybody is represented. 

In general, it is critical for fashion brands to have strong people skills in order to be successful. The key to this is to be authentic and honest through effective communication with the audience, in particular Gen Z. Customers from this generation are more likely to engage with brands that are committed to living out their values, providing an exceptional digital experience, and promoting a diverse workforce (Clark, 2022). In order to achieve this objective, brands must recognize the needs and wants of consumers and utilize marketing strategies that communicate and connect with them.

References

Buckle, C. (2020) Data on TikTok’s challenge in Europe, GWI. Available at: https://blog.gwi.com/trends/tiktok-europe/ (Accessed: October 16, 2022). 

Case study: How aerie won gen Z and victoria’s secret’s market share (2021) Glossy. Glossy. Available at: https://www.glossy.co/fashion/case-study-how-aerie-won-gen-z-and-victorias-secrets-market-share/ (Accessed: October 16, 2022). 

Clark, S. (2022) Do your brand’s values align with those of gen Z?, CMSWire.com. CMSWire.com. Available at: https://www.cmswire.com/customer-experience/do-your-brands-values-align-with-those-of-gen-z/ (Accessed: October 16, 2022). 

Ell, K. (2021) Exclusive: Aerie real taps a new kind of Brand ambassador, WWD. Available at: https://wwd.com/fashion-news/intimates/aerie-real-voices-campaign-1234899466/?sub_action=logged_in (Accessed: October 16, 2022). 

En, A. (2021) The fall of victoria’s secret and the rise of Aerie was inevitable, Medium. The Virago. Available at: https://medium.com/the-virago/the-fall-of-victorias-secret-and-the-rise-of-aerie-was-inevitable-3f96d9199c46 (Accessed: October 16, 2022). 

Francis, T. and Hoefel, F. (2018) ‘True Gen’: Generation Z and its implications for companies, McKinsey & Company. McKinsey & Company. Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/true-gen-generation-z-and-its-implications-for-companies (Accessed: October 16, 2022). 

Junming, Z. and Calvert, G. (2022) Luxury fashion marketing: Tapping into gen Z’s senses and psychology: WARC, WARC An Ascential Company. Available at: https://www.warc.com/newsandopinion/opinion/luxury-fashion-marketing-tapping-into-gen-zs-senses-and-psychology/en-gb/5689#:~:text=For%20luxury%20fashion%20brands%2C%20Gen,workforce%20and%20gaining%20economic%20autonomy. (Accessed: October 16, 2022). 

Lakshmi, S. (2021) Brands like victoria’s secret are why people don’t believe in corporate allyship, Medium. Better Marketing. Available at: https://bettermarketing.pub/brands-like-victorias-secret-are-why-i-don-t-believe-in-corporate-allyship-b23dc1243b86 (Accessed: October 16, 2022). 

Leone, C. (2020) How the Aerie brand is leading the way for Inclusivity, Dailybreak. Available at: https://www.dailybreak.com/break/aerie-inclusive-models-and-adaptive-lingerie (Accessed: October 16, 2022). 

Moran, G. (2022) Gen Z and millennials 2022, Drapers. Available at: https://www.drapersonline.com/guides/gen-z-and-millennials-2022 (Accessed: October 16, 2022). Schneider, B. and Lee, D. (2022) Bof Insights: Gen-Z and fashion in the age of realism, The Business of Fashion. The Business of Fashion. Available at: https://www.businessoffashion.com/reports/retail/gen-z-fashion-in-the-age-of-realism-bof-insights-social-media-report/ (Accessed: October 16, 2022).