The modern-day customer does not have to skim through fashion magazines to find out what’s trending. They get their scope of the latest fashion and style through a variety of social media platforms. This is the result of e-marketing which has completely changed the way a product is introduced and sold to a customer. 

Brands also realise the importance of connecting with customers and hence reach out to them through social media platforms. From brand storytelling to leveraging the power of influencers, e-marketing has a dominance that is unparalleled and the results are great. 

A great way to integrate the world of fashion with that of marketing is by enrolling on a business and management course. This is the perfect way for students to understand how to create the right impact using e-marketing tools to boost a brand. 

E-marketing the Boohoo way

Take the famous British brand Boohoo, for example, who with a strong social media strategy, managed to stay on top throughout 2020 with a boost of 45% in sales. The brand has a staggering 6.6 million followers on Instagram and has mastered the art of capturing and retaining customer attention through digital marketing. This is how they managed to rise above the competition and beat all the odds in a volatile market.  

Boohoo never disappoints with their fun and relatable content that encapsulates everything from what is trending to pop culture. The brand reportedly spent £80m on influencer marketing which clearly shows the efforts they put into e-marketing. 

However, Boohoo is not the only brand that is making the most of social media. Given the strong influence that digital marketing has made on the fashion market, brands are beginning to realise its importance and impact. 

Marketing to the new customer 

Every new product that a business creates is aligned to the needs of the customers and marketed to them along channels that promote maximum visibility. This means brands have to focus their attention on a platform that has a large audience, which in the digital era is social media with 3.5 billion users. These numbers compiled by WeAreSocial in mid-2019 have risen remarkably in 2020. 

Also, the maximum customers now comprise of millennials who are heavy social media users and want content that is specifically catered to them rather than a product aimed at the masses. 

Hence, as a business, you have to focus on content that users come across while scrolling through Instagram rather than an opulent advertising campaign that goes heavily off-track. Such was the case with Unilever whose TV advertising campaign worth $6.3m failed to make any mark on their audience. 

Personal connection

Marketing for millennials is a very personal experience and they prefer to buy products that are recommended to them through friends or influencers. 45% of UK Instagram followers rely on fashion accounts to know what’s trending and base their buying decisions on what they see. 

Hashtags like #ootd (outfit of the day) and #fashion are what gets an audience’s attention as they check out dresses worn by their friends and bloggers. Hence, every fashion brand from Dior to Dolce & Gabbana, and even Forever 21 and H&M, are heavily focused on creating a strong e-marketing strategy that brings them new leads and better customer engagement. 

In this new marketing landscape, your relationship with the customer can change with a simple tweet or post and therefore, you have to carefully curate an engaging and good experience for them. 

In the words of Imran Amed, Editor-in-Chief at Business of Fashion: “The one thing that has changed dramatically in recent years is the direct relationship brands now have with their consumers. In this new hierarchy, the consumer has the ability to amplify or negatively impact on business, through sharing positive or negative responses.”

The power of influencers

The strongest marketing tool that fashion brands can bring into use is influencers. Such fashion bloggers have a remarkable impact on customers and can easily sway the audience towards a particular brand or product. 

Considering how word-of-mouth marketing works wonders on the current generation of customers, brands rely on influencers to break into the competitive fashion market. This has resulted in some of the best collaborations that have helped both the business and the influencer gain more prominence and earn huge profits. 

While the collaboration of Adidas with Kylie Jenner has been doing the rounds for a while, even smaller brands like the UK-based brand All Saints have made full use of influencer marketing by sharing pictures of local influencers wearing their latest collection. This brought them visibility and also impacted their sales. 

Students looking to make it big in the business world should start by enrolling on a good course such as the BA (Hons) Business Management offered by the reputed London College of Contemporary Arts (LCCA). The business management degree is offered by the TEF Gold Standard institute, University for the Creative Arts and can prepare you for several roles ranging from HR to finance management. Click on the link to book your place today! 

This article is written by Nandita Kaushal.