Clothing brand research
As I’ve mentioned previously, the first approach of creating a clothing brand is to identify and establish a meaning and identity behind a brand name. Aesthetics and presentation of clothing brands are arguably the most important aspect of clothing businesses however the identity and the message behind clothing brands are almost just as important which most of the time goes under the radar by the casual public. To elaborate, majority of the public blindly purchase clothing products for it’s aesthetics which is totally reasonable, however in most cases behind every design choice, logo and brand name there is a story, meaning that aims to connect with it’s consumers this is why revolving your brand around a certain niche is important as it makes it easier to build a community through it’s target audience.
The most effective way to keep your consumers indulged in your brand is through trust. Building trust and a strong bond with your brand’s consumers is crucial to have a successful brand. There are several ways to build trust and a good relationship with consumers which I’m briefly going to go through.
Prioritising audience
One of the most effective ways clothing brands build a strong community is by valuing their audience and consumers. Consumers are what makes a brand and without them it wouldn’t function, therefore brands aim to put a spotlight on their target audience through social media engagement, making the target audience feel like they’re part of the brands journey and are not just consumers that make up a number.
Consistency
In order to have a successful brand community, it is important to keep as many followers indulged in your brand as possible. This is done by staying true to the brands identity and delivering service effectively throughout the years as overtime, consumers will have set expectations for your brand that must be kept at a consistent level in order to not lose the following which will cause the downfall of the community. User engagement is crucial to stay in touch with the brand’s followers, stuff like user feedback can help determine what the users like about your brand and what can be improved. This is important for brands to take into consideration as providing followers with their needs can sustain long term trust strengthening the community.
A statistic from ‘The 2023 Sprout Social Index’ states that 51% of consumers think that the most memorable thing a brand can do is respond to customers on social media, which is something I’m going to consider in my project.
Acts of appreciation
Many clothing brands show appreciation to their customers by providing small gifts alongside the product, from looking at different clothing brand packaging videos, small brands in particular, provide customers small type of merchandise such as brand’s stickers or key tags and a ‘thank you’ note which also gives the brand a professional look demonstrating the effort that is put in towards their community.
One way I’m thinking of applying this to my brand is through giveaways and prizes that gives the following community a chance to win free products. This article I’ve come across states the benefits of incorporating giveaways and prizes within your brand which are as following..
- Prizes increase brand exposure as it attracts audience through opportunities to win products for free
- Enhanced customer engagement and loyalty as prizes and giveaways builds trust between the brand and customers
- Increase expanded reach and new customer acquisition allows the brand to reach out to new audiences beyond their target audience, as the word of the brand is spread through social media and eye-catching content such as giveaways.
‘Anti-Social Social Club’
‘Anti social social club’ is a streetwear brand that has built a loyal connection with it’s consumers through a unique selling point that covers the niche of introversion which the Gen Z resonate with commonly these days, one of their reasons for their rapid success is they identified a niche that is relatable to a specific target audience. The target audience of this brand is essentially in the brands name, associated with people who consider themselves as anti-social, introverted and even having depressive disorders. This makes this target audience feel like they’re part of a community, that they proudly represent through their clothing products.
The brand’s rapid growth also came from popular celebrities wearing the product as they felt personal connection with the niche behind the brand, which pushed to help raise mental health awareness and the brand itself due to the power of influence global celebrities hold.
