OUGD601 - Research - Social Media

Social Media for
Fashion Marketing

Bendoni, W. (2017). Social media for fashion marketing. London: Bloomsbury Visual Arts.

- In order for brands to efficiently engage with their audience on social media, they must be able to curate, share and convey their story
- Storytelling is critical; it enables the consumer to experience different elements of that brand
- The principle idea of storytelling is to satisfy the curiosity of the brands target audience whilst simultaneously maintaining their interest throughout the story

- Loyal customers forge a personal connection between the brand's story and its audience
- The age old craft of storytelling conveys a message, persuades the reader, and creates a bon between the narrator and the reader through relatable content and the context of shared experiences

- With all of todays online clutter, marketers face the challenge of capturing and retaining customers attention
 > so marketers must add a human component to their stories in order to resonate with their target audience

- Digital storytelling through social networks creates a level of shared experience for a wider audience

- Storytelling is a vital tool for content marketing that allows brands to take consumers on a journey that will relay insights and forge stronger connections

- Telling a brand story requires more than laying images together and posting the throughout multiple social media feeds.
 > it requires carefully placed images, words, and videos in a sequence that best tells a story, giving the consumer the feeling of self-discovery and intriguing them to follow or engage with that story

- Brands use a collaborative method of communicating directly with consumers through storytelling narrative that personifies those brands and creates new, emotion-based connections.

- There are many approaches in delivering a brand story
 > it involves carefully planned sequences and positioning to capture the attention of consumers

- The role of storytelling is to deliver a message that elicits a personal connection that motivates and persuades the audience

- The process of sharing a story with a targeted audience can stimulate the process of understanding the brand's message

- With the use of persuasive power words and images, the narrative helps the reader learn the importance of the symbolic potential of language (example? Nike)

- When shared appropriately, stories have the power to resonate with consumers, leaving a lasting impression of the emotional connection

- While there are many ways to share and deliver a story, the primary function is to provide context for audiences in order to stimulate engagement and conversations that generate an experience for the consumer

- Digital storytelling is a relatively new phenomenon thanks to social media

- A brand that operates in social marketing must create a narrative to continuously drive social conversations and integrate the brand's story
- The story can filter through a non-linear social media passage on multi-screens and mediums to share "one story"
- The same story is shared in social media but through different media

Chanel 

- Runway photos and influencers taking photos from the front-row seats
- Images are then sent across social media channels through live stories, photos and videos
- Shared with influencer's respective social media communities
- Brands use this to increase awareness, generate interest and potentially incite action from consumers
- Image shared have potential to reach millions with just one post
- Top fashion brands now depend on the real-time distribution of branded story content to support each season's collection

- Chanel's ready-to-wear collections show in Paris is a perfect example of this
- Their story is released through a careful distribution of accessible content to 'gatekeepers' who then provide real-time content distribution through social media communities
- Chanel have become one of the most anticipated shows of the season
- Consumers can now gain front-row and behind the scenes access of the brand's collections from live-streams or social media posts
- Gatekeeper distribution allows Chanel to remain in control of any content and timing to the public

The Story

- Spark curiosity by telling different, compelling stories
- Shares interesting, memorable quotes and images in the story to boost interest

- Karl Lagerfeld, head designer and creative director, spearheaded the birth of a new popular feminist movement during 2015 at Paris Fashion Week
- Models armed with placards took to a street-themed runway to create a faux-feminist protest demanding society to raise the bar on women's equality
- Feminism and women's equality are topics of high interest, effectively making the show a social story with high impression potential across social media spaces

Reaction

- The act of participation from consumers raises brand awareness while driving engagement and social confirmation of acceptance
- FOMO influences consumption

- Viewer engagement was amplified by peer to peer influences sharing user-generated content relating to the message of womens equality showcased at the show
- Images, videos and graphics were quickly spread through word of mouth across social media
- This captivating story coupled with the powerful visual content of models marching down the street scene drove consumers to next stage of 'action'

Result

- The story enables consumers to reach the next stage of purchase or intent to purchase

- The power of social stories lies in its potential to become personal to audiences
- Readers can quickly identify with a story's context, influencing them to share, purchase, or support the brand
- The show was ranked #1 on Style.com with Chanel receiving 3,959,241 page views
- While the shared content is geared more towards brand loyalists, the authenticity of the story allows it to reach larger audiences

Providing - with a strong story, consumer behaviour is greatly effected/ increased. Not dependent on the clothes themselves, but the message/story behind the brand.