I really do love the fashion industry. And not because I’m some kind of “fashionista” or similar. In my opinion is the field where storytelling can be applied in the most unique and creative way.
Millennials have become a big part of the purchasing force in most industries such as homes, leisure and of course everything that involves fashion.
We, Millennials are usually considered too demanding “snowflakes” but here’s the shocking news: we just care. We not only want to make an impact on today’s society – we want to make a “positive” impact. And that’s why we question our purchases and their consequences.
We wrote about how social media and content marketing are very useful for fashion brands to go global. At the end of the day, these are today’s platforms used to communicate with potential clients. Have you ever asked yourself, to communicate what?
If a brand doesn’t have a purpose and values, there’s not much left.
Today for brands it’s not enough to produce pretty and trendy clothing; and for customers it’s not only about wearing something cool; today, buying fashion clothing or accessories is the natural extension of one’s moral principles and lifestyle.
In this picture, storytelling plays a considerable part, i.e., you don’t have to sell products, but stories.
People today don’t want to purchase a fashion item; they want to buy a cause that makes a significant impact. It’s part of some basic knowledge of neuromarketing: doing something for the only reason to feel good about ourselves. It sounds a bit selfish and it’s a paradox but if it helps to promote sustainable fashion, empowerment and other important values, why not?
That’s why today we’ll have a look at some brands which have successfully developed a story around all those values and distributed it globally.
If you’re planning to expand your fashion brand abroad, storytelling is a powerful strategy that will undoubtedly help you.
Take inspiration from our list!
4 brands that rock the global market thanks to storytelling
Gucci
©Gucci Campagna pubblicitaria Spring-Summer 2018
In the beginning, Gucci was known for its mostly equestrian clothing and accessories. In the past decades, the brand has become a point of reference among youngsters who aren’t afraid to experiment with creative patterns and styles.
Despite the numerous talented creative directors who succeeded in the Maison, Gucci establishes some important collaboration not only with local fashion designers but also with poets, illustrators, and artists who contribute to the creation of new unique collections.
In fact, if we have a look at Gucci’s Instagram account, we notice how these artists are significant contributing storytellers who enhance the cultural diversity we find in the Gucci brand.
Through great online storytelling The Florentine Maison has also promoted its organization for women empowerment and gender equality, Chime for Change. Blog posts, social accounts, podcasts, and partnerships with local activists and artists ones again convey the values of the institution.
Nike
Sportswear has become a very important part in the fashion industry since more casual and sporty looks are also used in everyday life all around the world.
Nike has always been associated with female empowerment, and the brand wants women around the globe to identify with role models.
To do so, Nike relies on female athletes’ endorsements.
Power and strength have always been the core aspects of Nike’s storytelling, but among them, we also find the insecurities and the difficulties some of these women deal with.
Some examples of the most successful international storytelling campaigns are the ones that involve Bebe Vio, the Italian Paralympic champion and the Boxeur Zeina Nassar who fought to “rewrote the rules to allow women everywhere to box in hijabs.”
I don’t know about you, but I fell some goosebumps here…
Matter
For Matter, it matters. The brand sustains not only slow fashion design but also local artisans and craftsmen.
In fact, Matter is not only a brand but a whole community.
Their fantastic website is a bridge that puts in touch designers, slow fashion supporters and masters of traditional textiles and patterns.
On their webpage, Matter’s mission is pretty clear “MATTER reinterprets textile heritage into prints that tell stories of where and why they are made. Our mission is threefold — to foster designer-artisan collaborations, inspire customers to value provenance & process, and pioneer industry change & sustainability for rural textile communities.”
We also can have a look at the numerous articles that explain today’s importance of slow fashion and how this whole vision makes an impact on society, environment and mostly how it helps to make the artisans’ work a viable way of income.
H&M
The buzz word is once again “fast fashion.” Mass brands such as H&M were responsible for the mass production of clothing without any regard for its impact.
Still, H&M managed to reinvent the label through a campaign for clothing recycling.
The “Close the Loop” campaign not only embraces sustainable fashion, but it does show some significant values such as gender equality, body diversity and so on, through celebrity endorsements. In fact, in this amazing example of fashion storytelling, we find some international power figures such as, the plus size model Tess Holliday, legendary rock star Iggy Pop, and Muslim model Mariah Idrissi.
Did you enjoy our list? If you’re planning to expand your fashion brand abroad,
check our free PDF with some tips and tricks on how to rock the international markets!
