Every single buyer in today’s world is absolutely swamped by advertisements. If you were to type ‘crop top’ into Google, the chances are that you will be bombarded with ads showing you the latest style of tops.
This form of marketing floods social media posts and often makes it difficult for customers to make a buying decision. Most of these ads even get ignored by people simply because there are so many. According to the marketing team at Yankelovich, Inc, an average person in the U.K. is exposed to 5000 advertisements per day.
Modern day customers have become more aware of such marketing gimmicks and do their research before purchasing anything. So, it’s no surprise that they trust influencers who are more relatable, less biased and offer detailed reviews of the products they promote.
Fashion companies are realising the impact that bloggers and influencers have and are using them as brand ambassadors. Here is why this is a win-win for all:
The trust factor
Humans by nature are creatures of habit and all of us have long relied on our friends and family to help with decision making. What to wear and where to eat is often selected after scrolling through reviews or trusting word of mouth feedback from friends.
The same goes for the fashion industry where choices are plenty and navigating through them becomes difficult. Nowadays, customers rely on bloggers and influencers to help make purchasing decisions.
The most common reason why influencers are so trusted is because they are relatable. Any fashion brand promoting their stuff will showcase it in the best light but a blogger will cover it in a holistic manner. Hence, customers are more likely to trust the influencer/blogger and will choose to buy a product they recommend.
Reviews are important
In a world of choices, selecting what’s the best is not always easy. We often depend on others' buying experiences and hunt for strong reviews to assure us we are making the right decision. According to the UK Domain 95% of people aged 18-34 depend on reviews to shape their buying decisions.
Of course, a business cannot review itself and product endorsement doesn't always feel genuine. People like British Beauty Blogger Jane Cunningham come into the picture - famous for her genuine and no-sugar coated reviews.
Such influencers share their personal experience with a product and a brand, highlighting all the pros and cons. The customer has a clear picture of what the product is and what to expect from it which makes it easier for them to decide.
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You have a variety of fashion courses to choose from ranging from fashion media to fashion communication and promotion. Each of the degrees delve deeper into the industry and cover the business aspect of the field.
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A personal relationship
Having a strong bond with customers is important if a business wants to flourish. Brands like Nike understand the relevance of great customer service and respond to every query. Yet, despite all the efforts they are still unable to narrow the wide gap between the company and the consumer.
While a brand is an entity, an influencer is a person with whom customers can more easily interact. Bloggers and influencers are highly transparent with their audience and often share a very strong connection with them. Some influencers even create user-generated content in which they involve their followers, thus forming a close knitted community.
Customers enjoy someone patiently talking them through a product, discussing its uses, covering all the positive and negative points and even offering suggestions on how to use it.
Help in decision making
For a brand, everything comes down to the customer purchasing their product and influencers are a great tool to increase sales. They have a sway on people and can impact their buying decision easily. This is the reason that more and more brands are collaborating with influencers to get an edge in the overcrowded market.
British clothing brand All Saints is a good example of this as they have collaborated with influencers like Mame Camara, Lili Sumner and Xie Chaoyu. All Saints choose these three women over traditional models to don their apparel in order to increase their reachability and increase profit.