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London-based streetwear label Stitchknown for printed graphic T-shirts and hoodies, began posting lo-fi behind-the-scenes videos on the design processes on TikTok in June 2020. “I saw a couple of people were actually [doing the] branding themselves on TikTok and that they were getting traction from it. So, I thought, let me just show some stuff, I don’t really care,” Stitch’s founder, who only goes by Clouder, told Vogue Business. The initial video garnered more than 5,000 likes and boosted Stitch’s Instagram following and e-commerce sales. Clouder now cites TikTok as his main marketing tool.
Relatability is crucial to young brands today, helping them to align with the next generation of consumers and build loyalty. “Young people have often felt like only those of their own generation truly understand them. I think Gen Z is more inclined to support brands created by other Zs because the products they’re making are ones that authentically speak to the Gen Z experience,” said Julia Peterson, senior insights strategist at youth culture agency Archrival.
LA-based streetwear label Brain Dead aligns with subcultures that aren’t traditionally deemed “cool”, like rollerblading or wrestling, creating IRL events or collaborations to target a unique community that feel connected by their interests.
This applies to talent too. London-based talent agency EYC Ltd focuses on Gen Z creators, most commonly on TikTok, helping brands to place creators that truly resonate with young people today. The agency has worked with brands from Louis Vuitton and Gucci to Depop this year. “Some bigger agencies prefer to sign people only once they’ve blown up,” said founder Cora Delaney. “We just look for cool people. There are a lot of influencers in the world who definitely aren’t our style.”
New platforms are also coming into play. UK-based athleisure brand Cole Buxton has a private Discord channel, where its customers discuss sizing, fit and feedback on the latest drops. Being a closed channel, it creates a sense of exclusivity and belonging among the brand’s young customer base. “Different levels of exclusivity are important for the brand value,” CEO Jonny Wilson explained.
Try Your Best (TYB) is a tech startup launched by activewear brand Outdoor Voices founder Ty Haney in March this year, to help brands reward loyalty and build community in the Web3 sphere. It’s a blockchain platform that invites fans of a brand to earn NFTs and brand coins in exchange for acts of loyalty, such as sharing product feedback and voting on colourways. The NFTs, or collectibles as the platform calls them, unlock access to the brand’s community hub on the TYB platform, where users can communicate. TYB has 15 brands live, with 120 set to launch on the platform next year.
Rethink your retail strategy to work for your business
Wholesale is an important tool for fashion and beauty labels to boost brand discovery. However, emerging brands are learning the value of direct-to-consumer to cope with rising material costs and falling retail margins. Other players are rethinking their selling schedules to leave more time for production.
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