fashion marketing

People Don’t Read

Reading Time: 2 minutes

In a world of images, words demand too much effort


People don’t read. Don’t ask people to read. Please, just don’t. In the fashion field, there’s no need to dig deep into socio-cultural-economic aspects. Customers don’t want to know more. Instead, bombard them with shopping prompts. Continuously. Endlessly. But do not involve them in a piece that makes them stop and think. Just push them to buy! In fact, it’s a profitable engagement, a language they truly appreciate.

People want images. If you put them in front of words, they are forced to stop, read and reflect. That takes some time, and it is annoying.

Just show them images, let them click on the buy-now button, and they’ll be fine with it. Why question things? Just follow along. Accept. Consume. Repeat.

Social media absorbs the attention, you start scrolling for a few minutes, and you end up eaten up by an endless stream of superficial information. There, there’s no need to read. Indeed you can stop at the titles or just a few words.

But you are well-targeted and, most of all, you are going to shop. Yes, there’s nothing else people want.

people don't read, image of reading a book


However, the pattern is not new. Pavlov experimented on this behaviour with dogs, he showed them the trigger and got the reaction. Indeed, this conditioned reflex works well with humans too. Brands know the game and accordingly shaped the world for us.

From ‘cogito ergo sum’, corporations worked to embed ‘shop ergo sum’. By influencing our brains and behaviour, they did a great job.

Why?
Because people don’t read. They don’t like reading, as they don’t like thinking.

For instance, if you want to ponder a little, do you know that funny thing called accessible luxury? How about ethical businesses when brands still produce in places where human rights do not exist?

But no, do not search for discussion or sharing ideas. There’s no need to understand fashion context. Keep it superficial, feed them with products. And, please, don’t be too refined.

There’s no need to think. Stick to your well-known pattern.
Don’t read. Don’t choose. Just shop!

Unless you realise you can choose – to read.

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Product Placement vs Consumer Awareness

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Navigating the fine line between influence and informed choices


Among various methods corporations use to keep women hooked to their brands, product placement is on top. Yes, corporations. That’s what luxury conglomerates are. And it gives the pulse on their work.

During the 80s, Giorgio Armani was the first who started dressing Hollywood stars in order to sell to the American middle-class. In a perspective of massive overproduction and an ever-growing economy, perhaps that strategy made sense.
By the way, Armani, followed by all the other designers right away, started giving outfits for free to the stars, and women – part of the so-called middle class – promptly bought them.

Now the economy is not in good shape, and the middle class has been swiped away. Most importantly, we opened our eyes, so we are tired of being treated as fishing lures. Therefore we find some specific marketing techniques obsolete, if not meaningless.

The logic behind celebrities marketing


What’s the point of stars wearing luxury designer’s clothes on the red carpets when it’s known they don’t pay for the clothes?
Does it still make sense?

In fact, what makes it sound absurd is that celebrities can afford to pay, but they don’t. In other words, those who can afford clothes don’t buy them, while those who can’t are expected to.

There’s no logic in this anymore. What if celebrities purchase their outfits and designers donate the proceeds to charity?

However, we should also take a closer look at those captivated by ‘the rich Milanese’ flaunting her outfits on social media—women who promptly buy. Indeed, we die a little inside witnessing this lack of self-esteem. An evolution of product placement that exposes a complete absence of consumer awareness.

Since we weren’t all born with good taste, looking for guidance is the right way to avoid weird outfits. But asking for advice is different from imitating someone else’s style.

Marketing has always targeted women because, traditionally, they are considered fragile and easy to influence or manipulate. And the sad thing is that we allowed them to do so.

Let’s evolve now.

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The (Ignorant) Logo

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What we Witness today in the world of branding and fashion


What we witness today is the ignorant logo. You may think that a logo has something to do with style. We do not totally agree.

A recognizable logo, displayed not on the inside or reverse but visibly shown on the outer surfaces of clothing, handbags, shoes, or small leather goods, is how fashion maisons can sustain their astronomical costs.

To this end, beauty products further amplify this. In fact, frequently people associate a designer’s name with their perfume and rather than their original creations.

The return of the logo


But why has the exposed logo made such a comeback to fashion?

First, logos are easily recognised. Furthermore, people buy logoed items because they identify with them. In fact, these products offer a status symbol more than an element of style.
Even if that status is fake – and rude when too much logoed – people like to dream.

The fashion industry was in crisis. Undoubtedly, logo-emblazoned pieces are the easiest way to sell more. Indeed, they are simpler to market.

Also, fashion in the era of social media has changed a lot. Specifically, Instagram played a huge role in this. In order to be visible, products must be more “instagrammable.” In fact, a logo provides instant visual recognition.

Moreover, during the social media era, the role of creative directors has overtaken that of designers. These figures don’t create their work by elaborating on their design skills. But they put into the mixer whatever they find.

This playground has encouraged the proliferation and growth of a shallow environment, which gave life to a sterile visual-centred culture. And, as a result, we see an ignorant fashion culture emerging. The fashion of the ignorant logo.

True style doesn’t rely on logos. It is the expression of an innate gift. Of course, in case you do not possess it, you can train and improve.
But one thing is certain: if you are self-confident and elegant, you don’t need to impress by falunting a logo!

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Fashion & Music

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Exploring influences, inspiration, and intersection


Fashion is not only what we wear. Fashion involves the environment around us. Fashion is the music we listen to as well. In fact, there is a clear parallel between fashion and music. Both have developed precisely the same pattern.

What kind of music do we listen to today? What is popular?
DJs are sampling tracks from the 70s, 80s or 90s, remixing them, and then the singer of the moment adds the voice. So, here it is, the modern creative effort. Usually, this music is popular for a few months. Perhaps a year from now, no one will remember a single track.

Of course, there are always exceptions. Take, for instance, “Walk this way” by Run DMC. Well, as we said, exceptions do exist.

What kind of fashion do we see now?


DJs are the new fashion designers. They take designs from the past and add logos all over, following the above remix pattern.
In this world, design skills are no longer a necessity.

Some time ago, a TV show celebrated Fabrizio De André, the great poet-musician, and they interviewed his wife, Dori Ghezzi.
During the interview, singers who recently won the Sanremo Festival appeared in a clip, dressed up to promote fashion brands more than their music, but acclaimed as geniuses. Afterwards, they asked her: “What do you think?” So, she replied: “In my husband’s time, there was a lot of space, we have experimented a lot, and we did a lot. Now, perhaps, these guys don’t have much left. They are scrambling.”

Ads disguised as entertainment–that’s how marketing gurus refer to it, indeed.

The sampling of things already seen, stealing others’ ideas and presenting them for absolute novelties–this is the sign of our times. And in both fields, fashion and music, it’s marketing, not art.

But in the end, we do not have to accept it or conform. We have the freedom to differ, to think differently.

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The Expiry Date: Fashion Or Mortadella?

Reading Time: 2 minutes

How communication strategies are undermining the fashion industry


Fashion communication – verbal, written and visual – has contributed to undermining the industry. In a world where fast fashion has become synonym of luxury and other similar absurdities, we always feel the need to define what we say. Somehow, we need to restore the meaning in this state of general confusion.

Hysterical mass production has led us to a broken industry incapable of selling the tons of items it produces. In fact, to manage the surplus, products are incinerated, making room for the next manifestation of this insanity.

So, why do niche brands or even high-end designers adopt these practices? Why do they feel compelled to hard-discount merchandise just a few months after its delivery to the stores, devaluing both their products and their brand identity?

“This item is new now, but it’s going to be old in three months or less.” There is no consistency in that.

A devaluing communication


The shallow language to attract consumers focuses not on value but on discounts or influencers:

PRE-SALE! – SALE! – Heavy discounts! – Black Friday! -60% -70%

Who offers less?!

“Today, with the influencers bad taste is everywhere.” – said Mr Valentino to “Il Messaggero”.

Herein lies a significant mistake in the communication and in the messaging of our industry.

When will fashion operators understand we are conceiving, producing, selling and communicating products born out of creativity? The moment we rediscover the value of that process, we’ll acknowledge the mistakes we’ve made.

Treating those products like milk or mortadella, as if they have a fast expiration date, is not a brilliant idea.

We love mortadella, and we also believe it holds more value than the majority of fashion products currently in stores. However, we think the true value of the entire creative process needs to be rediscovered and protected in the making and communication of fashion. It should be seen as something meaningful, timeless, not something to discard as quickly as possible.

What can we do to change?


Brands must produce less, taking extreme care of the entire process.
Heavy discounts should be eliminated, as they are not a healthy, long-term strategy.
People should consume less but better.

Let fast fashion serve its purpose for what is cheap, for people who chose not to see. At the same time, let’s protect and celebrate the timeless value of creativity, quality, and craftsmanship using the right language to support this mission..

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