People Blog
Within the fashion industry the people involved are arguably the most important part of a brand. The stakeholders of a business bring the ideas and creativity and also allow it to run and be successful. Furthermore, another key part of the people pillar is the consumers, without consumers the fashion industry simply couldn’t survive and brands should put the consumers demands at the forefront of what they do, in order to be successful. A specific generation of consumers brands must consider when producing and marketing products is generation z (gen z). Gen z are those born between 1996 and 2010 this generation are known as the “digital natives” (Mckinsey, 2023) as they are the first generation to be exposed to the online world from a young age. Gen z rely on the internet and social media for their everyday life which is something brands should consider when trying to attract this generation. Although Gen z are heavily dependent on the internet, they have harnessed this power to self-educate to become a new wave of “inclusive consumers” with strong values related to sustainability and diversity (Mckinsey, 2023).
It is important that brands are diverse as it improves their customer loyalty as people will feel represented by the brand. A brand that successfully responds to diversity is Skims by Kim Kardashian. Skims is a shapewear brand founded in 2019 and has strong brand values regarding diversity. Kim told Vogue that “Diversity and Inclusivity are in our brand DNA” (Vogue, 2021). By being diverse Skims is able to attract a number of consumers to the brand, including Gen z as they will appreciate the brand’s values. Skims is a brand which empowers the female body and this is shown through the inclusivity of their models. Skims want to create a brand that is for everybody (Vogue, 2021) and use models of all different sizes and ethnicities. Moreover, Skims also attracts Gen z through their marketing. In recent campaigns Skims have varied the models used in shoots and we have seen singers such as Ice Spice, Raye, Pink Pantheress and Sza all promoting the companies shapewear. These campaigns are successful in attracting the younger generation to the brand as all these artists have seen great success in recent years, with their songs growing in popularity through social media.
Alongside being diverse a brand also requires key people skills in order to be successful. These skills could refer to how people within a business act or with regards to this modern world the technological skills a business should possess. I believe that it is important to have empathy and self-awareness skills to ensure a brand is transparent to consumers. However, it is also essential for people to be aware of how to use social media within a business to promote the brand so they are able to reach a wider consumer base.
Bibliography:
What is gen Z? (2023) McKinsey & Company. Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-explainers/what-is-gen-z (Accessed: 14 October 2023).
Weinstock, T. (2021) ‘it felt like the perfect time to bring a fresh perspective’: Kim Kardashian West on Revolutionising Shapewear, British Vogue. Available at: https://www.vogue.co.uk/news/article/kim-kardashian-west-future-of-skims (Accessed: 14 October 2023).