Emily Beasley

About Emily Beasley

Posts by Emily Beasley:

Purpose

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Purpose is important especially in the digital age where there is so much choice and information. Brands need to be successful in communicating its purpose in order to attract Gen Z consumers who will grow with the brand. 

Why is Brand Philosophy (mission, vision, values ) important?

It is important for brands to define its own existence within the market by having a mission, vision and values as a part of their strategy. The mission statement many brands have on their company page defines why it exists for consumers. The vision is for defining where they want to be in the future and how they are going to do it. The values are arguably the most important for brands in terms of attracting consumers. One way that brands are representing their values is by having a stance on political and social issues. Results from a Dosomething survey show that 76% say they have or would consider purchasing from companions that supports their values. (Curry, 2020) Another way that brands show their values is through CSR reports which show how the values reflect within the business for its employees. For example the PVH group publishes a CSR report on its company website to present transparency. This is important for Gen Z consumers as 9 out of 10 of them believe companies have a responsibility to address environmental and social issues. (Mckinsey, 2023) By having Brand values that align with Gen Z it will make them stand out amongst competition now they have so much choice and attract consumers to grow with the brand. 

How do Brands communicate their purpose to Gen Z? 

A major way they can connect with Gen Z is through influencers on platforms such as Tik Tok and Instagram. We can see this through luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton making Emma Chamberlain their ambassador in 2021 and with Nikes collaboration with Billie Ellish in 2022.  These are  successful for brands because influencers create a digital campfire audience online. These campfires are small communities on social media. These are important as they have become a major way for Gen Z to connect but how they experience and shape culture. (Wilson, 2021) An recent example is Alix Earle as Janet Balis explains “That approachability is why Earle resonates so much with Gen Z. Authenticity is among this generation’s most important values.” Brands can choose people who fit what they want to communicate by association with them. But the only way this can be successful is by having a member of their team be from generation Z to make sure they understand what is going to be successful. 

Bibliography:

Balis, J. (2023) How the Best Brand-Influencer Partnerships Reach Gen Z

https://hbr.org/2023/06/how-the-best-brand-influencer-partnerships-reach-gen-z

(Accessed 25/10/23)

Curry, L. (2020) How Brands Can Follow Through on the Values They’re selling.

https://hbr.org/2020/08/how-brands-can-follow-through-on-the-values-theyre-selling

(Accessed 25/10/23)

Wilson, S. (2021) Where Brands Are Reaching Gen Z? 

https://hbr.org/2021/03/where-brands-are-reaching-gen-z

(Accessed 25/10/23)

McKinsey & Company (2023) What is gen Z? 

https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-explainers/what-is-gen-z

(Accessed 25/10/23)

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Profit

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Profit and measuring a businesses profitability is a common way for businesses to measure success. Although it is not needed for a business to survive, it is a way to show good performance. 

What is the size of the fashion industry? 

After the COVID 19 pandemic and geopolitical tensions causing inflation especially across Europe, it made an impact in the fashion industry which has spent the last two years recovering. It caused there to be a slight decrease in value in the market, with its value coming to 1.53 trillion US dollars in 2022 (Smith, 2023) . However, it is predicted to grow in 2023 with it forecasted to be valued at 1.7 trillion US dollars. (Smith, 2023) This improvement is also supported by the EP going from -73% in 2020 to 212% in 2021. (Mckinsey 2022)

How are various sectors of the industry performing? 

In terms of the industry overall, sales have slowed due to consumer confidence decreasing paired with the increasing inflation rates causing consumers to save. However, the luxury sector is predicted to grow from 5%-10% globally. (McKinsey, 2022) This can be reflected in the growth of brands like Loewe as it has jumped 13 places and is now considered the hottest brand of this quarter according to the Lyst. This contrasts with the rest of the industry which growth is predicted to grow -2% to 3% as an effect of an unstable economic climate. (McKinsey, 2022)

How does a brand remain competitive in uncertain economic times?

Uncertain economic times have caused 56% of fashion executives to predict market conditions to worsen in 2023. (Mckinsey, 2022) However, what makes brands to be considered “Super winners” is that they have invested into not only sustainability to match with consumer demands but also into technology and digitisation. This is done by focusing on a more digital business model. (Berg, 2022) An example of a business failing to do this is Glossier as they failed to have successful product development and failed to treat workers fairly which ruined their reputation. 

How do creative directors bridge the gap between creativity and commerce?

A major task that a creative director has is understanding a brand’s visual DNA while reinterpreting it to fit modern consumer tastes. (Mitterfellner, 2023) The art of fashion and the commerce side used to be separate, with trade shows being the business side and runway showing the art of the industry. However, according to Caroline Stevenson there has been a blurring of ideas from the street across all art forms as fashion has become democratised. Designers such as Largerfeld have been successful in bridging the gap as he celebrated the brands DNA while creating immaculate shows and being a strong brand image himself with his look.

Bibliography:

Berg, A. (2022) How current global trends are disrupting the fashion industry.

https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/retail/our-insights/how-current-global-trends-are-disrupting-the-fashion-industry

(Accessed 18/10/23)

McKinsey and Company, 2022, The state of fashion 2023: Holding onto growth as global clouds gather (2022).

https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/retail/our-insights/state-of-fashion

(Accessed 18/10/23)

Mitterfellner, O. (2023) Luxury Fashion Brand Management and sustainability: Unifying fashion with sustainability. New York: Routledge.

e-book: https://libsearch.arts.ac.uk/cgi-bin/koha/opac- detail.pl?biblionumber=1546849&query_desc=kw%2Cwrdl%3A%20Mitterfellner

(Accessed 18/10/23)

Smith,P. (2023) Global apparel market – statistics and facts

https://www.statista.com/topics/5091/apparel-market-worldwide/#editorsPicks

(Accessed 18/10/23)

The Lyst Index, 2023.

https://www.lyst.com/data/the-lyst-index/q223/

(Accessed 18/10/23)

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People

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The people pillar can be argued as the most important. This is because people are behind the decision making in the fashion industry but also the people buying from it. 

Gen Z as a generation are often described as ‘digital natives’ as they have been the first generation who have always had access to online platforms. With this new generation brands are wanting to attract them so they can grow with the brand as a consumer. This leads brands to try to align with Gen Z values. They are seen as individualistic and are into unique styles. As well as being more willing to pay for more personal offers and customisation. (Francis and Hoefel, 2018) They demand accountability and equality from brands and are considered to be climate change advocates. Their behaviour is reflected in the growth of re-commerce and 73% of Gen Z have said they try to shop at brands they find ethical. (McKinsey, 2023) 

The biggest way that brands can attract Gen Z is to  communicate sustainability within the brand. This linking with  consumers experiencing an economic downturn, brands should focus on how to make fashion more accessible. For example by outlet stores or investing in re-commerce and e-commerce. An example of a company who has done this is Kering as in 2023 they invested into Vestiaire Collective which is a website where people can purchase second hand luxury. Additionally,there has been growth in outlet stores by 35% since 2019. (Business of Fashion, 2023) Brands should also dynamically recommend products at set prices that appeal to individual consumers and show messages of sustainability in every aspect of the business. (Mitterfelter, 2019)

A big aspect of attracting Gen Z is by being  a brand that has diversity. A brand that has responded well to the demand for diversity is Calvin Klein as part of the PVH group. This can be seen on their website , using models with different body types and skin colours consistently throughout. Another way they have shown diversity is by heaving a pride collection in support of the LGBTQ + community. PVH shows its shareholders their  diversity by having a CSR report with goals on diversity as well as a diversity, equity and inclusion report from 2019. This shows the brand’s response  to diversity by  presenting it on a surface level but also in the brand’s values. 

In terms of people skills, to be successful a brand needs to be open minded, pragmatic and have flexible thinking. As  they need to be able to quickly adapt to a changing market to understand consumers. As well as adapting to new technology so that brands can use it to help them understand consumers and find solutions in problem solving. 

Bibliography

Mitterfelter, O. (2019) Fashion Marketing and Communication Theory and practice across fashion industry page 175 -177

The state of fashion 2023: Holding onto growth as global clouds gather (2022) McKinsey & Company.

https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/retail/our-insights/state-of-fashion

Francis, T. and Hoefel, F., 2018. True Gen’: Generation Z and its implications for companies. McKinsey & Company, 12.

https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/true-gen- generation-z-and-its-implications-for-companies

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Planet Pillar: How the environment impacts fashion.

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The importance of the Planet pillar has become an increasing concern in the fashion industry. This is not only due to increasing consumer awareness but it is also due to the UNs expectations of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals being fulfilled by 2030. This has put pressure on the industry to look to change its long used linear system model ,which has been used since the industrial revolution, and re-evaluate the design of the system and how the consumption and creation of clothes impacts the environment.

The Circular Economy

In recent decades there has been the introduction of the circular economy, which “aims to reduce waste and pollution by keeping materials, products and resources in use for as long as possible.” (Conde Nast,2020) This contrasts to the linear system model which does not utilise the waste that is made and provides no regeneration of resources. An example of brands adapting to a circular economy is ASOS as they have had ASOS Market place since its launch in 2010 which allows vintage clothing to be redistributed. Another example is Mulberry as they have the pre-loved, the Mulberry exchange system and offer repairs. These are important as they prevent products ending up in landfills and raising CO2 emissions, as three fifths of all garments end up in a landfill within year of production. (Denisova, 2019)

The Mulberry Exchange system on the website

Sustainability in the context of fashion.

Sustainability can mean many things, but what do we mean by it in the fashion industry? It can be broken down into three types: social, economic and environmental. Environmental sustainability links to how the products are made, how consumers use them and what happens to the products after use. The demand for retailers to become more sustainable has not only come from consumers wanting more transparency but also from incoming legislation such as the UN’s 2015 Paris agreement on climate change. (Drapers 2022) However, even though there is a pressure from consumers, brands such as H&M have been called out for greenwashing which has become an expanding problem. To avoid this brands must be transparent about making credible changes while abiding by regulations. (McKinsey 2023)

Why are SDG’s important to the industry?

A major example of legislation that has impacted the fashion industry are the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals, particularly the twelfth one, Responsible consumption and production. The goal aims to promote the creation of long term consumption patterns. This impacts the fashion industry as it is causing the industry to look at redesigning the supply chain in production, possibly looking at radical collaboration between sectors, to ensure that  clothes are made to last and have longevity in the cycle. By making fashion last for consumers, it can make the planet live. 

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals set by the UN

Bibliography 

Condenast.com. 2020. Conde Nast launches the Sustainable Fashion Glossary

https://www.condenast.com/news/conde-nast-launches-sustainable-fashion-glossary

(Accessed 4th October)

Denisova, A., 2021. Fashion Media and Sustainability: Encouraging Ethical Consumption via Journalism and Influencers. London: University of Westminster Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.16997/book50

(Accessed 5th October)

Moran, G. (2022) Drapers, Collaborating for Change: Sustainability Report 2022

(Accessed 5th October)

The state of fashion 2023: Holding onto growth as global clouds gather (2022) McKinsey & Company.

https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/retail/our-insights/state-of-fashion

(Accessed 5th October)

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Burberry logo

My favourite fashion brand: Burberry a British Classic

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 A bit of background into Burberry’s heritage…

It has been classic since its creation of the brand in 1856, making the brand 167 years old. The famous Burberry trench coat was created during WW1 for soldiers to hold equipment in but is now known as a fashion staple for outerwear with the Burberry check print being created in the 1920’s to be used as lining. Which since then has been made more famous with particular garments such as their scarves and skirts. They manufacture the trench coat in the UK in a factory in Castleford which they have been doing since 1972. The reason why Bond Street is so important to its heritage is because that is where they first opened a store in 2000. 

But what makes them exciting now? 

It has recently become one of my favourite brands to follow in fashion due to not only its timeless pieces such as the trench coat or the classic Burberry check print. But due to the brand’s new vision that is being created by Daniel Lee which has made the brand more exciting to look out for what they are doing next. How they are evolving. It seems as though by going back to basics and making something new from them, it has worked out tremendously in their favour over the two latest Fall and Spring collections shown at London fashion week with the shows being some of the most anticipated. Daniel Lee has re-envisioned classic pieces with colourful prints and faux fur which is a drastic change from their usual beige, black , red and white colour story. Making the future for the brand seem as bright and colourful as the collections on his recent catwalks. Additionally, they are refocusing on the brands heritage by changing the logo back to the equestrian one that was created in 1901 and having the motifs of roses as well as the focus on outerwear that the brand is known for.By using the equestrian logo it makes them more unique and helps them divert themselves from the simple logo they had during the 2010’s which made them look like every other luxury brand trying to adapt to the online world. Carving themselves a new identity for the 2020’s.

The Magic of marketing..

 A part of the reason my love for the brand has grown is due to their impressive marketing, by turning Bond Street in London into Burberry street changing the underground sign to for London Fashion week as well as at Normans cafe with their takeover. It has caused discussion around the brand globally and online. By using British talent such as Skepta, Rahem Sterling, Liberty Ross etc, it is reinforcing the brand’s pride within it being British. It seems as though consumers and fashion lovers alike are excited to see the brands next moves in future and where Daniel Lee’s new vision will take the brand. However, one thing it will always be is a British Classic.

Burberry Fall 2023 collection
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