In the fashion industry, the field of Communication & Marketing is still relatively new in Vietnam. There are many of you who are interested and want to learn more about this aspect. In previous articles, I have shared about the subjects of Fashion Communication & Marketing as well as the popular psychology of Fashion students (but in the field of design).
So are people curious about the psychology of Fashion Marketing students? Let’s discover it together!
1. Being overloaded with information during the research process.
In the article about the subjects of Fashion Marketing, I once shared that research skills are the core skills you need to learn. In order to understand the fashion market, trends, styles, and strategize to promote the brand, we need to consult a lot of information sources and sometimes we will feel overwhelmed. Among many different news sites, we need to distinguish and select the most important details for documentation.
Especially, when I plan to market social networks like Facebook,Instagram or Pinterest, I spend a lot of time researching the unique characteristics of each platform and how to convey the fashion language. with them. Depending on the brand's personality, there are platforms that are only suitable for editorial photos, while others are suitable for commercial lookbook - products photos. In addition, you also need to understand marketing models such as 4P, 4C, AIDA, SOSTAC, Brand Onion,...and apply them to the fashion field.
You need to capture information about large and small domestic and foreign brands, not only in terms of artistic expression but also look deeply into their marketing resources and methods of producing images and content. That's why brand reports over 100 pages are part of our lives. I myself am a meticulous person in each job, which makes my research process a feat, requiring a lot of time and sometimes in a state of spinning between too many data streams.
2. Being self conscious about our communication skills
This is a mindset that occurs to me quite frequently after some experience with doing teamwork and from myself. Everyone will wonder, why learn marketing and yet still be insecure about our communication skills?
Just like design students, if you've ever been self-conscious about your ability to draw, we also have our own worries. We are self-deprecating in our ability to communicate in writing (write content, write plans) and communicate with partners (contact influencers, KOLs, press...). We are afraid that we cannot convey the messages and values of the brand, nor display the professionalism when working with celebs, celebrities…
Above all, the communication here needs to be highly specialized in fashion. Even when making an influencer marketing strategy, you also need a certain understanding of the person's personal style and their connection to the fashion brand. Therefore, we often feel self-conscious about communication in this industry when there is not enough research on the fashion aspect.
The visual segment also contributes to the visual communication. Skills in handling layout, graphics and making videos need to be able to pander to the tastes and feelings of viewers. I have learned this from many fashion magazines, books, and photos…
It can be said that communication in this field is not necessarily your ability to talk and respond to others. It is your expression in every aspect of every job, just as the name implies: Communication & Fashion Marketing - you always communicate.
3. Lacking ideas for written content specializing in fashion.
Doing fashion marketing means creating content ideas for brand promotion campaigns. For those campaigns to be successful and attract a large number of customers, your content and words need to be crystal clear in order to resonate with your audience. Fashion thinking and professional language are the factors that determine the effectiveness of this work.
In the process of writing content, I used to feel stuck for ideas many times and had difficulty in quoting and communicating. How to read a certain content, they feel the fashion immediately? How to describe a design/collection with subtle, expressive language while remaining neutral? Besides, I also need to improve my vocabulary about styles, fashion trends, details on clothes, shapes, sewing techniques and customer appearance.
I have a background in professional writing, which is also an advantage for jobs that need it. However, literature is very different from the written style in the fashion industry and each brand has different ways of making content. The most typical example is the way I create a campaign at a fashion design brand will be different from the way I write in the entertainment - fashion column and even more with the writing style of a fashion blogger. As a marketing specialist, you can hold many different positions at the same time, which requires high flexibility in information processing.
However, don't worry too much, I think this is the common mentality of all content creators no matter what field they are in. Just keep writing, writing and writing. The first time doesn’t have to be perfect, you will gradually improve in the next articles. It's not that you don't have the ability, if you can't write, you won't choose to go in this direction! Believe in yourself, stick to the path you choose, and remember that everyone needs to get used to different styles of writing.
4. Always find a way to seize the fashion market.
One of the concerns of Marketing students is how to gain market knowledge in their field. Until you really understand the psychology of customers, the product segment of the place you are working, you will not be able to do effective communication.
Same goes for fashion, that's why we need to learn about trend forecasting, market research, and brand reports at school. Before, I used to feel self-deprecating because my knowledge of the market was inadequate. I don't know much about domestic and foreign fashion brands, don't know much about designers and even fashion trends and styles. To improve this, I have always studied very deeply and extensively in each assigned assignment and found more books to read myself.
Up to now, I can only admit that I know more than before, and yet not enough. The market is always changing, especially in an industry as dynamic and colorful as fashion, there are many people who are far more resourceful than me. One of the reasons I love journalism is because it gives me the opportunity to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and news in my area of interest. That's the gap that I've been missing for a long time. My job as a journalist has made me find all sorts of ways, dig deep into each online source to have a topic to write about. I also watch and learn from people in the Entertainment Department in general, not only in the fashion field that I am working on.
5. Face the competition in the fashion market.
The fashion industry is inherently competitive, if design students are always worried about creativity and ideas to create unique outfits, fashion marketing students are equally stressed about the race. The race here is not about following the trends or the "fevers" of the times, but how we change the direction of communication so that it attracts customers and makes a mark for the whole brand, not only in terms of fashion but also many other values.
With the development of technology and social networking platforms, more and more young fashion brands are emerging with impressive marketing and imaging ways. Our challenge was to find a place for the fashion business in the dialogue between the client and the collection concept. It also helps customers to accept concept art authentically, creating great opportunities to increase brand loyalty.
Sometimes there will be similarities between the fashion collections of different brands. However, to stand out and assert our own worth, this depends on how we communicate and build campaigns to spread that message. If your marketing is not effective, you will not leave an impression in the hearts of customers no matter how amazing your design is. Because out there, there are still many other more gorgeous, more attractive options for them.
6. Difficulties in coming up with Marketing strategies.
To create a marketing strategy for a fashion brand, or a campaign to promote a fashion show/event, you need to have an overview of all aspects of that brand/program. Surely the phrase "Marketing plan" makes communication students feel familiar. Like many other fields, the fashion industry also needs to apply Marketing - Branding models such as 4P, 4C, AIDA, SMART , SOSTAC, Brand Onion… The difference here is that the element of art and fashion expertise is pushed to the forefront.
Today, fashion is no longer merely a commercial product. The consumer behavior of the fashion industry does not stop at buying and selling. Fashion is also an expression of lifestyle, an artistic language and an invisible communication between people. Through social media platforms and online channels, marketers need to convey a unified message of images and content to connect collections with customers and their spiritual lives.
Contemporary designers are always looking for ways to infuse messages, cultural values and personal stories into each suit. How do customers get in tune with the designer/brand, how can they feel happy and want to keep that outfit for a long time (slow fashion orientation)? This depends on how well we strategize.