Fashion brand identity for fashion businesses and clothing lines is essential for a strong and stable business. You need to build identity, core values and a reason for building your brand
1 Comment on FASHION BRANDS ARE UNNECESSARY…IDENTITY IS ESSENTIAL

All fashion brands are completely frivolous. They’re pointless and unnecessary. So why do people buy clothes from them?

If you want to make sure you are essential to your customers, then read on.

In this post I’m going to explain why you’re fashion brand is unnecessary. Why that doesn’t affect your sales and potential to grow a fashion brand [if you have a strong Brand Identity]. And finally, how to make sure that you’re not frivolous to your customers and out of business,

Which means you’ll discover how to gain more sales and improve brand loyalty

Clothing, of any type has one main function. To cover the body. Whether that’s for some kind of specialist sport, extreme weather, or just your every day decency. A T-shirt from Gucci doesn’t do a better job of covering up your body than a T-shirt from Walmart. They both have the ability to do the job they were designed to do.

Think back to the caveman era. Big brands didn’t exist. People didn’t feel inadequate because they weren’t properly dressed. No natural disasters happened because there wasn’t fashion week and no one was disappointed or was slapped because they couldn’t get THAT pair of shoes from Manolo Blahnik in the sale…. So why now do brands, of any size think that people will buy their Black T-Shirt or even care? What makes people need something that actually, they don’t?

LOYALTY TO A BRAND

The answer is a simple one when you look at it on paper, but can be more difficult to achieve in real life. Simply, it’s Brand Identity.

People don’t buy your T-shirt because it’s a T-shirt. No, they buy YOUR T-shirt because it was made by your brand and because they agree with everything your brand stands for. They connect emotionally and aesthetically with you because they understand what you represent and want to be part of it.

Your Brand Identity is something that defines your morals and your Point of View as a brand. It shows people what you stand for. Not the products you sell or the services you offer. The Brand itself.

raquel welch one million years bc

If your Identity as a fashion brand is clear, then people will understand it straight away. They’ll either hate it and never come back again or love it and be customers for life.

The haters are people you shouldn’t worry about. There is no point wasting time on trying to convince them you are amazing. They are not your core customer and will never be loyal to you.

However, the people that love you should be treated like family. They will spread your message far and wide. They will follow you on social media. Tell anyone that will listen. Show off your designs to their friends. Turn up to your events and kill anyone [metaphorically speaking] who gets in the way of that new handbag or coat. These are the people who keep your business running and your brand in the public eye.

If you are developing a fashion brand, or have one, you have to accept the fact that you are frivolous. Nobody NEEDS what you have to sell. But just because your fashion brand or designs are unnecessary, doesn’t mean they are unwanted. If your loyal fans are happy then your sales will continue and your brand will grow.

EASY TO SAY AND HARD TO ACHIEVE….

Yes, it’s seems easy doesn’t it. But how exactly do you achieve a loyal family of customer and evangelists for your brand? How do you make sure that you’re not frivolous to your customers and out of business?

First you need to understand what exactly you are trying to achieve. Loyalty yes, but what does that mean?

Visitors to your website, or store, want to be wowed. They want a brand that they can be proud to wear and show off. To do that, you need to have a strong point of view that they can agree with. This comes down to your Brand Identity.

Your Brand Identity tells people who and what you are. It has 2 parts. Your Core Values and your USP.

Both can be a little vague to describe, because they are so personal to each brand, but they cover 3 areas.

Environment, customer service, price, intentions etc. And some brands will place more effort and emphasis on certain areas, depending on what they believe. There are 3 different areas to think about:

  • Your characteristics and features: Including your brand aim; morals; beliefs; intentions;
  • Product attributes: Including, style design; price; durability; quality; reliability
  • Service and brand experience: Basically how you will treat your staff and customers and how well you serve them.

On top of this, you need what is called a USP [ Unique Selling Point or Proposition ]. A USP can represent different things, depending on what part of a business you are talking about, but in this case, it basically means “the thing” that makes you different from all of your competitors. In terms of fashion and Brand Identity, this is your point of difference that will make customers come to you, over the competition and allows you to stand out from the crowd. This really, can be anything. Events you hold, information you provide, even just the personality of the brand, like sarcasm or silly marketing.

Your USP makes your customers align with your brand on a personal and emotional level. This is the part that makes sure a customer trusts and understands what you do and who you are and should never be underestimated.

BUILDING YOUR FASHION BRAND IDENTITY

If you’re a new brand or in the process of building one, chances are that you haven’t really considered putting a Brand Identity together, although you’ve probably thought about each part and told people these things before.

So take a minute to look at the following headings and write down what you believe. Remember this is for your BRAND not your products and don’t just say things that you think people want to hear, only put what you truly believe. Your customers will through a lie or a false promise instantly.

 Brand Identity is essential for Fashion Brands

YOUR CHARACTERISTICS AND FEATURES

  • What is the aim of your brand?
  • Do you have any strong morals/beliefs that are core to your brand?

PRODUCT ATTRIBUTES

  • What are the key elements of your products and design?
  • What will you never compromise on?

SERVICE AND BRAND EXPERIENCE

  • How do you want your customers to feel when they shop with you?
  • Are there parts of the service you provide that are important to your brand?
  • Are there things that your staff will do to create that same experience for your customers?

USP

Once you’ve jotted down some thoughts, now think about your USP. Jot down some ideas on:

  • What makes your fashion brand stands out from your competition? What value do you offer that is unique?
  • How can it be clearly recognised by your customer?
  • What is it about your brand that your customer can align with and trust?
  • What makes them connect to you on an emotional and personal level?
  • If your brand was a person, what personality would it have?

CLEAR AS A BELL….

Now that you have some ideas, you need to make your Brand Identity clear. This means that when people come to you, they know who you are and what you do. The haters will look and leave and your ‘family’ will go searching through with excitement.

Can you write your notes down in a clear and concise way? Don’t waffle, get straight to the point.

When you have your Brand Identity notes, you need to ask yourself if it is reflected in everything you do. So for example….Do you need to write additional pages to explain events or charity work? Do you need to change up your Brand Design colours to reflect simplicity or fun? Do the adverts, videos or marketing you create, reflect your Brand’s personality?

This is the key part of keeping your fashion brand essential to your customers. If it’s clear who you are then your family will stand by you for as long as you stand by them.

If you want more information on building your fashion brand, including some more tips on Brand Identity, then join our weekly Brand Building Email Family by clicking the image below

Fashion services and products to help you start a fashion brand or create a collection

FINALLY….

So in this post we’ve covered:

  • Why brands are frivolous and unnecessary.
  • Why people buy and have loyalty to a brand.
  • What your Brand Identity is and how to create one and,
  • How to make sure it’s clear in everything you do.

Now I want you to take action and actually build a fashion Brand Identity. So finally, move onto the action steps.

 

[wc_fa icon=”cogs” margin_left=”” margin_right=””] Action Steps:

  • To make sure you take action and do it now, I want to know what your Brand Identity is. When you’ve written it and made it clear, post it in the comments below.

Images

Raquel Welch – One Million Years BC [Film]

One thought on “FASHION BRANDS ARE UNNECESSARY…IDENTITY IS ESSENTIAL”

  1. Brand Identity: Clothing that assists people who are undergoing medical conditions. We are a company that has a sense of humor, but serves a purpose in providing functional clothing that enables the customer to easily manage their medical device(s). As a family of surgeons, we have been in the business of patient care for over 35 years, so we have a strong connection to our customer base. We have had a surgical focus on how the openings and pockets function, and will never compromise on the functionality of our garments.

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