With all of the trends, changes in styles, and styles changing weekly, it can be hard for a brand to stand out. Fashion is often seen as a means of self-expression. However, with the rise of the smartphone and numerous social media sites, fashion has become a tool for the consumer to show off their status and wealth. How does this affect the fashion industry in the digital age? This blog will discuss how a brand can differentiate itself and how we can adapt to the changes in the industry.

Retailers must adapt when the product is the marketing.

Retailers and brands alike are now recognizing that their dot.com presence is more than just a store; it's a place where product-related conversations forge connections among various expression points. Successful retailers are aware of the interdependence and equal importance of the product and shopping experience in fostering customer loyalty. We are officially and essentially in the service industry, far beyond our retail sales representatives and call center agents, and we should strategize as such by adhering to some basic strategic precepts.

Embrace Social Media

For clients who are interested in fashion, one's image depends on the social proof that they are leading the lifestyle. I just received the following statement from a stylish restaurant server: "I never want to be seen wearing the same outfit twice on my social posts." Fast fashion is a supply-chain concept pioneered by Zara, which demonstrated that a product can go from concept to showroom in 14 days for half the price of a "brand name" garment. The desire to be original, trendy, and first reflects a multi-billion dollar sentiment driving production models toward fast fashion. The Zara model is even more relevant because it can quickly optimize its selection while still outperforming its main competitors in terms of profitability by four times.
Although the traditional fashion runway will always exist, garment businesses must now present a seamless immersive tale in real-time in the internet age. Consider YouTube as the new fashion institute, Instagram as the ever-evolving hero shot of popular culture, and Pinterest as the new lookbook. Emojis used for live streaming is making Facebook Live the new runway for capturing audience reaction. Most recently, Amazon unveiled "Echo Look," a feature that gives Alexa, its popular personal shopper, the ability to analyze what we are wearing right now and suggest alternative outfits. Additionally, it can store short stories available on the move and record what you wear.

Market With Authenticity

In recent years, influencer-based marketing has become increasingly popular (through social media platforms like Instagram), adding a layer of user-generated content and authenticity to the brand. However, in recent times, overuse of this tactic (and an increase in cost) has led to many marketers targeting audiences with a more targeted micro-influencer approach across a larger number of influencers with a smaller base of followers (e.g., 10,000 to 100,000). Additionally, brands are including their campaigns by fusing fine art and candid street photography. For instance, Alexander Wang equipped its model team with cameras to prepare the social media for the brand's recent debut as well as the music and famous model video mashups. Although a large portion of its programming is still "manufactured," the time was ideal since it gave it a chance to counteract the consumer apathy caused by canned photography.

Merge Physical and Digital

The online and offline worlds must be integrated to compete in the digital age. Consider the Click & Try service offered by Harvey Nichols, which enables customers to reserve things online for pickup along with supplementary items that a sales associate adds to the cart. This tactic offers bonuses that are only available through digital platforms to encourage offline, in-store traffic. The banana republic, Macy's, and Nordstrom are three companies that have done the same and now allow customers to make online reservations for things to be picked up in-store. In the modern world, people make reservations at numerous restaurants and select the outfit they wish to buy after ringing up a few alternatives at the store. Sample-based shopping is here to stay, thanks to Warby Parker, Sephora, and creative shoppers.
Everlane chose to put human people on the other end of the Facebook Messenger call early on, whereas many businesses are experimenting with using bots to facilitate purchases. A store representative can directly add an item to a customer's online shopping basket via a Messenger discussion, tying the messaging service and online purchasing together. The fact that Amazon Alexa was the center of attention at this year's CES demonstrated how receptive people are to the most frictionless interaction possible with technology when using their natural voice. Over the following ten years, conversational commerce should become the top design priority for both new systems and system updates, helping to usher in the next paradigm change much like mobile and social did before it.

Company Strategy with Developing Technology

Create a vision for fusing company strategy with developing technology as the world economy becomes more interconnected. Watch what succeeds and what fails, as well as who is advancing and why. The strategies may change, but the brands that made significant bets on a customer-centric approach will always come out on top in the long run. In the end, your runway will continue into a sustainable growth company, which would give many merchants the boost they need right now.

Conclusion

Fashion in the Digital Age is a hot topic. With so many ways to shop and connect with brands, how can brands stand out? We hope that this article gives you some ideas to try for your business. We know the fashion industry can be tricky.