I recently wrote a post about marketing as a personal trainer, because many of those who contacted me for a free review of their site also asked about various industries.
In the past 2–3 weeks, several clothing shops – especially brands – have signed up. Since I have a strong passion for fashion myself, I’ve been really looking forward to writing this post!
Let’s get started.
First, I want to say that this post is primarily written for you who have started a new brand – maybe you’ve opened a physical store and now want to sell more of your cool, newly designed clothes.
What do you do?
Webshop
Today, almost anyone can start a website.
It’s become incredibly simple thanks to all the new software platforms on the market that make it easier than ever.
The two largest platforms are Shopify and WordPress (WooCommerce).
I don’t have a strong preference, but after seeing Sorry Mom and Etaldesign switch from WordPress to Shopify, I’m increasingly leaning toward Shopify. It’s a great system and highly scalable.
How to start a webshop from scratch
“But I’m not a web designer,” you might think…
You don’t need to be. The great thing about WordPress and Shopify is that they are open systems, allowing everyone to make improvements, add features and much more.
There’s also a ton of YouTube tutorials to help you!
Start by finding the right theme:
I always go for a theme that has sold well. “But doesn’t that mean it’ll look like everyone else’s?”
No – you can always tweak and redesign it.
The reason I always choose a theme (unless you run a large company) is that they’re updated regularly. If they aren’t, you may run into problems when Shopify or WordPress updates their systems and your theme doesn’t get updated accordingly – in that case, you’ll need a developer, which can be expensive.
I designed Firtal.com this way.
As your company grows, you can outsource design and development to platforms like Upwork or 99designs.com.
I’m definitely not the one running the webshop for Firtal at the scale we’re at now – we use Magento and have a skilled tech team handling complex programming.
Values & brand awareness
A new clothing brand has one – and only one – chance to get branding and values right from the start.
Let me give you an example…
Have you ever seen Louis Vuitton put their products on sale in their stores?
It never happens.
The first time you discount your product, it plants an idea in people’s minds – the more often you do it, the more it sticks. And that’s the worst kind of brand perception unless you’re aiming for volume.
“It’ll probably go on sale…”
As the internet has exploded with stores selling clothing, so have the sale seasons.
It’s no longer just winter sales – platforms like Boozt.com, Zalando.com, and Asos.com run discounts so often they’ve made me incredibly price-conscious.
Personal story
I used to be a huge fan of a certain brand (I won’t name it for obvious reasons).
I didn’t mind paying 5,000 DKK for a leather jacket and spent quite a bit of money with them over the years.
Then one day, their brand value dropped for me because sites like Zalando, Boozt.com, Stayhard.dk, and others started discounting their products. Now, I wait for the 9–10 annual sales. Fifty percent off 5,000 DKK…
What could they have done instead?
- Prevented Zalando and others from offering the same prices across Europe
- Created a membership club offering benefits (pleasure) for paying full price
- Produced fewer variants so products wouldn’t be dumped at 60–70% off
- Rewarded loyal customers with a cumulative discount system
I still buy the brand – just only when it’s on sale. Since then, I’ve found other brands where I don’t feel cheated paying full price.
So – what values do you associate with your brand?
Starting off the right way is essential.
- How should your products be presented?
- Do the values you convey online match the product quality?
- What’s realistic?
I’m not saying you can’t ever put your products on sale.
If you’re a brand-new business, it can be hard to sell all your inventory in the first season. But there’s a big difference in how you put things on sale.
Example 1
Example 2
Can you spot the difference?
“Online specials” or “winter sale” gives the customer a sense of saving money. “Clearance – everything must go” screams cheap leftovers (bluntly speaking).
Also remember that colors have a huge psychological effect! If “everything must go” in bright yellow reminds you of discount supermarkets like Netto, you’re not alone. These comparisons happen subconsciously.
Once you start discounting your brand at 20–40–60%, the path usually leads to even steeper discounts and lower margins.
High-end retailers will also begin to question if they want to carry your brand once you become a “discount brand” chasing volume.
There’s nothing wrong with going that route – but be clear on your segment and business model.
Social media
Social media is the best place in the world to define a brand’s value. It requires patience and attention to detail.
I’ve worked with many companies where social media is just something the intern handles when there’s time – this does not work if you want to build a strong brand. Nor does it leave enough time to create great content!
The easiest current example is Daniel Wellington – their reach and financials have exceeded all expectations, selling over a billion DKK annually.
Their brand was almost entirely built on social media – outselling legacy brands that have been around for decades.
What successful social brands have in common: They never compromise on what they share or the values they communicate.
Example from Et Al Design on Instagram
Their photos clearly aren’t taken in five minutes – and it makes a huge difference for the brand.
Imagine how quickly Et Al’s products would be perceived as low quality if the photos were taken in a dusty factory with poor lighting?
It sounds harsh, but browse a few fashion brands on social media – you’ll be surprised how many send the wrong message with bad photos.
Pain / Pleasure
A concept I care deeply about is pain vs. pleasure.
Do you give people the feeling that they must have your product before it’s gone? Or is your “why” too vague?
With today’s tools, you must stand out – doing what everyone else does just isn’t enough anymore.
I was lucky to get my hands on a pair of Adidas x Kanye West Yeezys – shoes people would give their pinky for. I resold them for five times the original price.
Adidas Yeezy
They look like regular sneakers – just with excellent branding.
You may not know Kanye West or have a celebrity wearing your shoes.
But you can embed those same values into your brand. Release only a few pieces per product.
Check out Christian Benner on Instagram – he makes one of each model and charges a premium for his work.
In other words: Let your passion for the product shine through.
How can a product be given value?
I’ve learned a lot about clothing production from a close friend named Asbjørn.
The fashion industry is brutally competitive – so value must be built in from the production stage.
What makes your brand unique?
- Is it made in a special way?
- Special fabric?
- Unique story?
- Family heritage?
- A creative way to use the product?
Make sure those values are communicated.
I once spoke with Jannik Olander about his brand Nialaya. Jannik has a unique ability to tell a story through his brand.
Something as simple as jewelry? His storytelling about travels in India and the spiritual meaning of the pieces adds tremendous value.
Of course, don’t lie – but if you can combine authenticity with passion, you have a real shot.
Smaller brands also have the freedom to avoid pushing products to many resellers – if resellers don’t sell, you may have to take products back and discount them. But if you build a strong online brand, resellers will come to you.
Advertising
There are endless ways to advertise your brand on social media – especially if you have a webshop since you can track everything using Google Analytics.
The key point with online branding is that you can reach the entire world at once – so think globally!
Physical store
I’ve previously written a longer post on how to market a local shop – these tips also apply to fashion stores.
Still, here are a few key suggestions:
- Register on Google Maps. This helps customers find your store and get directions easily when searching for your brand or local shops.
- Optimize a subpage on your site dedicated to your physical location. Include photos, opening hours, and create a separate Facebook page just for the store. This lets you promote local offers without disturbing your overall brand followers.
- Host local events. Combine branding with great videos of new launches and fun store events. These create synergy with your brand. You can promote such events on Facebook.
- Use Facebook’s local ads. They let you target people walking past your store, living nearby, or who’ve visited before. I’ll be writing a post about this soon – but that’s no excuse not to check it out already!
The future
I’m neither a fashion designer nor an industry insider, but I believe the industry is facing its biggest challenge yet. Designers are leaving the field because it’s become an industry of copycats – which is why I think social-first brands will explode in the future.
The pressure to bring clothing to market faster is increasing, which creates stress and reduces the time available to create something great through passion.
People who are truly passionate about fashion won’t settle for copying others.
So the question is: Will your brand follow the trend – or set it?
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