The new trends in fashion marketing for 2021

After having spent an atypical 2020, the fashion marketing industry has had to adapt to new changes. generated by COVID. Global profit fell 93% due to confinement and the closure of physical stores. This concluded with the diagnosis that the retail sector most affected last year was the fashion industry. Due to this situation, companies in the sector have had to adapt to this crisis and carry out an accelerated digital transformation.

 

” In March 2020, 88% of companies asked their employees to work from home. ” 

 

Based on this data, we analyze the evolution of the fashion marketing sector: its consumers, trends and which have been the most significant changes. 

 

Changes in consumer behavior

 

1. The impact of teleworking on brands

 

The main reason why the consumer lost interest in buying clothes, shoes and accessories during confinement was because of the time we spent at home. Being locked up, made us wear comfortable clothes and be at home. The uncertainty of not knowing when we could go out made me not want to buy new clothes. 

 

2. From impulse purchases to planned purchases

 

On the other hand, those addicted to fashion continued to fill the closets thanks to online shopping. These have gone on to carry out a more rational purchase , due to the increase in unemployment and decreasing income. In the fashion industry, emotions have always played a fundamental role, buyers now review their priorities thinking ” Do I really need this? ” And, consequently, reduce their non-essential expenses.

 

3. Marketing professionals cutting costs

Due to the uncertainty experienced by companies and the concern of buyers with their expenses, marketers in the fashion industry have also had to adapt their consumption habits and adjust budgets .   In the first 6 months of 2020, marketing spending fell 43% in the United States and Europe. 

 

 

3 marketing trends to apply in your fashion sector in 2021

 

1. Digitization

 

The numbers are not deceiving. According to research by Euromonitor International , the international e-commerce represents 28% of sales of clothing and footwear from around the world. 

 

In the UK, only the percentage of customers who bought online between 2019 and 2020 increased from 41% to 86% . This fact underscores the need for fashion retailers to digitize their long-term business model in order to reach their customers’ location – online.

 

 

2. Artificial Intelligence to personify

 

Mass marketing is a thing of the past. Providing a personalized experience to online shoppers is the current main goal. Grab their attention and convert them. How? Use technology and artificial intelligence to adapt them to the message, provide offers and content for customers in person.

 

An example is chatbots . They can ask customers important questions about their tastes. It will allow them to collect data to a large extent

You will get a lot of interesting information about their preferences and consumption habits. This will help your business to suggest products , encourage cross-selling and accelerate the indecision of whether to buy or not.

 

3. Sustainability on the agenda 

The fashion industry generates 10% of the world’s carbon emissions. In recent years, it is no surprise. The term “sustainable fashion” has received attention and force.

Today, ” fast fashion ” enthusiasts have the opportunity to make more responsible purchases by launching more sustainable collections, such as Zara’s “Join Life” or H & M’s “Conscious” route.

One of the fastest growing trends in the last decade is recommerce . Especially young people. They have become addicted to the circular economy . Giving a new life to your clothes is the new fashion.

 

7 tips to make a difference with the online competition

 

Despite the increase in the number of online users this represents an excellent opportunity for new customers. This also means that more efforts must be made to stand out in the market and stand out from the competition more and more. Getting to capture the attention of your customers and offer a perfect shopping experience in your online store is not easy. For this reason, investing time and money in technology and channels is essential. What is necessary is marketing that generates impressions, clicks and of course, conversion.

 

1. Take care of your online store 

 

Fashion is synonymous with aesthetics! Your home page should attract attention from the first moment because it is the first thing that users will see. Advertise the products in the most attractive way possible. Use photos from different angles, close-ups, and short video clips with models. This will make it easier for shoppers to imagine what one of your t-shirts would look like or what your brand bag would look like.

 

2. Use the content offered by users

Your future buyers can be the best ambassadors for your brand. Let them play an important role in your strategy. Ask them what they think of your clothes and show their opinion on the web, ask them to tag your brand when they upload photos with the clothes When they publish photos. In other words: let customers be the ones promoting your brand .

 

3. Make your returns flexible and transparent

Obviously, no one wants to have to return what they have bought, but in these cases it is essential to provide a clear and free return policy. This can make a difference.

According to Web Retailer , the 88% of consumers surveyed said the free returns are important or very important when purchasing their determination. 

Paybacks can help your business save money, but they can lose customers.

 

4. Offer a responsive website

 

How many times have you bought from your mobile device? Your website must be adaptable to any type of screen. Specially designed for mobiles. This will improve your appearance on devices of different sizes and will significantly increase your stay on the web and will also improve your search engine ranking. In 2020, 40% of users did their searches from a smartphone. These are more than enough reasons to create optimized shopping experiences from mobile devices. 

 

5. Diversified online sales channels

 

Once you’ve optimized your online store, it’s time to consider how to gain visibility and drive traffic to your website. There are hundreds of opportunities for fashion retailers. No matter what your goal is, you will be able to increase your exposure. With the knowledge of your brand or increase conversions. Sell ​​the products on marketplaces. They are a good way to benefit from their current popularity. However, this is not the only way to achieve greater visualization. Display ads , retargeting, price comparators , Shopping ads … You must find the channel that suits your goal.

 

6. Count on social media as a strategy

You can’t turn your back on social media! And less as a clothing brand and if you are targeting a young audience. The 67% of young people aged 18-24 and 60% of users aged 25-34 use Instagram to the least once a day according to the global survey of Ipsos. 

 

Users are increasingly inspired by what they see on social media. Creating engaging content will help improve your paid ads on Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest, or TikTok. Do you have some savings? Also consider collaborating with influencers and they just defend and represent your brand. And finally! Do not forget that having a large number of followers is synonymous with visibility. Quality often comes before quantity. 

 

7. Automation of your marketing

 

And lastly, without forgetting its importance, marketing automation. In this 2021 it will be what provides efficiency and productivity. You must use marketing automation tools. 91% of marketers confirm that marketing automation is critical to your overall brand marketing success. 

 

The fashion industry is essential to use email marketing. It will serve both to convert new customers and to retain existing ones. Thanks to automation, you will create reminders that warn of price drops, configure the abandonment of shopping carts and send notifications when a product is replaced on the web. 

 

Do you need help for your online fashion store? 

 

If you are looking to digitize your fashion business, at Bryte Communication we will give the essence that your business needs while adapting to new trends in fashion marketing.