Is the honeymoon over?

The fashion industry has never been more present on social media, but the repeated controversies, the recent controversies and the disinterest of the younger generations for some of these platforms could reshuffle the cards. It is now up to these actors to find other channels to communicate with their community – and retain them. From podcasts to digital magazines, through television series and the metaverse, there are now many solutions to no longer depend only on social networks.

With millions, if not tens of millions, of followers on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, ready-to-wear brands have enjoyed for several years a visibility they had never enjoyed before. An advertising campaign, a new collection, a collaboration and even a fashion show can now generate millions of views in a very short time, and this without counting on the “friends” of these usually famous brands who, in one click, have the ability to multiply such views just as quickly. We saw this at the end of 2022 with a ‘simple’ Louis Vuitton campaign starring Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, whose photo broke the likes record on Instagram – around 70 million – becoming one of the most popular publications in the history of the app now owned by US-based Meta.

A profitable union

While the fashion industry succumbed to the lure of social media long before the Covid-19 pandemic, it must be recognized that the health crisis has greatly accelerated this budding romance. Forced to close the doors of their stores, but also to give up fashion shows and advertising campaigns, the players in the sector have found in Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and even TikTok a way to keep in touch with their community and, why not , to innovate to expand it. From Zara (57 million subscribers on Instagram) to Gucci (51 million followers) via Nike (280 million subscribers): all fashion segments enjoy extraordinary visibility today.

The gamble therefore proved successful for the entire sector, which was able to quickly transform its communication strategy to double the stakes. Just look at the front rows of the latest fashion shows to see that, with few exceptions, influencers have replaced the big names in the female and generalist press, and that these same ‘influence generators’ have very often replaced models and ambassadors to promote new products of the fashion giants. As a result, a historic fashion house like Lanvin gained more than 900,000 Instagram followers, the largest increase from last year, to reach 6 million followers, according to data released by performance marketing agency Landing Partners.

Uncontrollable social networks

But is the love story between fashion and social networks really made to last? Some indicators today seem to favor an affirmative answer… But other factors could ruin the honeymoon, starting with the disinterest of users for some platforms. For the first time in its history, Facebook lost users in the last quarter of 2021 – 4 million daily users between September and December 2021. A drop of water compared to the approximately 3 billion who remain active today, but that speaks volumes on the disinterest that the public is beginning to show for some of these apps. And this without counting the turbulence that has shaken Twitter since the arrival of Elon Musk at the helm of the American company. A fact that has led to the removal of Balenciaga, or even of the supermodel Gigi Hadid, from the social network of the blue bird.

It’s not all. Some fashion brands have also had to deal with controversies that have tarnished their image. One of the most recent cases concerns Balenciaga, which has generated a gigantic media outcry after having released an advertising campaign that showed children carrying or were surrounded by accessories with sexual connotations. In a few hours, floods of videos – and just as many criticisms – have poured in from all sides, TikTok in the lead, to denounce the photographic shots proposed by the luxury maison, to the point of pushing Kim Kardashian to question the continuation of her partnership with the brand. And she’s not the only one, as the Swedish giant H & M has had to deal with Justin Bieber’s anger after marketing a collection with his image. The singer, who would not approve of the products in question, according to him, compared them to “refuse” and “trash” in an Instagram story … Comments seen – at the very least – by his 280 million followers, who no doubt did not give the Scandinavian brand an advantage.

How to control your image in the age of social networks? This is the question brands now have to answer. The worst thing is that a move away from these platforms probably wouldn’t solve the problem: Balenciaga’s campaign would have caused a sensation regardless of the presence or absence of the brand on social networks. The idea now seems to be to reach a large audience by taking control of communication on all available channels and above all, if possible, those appreciated by the first target of fashion brands, the coveted Gen Z. We see it with the arrival of most of these players on TikTok, even if some don’t seem to be very active there, and the emergence of shorter formats entirely dedicated to the younger generation. And yet, even this doesn’t seem to be enough, prompting the fashion industry to (always) look for other means of communication.

A necessary omnichannel presence

Some brands have seen the tide turn well before the initial controversy. This is the case of the Lush brand in the beauty sector, released from social networks to protect the “mental health” of its followers, but also of the luxury fashion house Bottega Veneta, even if the latter has absolutely not broken the bond established with its community. Not content with having returned to more traditional communication, based on its products but also on its ethical commitments, the Veneto brand has also innovated with the founding of a digital newspaper, issue, which allowed him to control his own communication. And he’s not the only one looking for new solutions, given that the prêt-à-porter brand Don’t Call Me Jennyfer launched its immersive application at the beginning of the year, based on the concept of social networks, with content, promotions, cashback and of course the possibility to buy the products in just a few clicks. A personal and customized media. Here’s a concept that could inspire more than one brand in an era where consumers are looking for an increasingly personalized shopping experience.

More than a lack of love for social networks, it is the omnichannel presence that today seems to make fashion brands dream. Something that can attract all generations, but also all social strata. This is demonstrated by the return of traditional advertising campaigns, with testimonials from all walks of life, as well as the advent of podcasts structured around the history or socially engaged initiatives of the biggest luxury maisons, as well as the sustainability of product placements in TV series and in games. New technologies, in particular Web3 and artificial intelligence, are also a main road for these brands looking for visibility among the younger generations. It’s no wonder that fashion emerges as one of the industries that have ventured furthest into the metaverse, through the creation of virtual fashion collections, collaborations with industry giants such as South Korean Zepeto, and even a Fashion Week held in the metaverse itself .

And if artificial intelligence today is still in its infancy, we can still perceive the interest aroused by this technology through the chatbot, or conversational agent, ChatGPT. Significant new ground for an industry that seems to want to impose its omnipresence on the mass media, whatever they are… Provided, however, that we don’t lose control of it.