London – Realism marketing. It is
a new advertising tool utilised by brands to connect with consumers who are
just like ‘them’ by engaging in authentic communication. It began with the
now infamous Dove ‘Campaign for Real Beauty’ back in 2004, where ads
featured real women rather than airbrushed models or celebrity
spokespersons.
Fashion has since caught up and is using authentic marketing techniques to
connect with consumers. These days, attainability and relatability to a
brand are key to resonating with a well-informed consumer and to ultimately
drive sales.
From plus-size fashion campaign, to showcasing different body shapes and
non-traditional model ambassadors, brands are creating more realistic and
attainable marketing content.
The trend has been gaining momentum over the past year, and is finally
impacting at mass market, emerging in bigger-budget campaign advertising.
Social media has been the driver of this type of content, with brand fans’
own posts and the influence of newer social platforms, such as Snapchat,
creating an environment that needs more real, and less perfect, content.
Brands are responding to this new desire for authentic content in
everything from the messaging used in-store and online through to the
models and influencers fronting campaigns.
Despite this newfound authenticity agenda, it is still a tough landscape
for fashion marketers to tackle. The biggest challenge is striking a
balance between keeping the messaging real and still selling aspiration.
Would you buy Louis Vuitton’s latest bag if it was modelled by your average
girl next door? Would it still be aspirational? Isn’t the styling and
just-out-of-reach feeling what spurs us to want to buy into a brand?
Especially a luxury brand?
Brand marketers tackle this in a number of ways. One of the most effective
is by starting a conversation with a brand’s online community and using a
common hashtag to track the dialogue.
This is a trend that is only going to grow, with more fashion brands making
the shift to a more real content approach in 2016.
When Dove launched its Real Beauty Campaign in 2004, it received both
praise and criticism. Praise for its realism and diversity, but criticised
for driving its sales, making it seem less authentic.
From a psychological viewpoint, numerous studies have shown that
adolescents look toward people they see in the media to define what their
own bodies should look like. The aversive impact is the more they compare
themselves, the more they strive to be thin thus the more they dislike
their own bodies. Many self-esteem initiatives have attempted to teach
adolescent girls to avoid comparisons with models because they are fake,
airbrushed, photo-shopped, and unhealthy.
The bottom line for any brand, however, is to raise awareness and increase
its sales. Just how many brands are concerned with the effect of their
messages despite their embracing of realism marketing, is something that is
difficult to gauge.
Some campaigns, like the recent Nike Better for It initiative launched last
April featured a web series depicting the inner thoughts and uncertainty
that go through women’s heads when exercising. With the campaign Nike aims
to encourage women to exercise for the sake of being #BetterForIt, rather
than for cosmetic reasons or societal pressures. A positive message even if
you should be wearing their latest exercise gear and trainers.