Social media has become an essential marketing tool for the fashion industry. Brands like Ann Taylor and Lululemon have seen increased sales after embracing social media to engage customers. They gather feedback on social media to improve products. While transparency on social platforms is a concern, most brands that have adopted social media have had positive results in revenues and customer connections. The future of fashion marketing will involve further embracing social media or risk being left behind.

1. Social Media
Marketing: The New
Fashion Trend By: Christina Witzel
Source: tokyofashion

2. Fashion and Retail brands make up 20% of the
top brands using social media as of 2011
Source: Pink Bow

3. Brands must ask themselves,
‘How has social media
permanently changed the
ways retailers are building
relationships and
marketing products to
their customers?’
Source: meurer

4. Ann Taylor saw a 16% increase in same-store sales for the
second quarter in 2010….Analysts pointing to the
company’s aggressive use of social media to attain new
customers Source: Philipp Klinger

5. “Online and social media are
playing an increasing role and
complementing our direct mail
outreach, advertising and PR efforts”
Kay Krill [CEO, Ann Taylor]
Source: Kent Chen

6. Lululemon has
made
communication
and dialogue via
social media a
central role in their
company
Source: lululemon athletica

7. Lululemon has adjusted
where pockets sit on
pants and placement of
waistbands on running
shorts based on online
customer feedback via
Twitter and Facebook
The company has 183,000+
Facebook fans and 40,000+
Twitter followers
Source: lululemon athletica

8. “We learn on
Facebook and
through social
media what our
guests are really
screaming for, and
we actually use
the feedback.”
Christine Daly
[CEO, Lululemon]
Source: janniswerner

9. Gilt Groupe, an online
sample sale site, uses social
media not for customer
acquisition, but to engage
with their passionate
community of customers
Source: Pink Sherbet Photography

10. Gilt sends out 428
million emails every
day, personalized based
on shopping patterns
Source: alexkess

11. Norma Kamali has added
QR codes to store
windows so when the store
is closed, viewers can scan
bar codes on their mobile
device and our taken to the
company’s website where
they can purchase the item

12. “Whether it’s Facebook,
Twitter, blogs or branded
editorial content, maintaining
a dialogue with fans and
consumers through
authentic and engaging
content is paramount in
achieving success within the
digital realm.” Rachel Strugatz
[Online Editor of Women’s
Wear Daily]
Source: Ima07j

13. By brands being more approachable
through social media, they have driven
customers to shop via social channels
Source: PinkBow

14. Connectivity: Brands
have embraced the
Facebook ‘Like’ button
after realizing that
consumers are more
comfortable relying on
friends opinions
Source: .reid.

15. Amazon.com allows
users to see their
Facebook friends’
favourite books, films and
other products

16. ChompOn.com
reported that each
Facebook ‘Like’ is
worth $8 to a brand
Source: PinkStock

18. Checking-in on Foursquare
allows users to see what
stores their friends have
visited, creating a feeling of
social cohesion
Source: nan palmero

19. In the fashion world social media is
more than just a marketing strategy, it
is a way of studying and
anticipating fashion behaviours
Source: Rain City Girl

20. “People fear what they
don’t understand, but
trust me, magazines,
designers and retailers are
getting to understand what
social media is faster than
they can say ‘that’s
fabulous’.” Joe Zee
[Creative Director, Elle
Magazine]
Source: Pink Sherbet Photography

21. Brands have humanized
themselves and are able to
connect with their
customers on a new and
very real level
Source: yushimoto_2

22. However, transparency and
lack of control of what is
being said on social media
platforms can be a worrisome
issue…
Source: Phillip Klinger

23. Luckily, most brands have
seen positive results in
revenues and customer
connections after
embracing social media
Source: Pink Sherbet Photography

24. “By letting the public behind the fashion influencer
curtain, stalwarts and luminaries have created and
connected to an entirely new media audience, and
capitalized on the 400 million Facebook users and
more than 22 million Twitter users.
Social media, it
seems, has
become the
hottest trend
since skinny
jeans and
stiletto heels ”
Hibtha Prabhakar
[Style File Group]
Source: Flor de Maria

25. What will the future hold
for fashion and social
media marketing- embrace
it or get left behind?
Source: Phillip Klinger

26. “Ignoring the Internet and social media is madness.”
Diane Von Furstenberg
Source: dw*c

27. Credits
All images are Creative Commons Licensed
Works Cited:
How the fashion industry is embracing social media
http://mashable.com/2010/02/13/fashion-industry-social-media/
The use of social media in the fashion industry
http://www.vedainformatics.com/blogs/use-of-social-media-in-fashion-
industry/
Social Media is Fashion’s Newest Muse
http://www.forbes.com/2010/09/07/fashion-social-networking-customer-
feedback-forbes-woman-style-designers.html
Fashion Forward: New York brands take on social media
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504943_162-20061033-10391715.html
Social Media: In and Out of Fashion
http://blog.ogilvypr.com/2011/04/social-media-in-and-out-of-fashion/
New York Brands with Stellar Social Media Tactics
http://fashionablymarketing.me/2011/05/fashion-brands-social-media-
tactics/
Twitter: christina_mw http://flavors.me/cwitzel
Source: Pink Sherbet
Photography