Understanding Your Market Landscape
Thereâs that moment in every project where you step back, stare at your half-finished moodboard and think, âIs this different. Or does it look like every other rack at Zara. â Itâs normal to get stuck there.
A lot of fashion businesses do. So before you panic and start tearing up your creative work, try zooming out and taking a look at the rest of the market. Who else is occasionally making what youâre making.
What are they doing differently. How can you do it better. I hate to be the one breaking it to you, but while there is enough space for everyone in the industry, not everyone is going to get the attention theyâre after. Youâve got to make sure your audience doesnât just notice you but also chooses to support your work.
For that to happen, knowing who else is doing similar things and what sets them apart from others can help you identify gaps in their processes or product range that leave their customers wanting more. And since many younger audiences tend to prefer shopping from indie brands for their uniquely designed pieces that canât be found anywhere else, this could be a great spot for a new brand. Another important thing to consider here is how much they sell their items for.
Thereâs no point making beautiful clothes if theyâre all so expensive only 5 people in the world will buy them. Unless thatâs who your target audience is but even then- Iâd say have something affordable on hand too. If you were like me when I first started, money matters wouldnât have been given much thought but once I realised how valuable it was as a tool of communication, I completely changed my mind about how price points determine both perceived value and desired positioning.
So donât knock it till you try it; spending some time learning about your competitorsâ prices may actually help improve yours too.
Identifying Unique Selling Propositions
I was interviewing this one brand who were very clear about what they stood for. They told me their unique selling proposition was sustainability and I had to break it to them that sustainability isnât a USP - itâs the need of the hour. Itâs a nice-to-have, sure, but customers arenât making purchasing decisions for fashion solely because itâs sustainable. When competition is possibly so rife in the industry, having just one strong aspect may not be enough to stand out.
A brand has to have something that makes them different in the eyes of a consumer. Is it your streamlined aesthetic that helps aspirational women buy quality on a budget.
Is it your classic pieces that help mums style up without trying too hard. Is it your branding and voice that speaks to misunderstood teenagers. Is it your streetwear that helps people embrace intersectional feminism.
You have to identify which aspect of your brand - no matter how large or small - you can sell as a unique proposition in the market. The key is to focus on what you are offering as a whole rather than just one thing. Even if your personal style changes with time, you should focus on continuing to provide this singular value through your brand. The way you want people to see and use your products needs to be built upon whatever sets you apart from the rest of the crowd.
If youâre having trouble identifying what makes you unique, think back to why you started the brand in the first place. This is usually where most USPs reside for slow fashion brands as people tend to start a business when they see something wrong with existing alternatives.
Leveraging Customer Insights for Differentiation
People who donât know fashion will never understand how personal it can be. Those who do, get how every shopper brings their own meaning to the fashion they pick. If youâre a seasoned retailer or business owner, you probably already know that you have to really âgetâ your audience. This could mean running a survey or focus group, or going over metrics and data to figure out what your audience really wants.
Sometimes, this may even look like investing in resources for competitive analysis. I think itâs important to understand that thereâs no single way to go about this. Plus, as much as weâd like to believe it does, shopping trends donât stay the same for too long.
That being said, you can come up with a killer customer engagement plan by being smart with the insights you do gather. Maybe youâve noticed that your primary audience is women between the ages of 25 and 35. To engage them more effectively, try analysing social media metrics for things like likes and shares.
Youâll probably realise that this audience engages more with trending pieces than classic ones and that can help you tweak your strategy accordingly. When done right, investing in customer insights will help you stand out from your competitors in a way thatâs hard to replicate. This is an investment that will serve you well in the long run and keep your customers coming back for more of what they want - which is exactly what you want too.
Innovating Product Features and Services
The constant drive to create and innovate when it comes to services and product features is a huge factor that can easily help you carve out your niche and set you apart from competitors. By truly adding value to your customerâs experience through features, benefits, and services, you allow them to feel like they are getting more for their money, and getting more out of their fashion purchase than simply what meets the eye. In an industry as saturated as the fashion industry, where new clothing brands pop up every other day, it becomes almost impossible to keep up with whatâs happening out there, as well as making sure people know what you have going on. But it is important that you do.
It is important that you stay aware of what other brands in the market are doing and offering to customers, so that you are able to maintain a strong enough position to not only compete with them but rise above them as well. This does not mean copying everything they do but observing and being inspired by ideas they may have had or directions they may be headed in - whether good or bad. Sometimes brands end up missing the mark with features and services they thought would really enhance the customerâs experience but ended up being complicated and difficult to understand. The reason for this is that more often than not, we want our features or services to be innovative - never before seen by any other customer before.
We want this because we want people to know our brand name for something unique. That isnât bad at all - in fact, it helps tremendously if the feature or service works like magic and does exactly what it was designed to do.
But sometimes simple works best too. Sometimes sticking with simple additions can make a world of difference for your customers. It seems like whether it is adding filters that show if items are available in stores near your online shoppers or allowing them free alternations at certain physical stores - these things matter just as much as coming up with a feature no one has seen before.
Building a Strong Brand Identity
Ever had a person walk into the room and somehow demand attention. Thatâs the first thing I think of when I think about strong brands. Thereâs something about them that makes you want to talk to them and be friends.
A strong brand identity is like being the popular person in high school, except you can choose who sees what side of you. Strong brands know exactly who they are and arenât trying to be anyone else. If your brand has a strong identity, it knows what it stands for, what itâs doing here, and who it wants to do things with.
More or less. More importantly, it has a message that cuts through the clutter with language so clear that people will remember you every time they see your stuff. In saying that, I do find myself mentally turning away from brands that simply exist because they want to join some bandwagon or another.
A memorable brand will stay on top of mind even when you havenât seen anything from them in a while. It seems like and if your message is powerful enough, customers will return again and again for a repeat purchase. The ability to deliver consistent messaging across all channels is especially key because your brand needs a unique selling proposition that helps people tell you apart from the rest. If you can become synonymous with something like âskin colour hosieryâ or âacne-friendly makeupâ, you win.
I get that itâs hard to create differentiation through brand alone but if you keep showing up with authenticity - that unmistakable brand voice - and provide value at every touchpoint, youâll set yourself apart from the rest soon enough.
Creating Exceptional Customer Experiences
We've all had that moment. You walk into a shop and immediately feel the energy shift around you. Someone at the door welcomes you with genuine warmth - not the forced, robotic âCan I help you with anything.
â No - a proper hello with eye contact, perhaps a smile, maybe even your name if they recognise you from past visits. Itâs simple, but if weâre being honest, it doesnât always happen. Customer service is more than just providing polite answers or making sure someone checks in on customers every five minutes.
Itâs about meaningful connections - remembering faces and names, listening to what matters to people and personalising things a little. Sort of. When I worked retail in London - about a million years ago now - I was told off by my manager for not following customers around on the shop floor.
She wanted me to be present enough to pick up clothes left behind for us to reshelve later but honestly it felt like being stalked when I shopped for jeans myself so why would I do it to someone else. It was also exhausting and kept me from doing the one thing that always brings people back - having meaningful conversations. The difference between world-class customer service and basic courtesy is how it makes you feel after.
You might forget what people say but youâll remember how they made you feel when they did. Sort of. When people take the time to really listen and treat you like more than another potential sale, your experience instantly becomes memorable. Wouldnât you go back again just because.
Empathy is key here - understanding your customers as people with real feelings about life in general makes everyone comfortable enough to be themselves with each other (within reason). If thereâs anything that sets remarkable businesses apart from others today itâs how they focus on delivering exceptional experiences every time someone walks through their door.