The rise in consumer fashion demand: 4 actions every marketer needs to take

We think we speak on behalf of the nation when we say our wardrobes took a little bashing over the past pandemic-ridden couple of years. Nights out became nights in, we swapped the gym for our make-shift garden workout zones and ditched dresses and heels for yoga pants and sweats. That’s fine - that’s what we needed at the time.

Fast forward to 2022 and things are looking up (finally!) although we say this through gritted teeth. Social events are back and calendars are looking fuller than ever, which is great news for the fashion industry as we say bon voyage to the sweats and aloha to the spring staples we’ve been longing for. A recent study by Google, and recent search trends, highlight the shift in consumer demand for clothing & accessories, with 56% of UK fashion consumers saying a wardrobe refresh would be their top reason for shopping in the next 12 months. 

Typically, Spring hasn’t really been a priority in terms of marketing spend, but after a flood of holiday cancellations and nationwide lockdowns, the change of the seasons is the perfect opportunity to reconnect with consumers looking to refresh their wardrobes, and demand is already looking to be higher this year.

Here’s the 4 actions Google has said marketers must know to capitalise on the demand starting with Spring/Summer:

1. An ongoing presence around key moments helps drive consideration

• Attention is one of the most important factors for driving consumer consideration.
  
  
• When Google analysed brand health data of 71 U.K. fashion retailers, their findings showed consumers who had heard from or seen an ad from a brand in the past two weeks were significantly more likely to consider making a purchase from them.
  
  
• This highlights that the clout your brand name alone may have isn’t enough to rely on. Marketers need to adopt an ‘always on’ approach around key moments, such as spring/summer, to connect with valuable consumers during the consideration stage.
  
  
• We know the high viewability and audibility of YouTube campaigns increases the effectiveness of ads, and with the reach of 15 million “fashionistas” (people identified as having an affinity to fashion) active on the platform in the U.K, it makes YouTube an obvious choice for an always on approach. Google states this is why brands like  Littlewoods are effectively utilising the platform to turn engagement into sales.
  
  

2. Quality and price are top of mind for fashion shoppers

• It’s unsurprising that with the rising cost of living in the UK, fashion shoppers are more price sensitive than ever before.

• Google’s recent study revealed 73% of consumers selected both price and quality when asked which factors were important to them when deciding which brand to buy from. Sustainability and ethical manufacturing also scored high on importance with 33% of shoppers selecting this, rising to 55% of shoppers within the 18-24 year old age bracket.

• Google’s advice for marketers to help increase perception of product quality and value for their brand is to form associations between their campaigns and relevant, popular content, through the likes of YouTube Lineups.

• Research shows that adverts placed around content that they relate to, for example a fashion and beauty lineup, increase quality perceptions by up to 5 percentage points, while perceptions of value rises by as much as 13 percentage points.
  
  
  

3. Capturing seasonal intent is easier with automation

• We’ve been through a lot in the past 2 years, and our temporary reliance on shopping via the web has undoubtedly changed fashion consumers’ relationship with online for good. The likes of Google Search and YouTube have fast become hotspots for inspiration seeking consumers to compare options and discover new products and brands.
  
  
• ‘Showing up’ in a moment of purchase intent could be the difference between bagging that sale or putting it into the hands of your competitors. According to Google, 85% of online consumers take a product-related action within 24 hours of discovering a product that meets their needs, and 31% of shoppers would switch to another clothing brand, just because that brand made itself known at the time of search.
  
  
• Google’s data signals and automated products use machine learning to help understand user intent, Fashion marketers can use this to reach customers most likely to make a purchase, driving conversions against on-site actions like sales, visits, and leads.
  
  
• Google proposes the use of Products such as Video Action Campaigns and Discovery campaigns to reach relevant customers, including those who might not have found you otherwise, in high-attention places and drive conversions. These products can be further boosted with new developments like Performance Max, a goal-based campaign type that allows advertisers to promote their products and services across several of Google’s properties such as Google Shopping, Search, Display and YouTube, all within one campaign. We’ve been testing P.Max on client accounts recently and can vouch for this one! Read our benefits of P.Max article here!

4. A shift in storytelling is key to cutting through with short form

• Being in the right place at the right time is all well and good but it’s actually only one part of the picture in capturing shifting seasonal demand. Fashion brands and retailers need to ensure they are capitalising on different content trends to better reach consumers this spring/summer and beyond.
  
  
• Google states that brands need to be embracing short-form video and recommends YouTube Shorts, the new bitesize addition to the platform - since its launch in Sept 2020 it had accumulated more than 5 trillion views - wowza! They shared a recent example of a great use of shorts through Burberry giving viewers ‘frow’ access to their A/W22 collection show.
  
  

   

• Those that are reinventing the wheel when it comes to their storytelling and campaign aesthetic for the Shorts are the ones successfully capturing viewer attention. Everything from standalone pieces to how-tos and adopting the visual language preferred by your target viewers, are important considerations.

Let’s face it, every sector of retail has been affected rapidly as a result of the changing consumer behaviours triggered by the pandemic. If you’re serious about capturing demand and long term growth, it's time to ditch the old assumptions and ways of working and embrace the new. We’re always up for discussing the latest developments across PPC and Paid Social - get in touch with our team any time here!