Social Media and Fashion Marketing

Social media is identified as a vital element in fashion brands’ marketing mix. It has been widely used for direct selling, omnichannel retail, and marketing communication and attracted significant interest in the fashion industry and academia over the last decade. Recently, constant innovations are taking place in fashion brands’ social media marketing practices. Emerging technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and virtual assistance support the development of new features and services on social media to transform customer experience and impact decision-making journey. The rise of virtual influencers facilitates the evolution of influencer marketing and provides more opportunities for fashion brands to retain control over influencer-created content and minimise issues with sourcing influencers and mismatch between brands and influencers. Besides, the prevailing virtual aesthetics, such as face filters, virtual clothing, and video game skins, are increasingly adopted as social media marketing tactics to boost brand awareness and consumer engagement. Given the constantly changing social media landscape, it is imperative for fashion brands to maintain effective and consistent communication with stakeholders whilst embracing advanced innovations to attract and retain customers. Furthermore, the potential threats from social media marketing, such as cross-cultural issues, privacy concerns, and negative influence on consumer social and body anxiety, should also be highlighted and minimised. This chapter aims to provide an in-depth critical insight into social media marketing for fashion brands. It will emphasise the importance of social media in fashion brands’ marketing mix, discussing the essential elements and technological innovations involved in social media marketing, illustrating different social media marketing strategies, and considering the cross-cultural aspects and ethical and legal issues. Think box and further reading list will be provided to support teaching and student learning, encouraging the in-depth exploration and examination of selected topics to deepen understanding of these areas.