On Wednesday, April 3rd, FASHINNOVATION had the honor to learn more about the world of branding from the specialist Lucy Jackson, Head of Branding at The Lions, during another edition of the DigiTALKS.
The DigiTalks is not just a webinar; it’s a dynamic online event where the FASHINNOVATION community unites on a Zoom call to discuss various topics from the fashion, technology, and innovation world actively. Guided by a prominent industry player, the event fosters connection and learning.
For this edition, Lucy prepared a presentation to not only show the importance of branding but also share how companies can and have put successful branding strategies in place.
Branding in real life: a tale from the speaker’s journey
More than just sharing numbers and results, Lucy used someone’s story as a practical example of how branding influences consumer decisions: her own. As a teenager, Lucy became obsessed with Evian water and would only drink from that specific brand.
Soon enough, she realized why: because she constantly saw celebrities who she liked drinking Evian water. A simple branding strategy based on influencer marketing completely molded a teenager’s shopping habits. That’s when she became interested in the topic that is now her career.
DigiTALKS: Branding is the heart and soul of your business
But what is branding? Lucy points out that branding is much more than just a logo or a slogan. It’s your connection to customers, the reason why they choose your brand over all the others in the market.
Using practical cases such as Nike’s Just Do It campaign and Dove’s body positivity strategy, Lucy Jackson showed that a strong and consistent voice can help customers connect with a brand without even needing to show the actual products in campaigns and ads.
“The campaign is selling you a feeling, not a product”
– Lucy Jackson, The Lions
“People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.”
– Simon Sinek
Ultimately, customers are more interested in the brand’s purpose than in the actual products, especially when it comes to newer generations (yes, we have to talk about Gen Z).
DigiTALKS: Knowing your why
Okay, branding is essential. But how do you find your why? Lucy shared some guidelines on how to define your why and create a branding strategy that coordinates with it.
According to Lucy, to find your why, you must ask yourself three questions:
- Why was it founded? What is the origin story?
- What is the mission? What need does it fill?
- What unique value does it add? What is the impact?
Once you figure out the why, the next step is to share it correctly. And how do you share your purpose? Through storytelling.
Storytelling is the heart of engagement
The brain processes images much more and much faster, and we’re conditioned to remember stories more easily than random facts. This reality makes storytelling essential for a customer to become attached to a brand.
For Lucy, it’s crucial to invest in immersive digital storytelling with rich content, videos, and interactive elements today.
One way to construct strong storytelling campaigns is through integrating talent into the brand strategy. Influencer marketing is and has been a significant strategy for companies for a while now.
However, it’s not simply choosing random celebrities or influencers to showcase your brand. The talent must be integrated into the brand’s storytelling and have a journey and audience that speak to the company’s why.
The best strategy is to create standing relationships with the celebrities and influencers who work with your brand; this way, you can also maintain a relationship with their audience and communicate the brand’s values more clearly.
“Companies should treat their talents as long-term relationships”
– Lucy Jackson
Want to learn more about branding? Lucy Jackson was also kind enough to share her presentation with us, click here to download it!
Don’t let the learning stop
Don’t stop now! On April 17th, we have the next edition of the DigiTALKS, and this time it’s all about AI. We welcome Chandra Subramanian, CEO of the ORS Group, to explore all the possibilities AI presents for the fashion industry.
Register now and join us!
