More and more consumers are demanding products that are not only high quality, but also meaningful and identity-defining. This demand heralds the end of superficial brand promises and makes way for substance, transparency and a value orientation that runs through all facets of a brand.
Countless cases of deception, tricks and blunders have shaken consumer trust in established brands. Whether VW, Coca-Cola or Ikea, H&M, Zara or Uniqlo: communication errors and accusations of greenwashing damage the credibility of many companies. Consumers are becoming less and less forgiving when they feel disappointed – and they take the consequences. This can be seen, for example, in the current phenomenon of ‘celebrity canceling’ on TikTok: In the spring, millions of users quickly formed the ‘BlockOut 2024’ movement and blocked celebrities such as Kim Kardashian or Taylor Swift because they criticized their behavior. Kim Kardashian lost around three million followers in a short time as a result.
Brands need content
Companies – and especially companies in the fashion industry – must consider far-reaching consequences if they appear untrustworthy, communicate inconsistently or even deliberately mislead.
This is also related to the fact that the attitude of many consumers has changed. Where expensive products used to be status symbols of a successful life for them, products are now often proof of belonging to an exclusive, value-based community. The choice of a product has become a question of identity, the product is an expression of personal conviction.
When it turns out that brands have no substance, the demanding public turns away from them. They ask the question of meaning. “People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it,” marketing pioneer Simon Sinek sums it up succinctly. If profit, price and turnover are the only answers to the question of the ‘why’ of a brand, it loses its meaning for the target group. Brands must therefore anchor the ‘why’ in their identity and act accordingly – and this in turn must be understandable, tangible and tangible for consumers.
It is not without reason that fashion brands in the luxury segment in particular are always linked to the vision of a designer. Coco Chanel wanted to literally free women from the corset, Christian Dior’s vision was to translate the luxury of the French Belle Epoque to the modern era, Yves Saint Laurent wanted to revolutionize the fashion industry with ready-to-wear collections.
Why should you buy a certain brand? What is the vision of this brand? What is the brand promise? What community does it gather behind it? What values does it share? What does it talk about? For brands today, it is about formulating clear answers to these questions and, based on these answers, finding, creating and playing an environment with relevant content for a clearly defined group.
Physical commerce conveys brand identity
This strict value orientation gives physical trade a new meaning for brands. Because only in physical presence can emotional content and brand identity be experienced by the community (together). In the store, the brand experience now plays a much more important role than sales – the store serves as a meeting place, an experience, and inspiration. How should the brand be perceived? What should customers experience? What music is played? What scent is noticeable? What colours are used? What experiences bring the community together here? All these questions are answered in the physical store. The pure purchase can just as easily take place online.
Brands today need to stand behind their vision more than ever, not be (mis)led by hypes and not want to be where everyone is at all costs. The more precisely and consistently vision and values are defined, the sharper the brand image becomes and the greater the chance of lasting success. Physically and online.
About the author
Torsten Dietz is co-CEO of the Liganova Group. The agency group works for global premium brands and specializes in brand spaces, experiences and retail campaigns. His focus is on actively shaping the future of brands with innovative, holistic solutions that are in tune with the zeitgeist and sustainably advancing the industry.