The Power of Fashion

The Power of Fashion is undeniable. It helps us define who we are, express an identity, present ourselves in a certain light. There’s a book I read when I was a child, in which one of the characters surprisingly takes up the offer to learn how to weave. When asked, incredulously, why a knight should know how to weave, she responds by saying “What’s more important than the clothes I wear?”. Fashion. It really is everything.

“Don’t be into trends. Don’t make fashion own you, but you decide what you are, what you want to express by the way you dress and the way to live.” —Gianni Versace

Fashion is one of those bizarre things that shifts between everyday wear and art. How many of us have stopped in a public place to admire ‘that shirt’ or ‘those shoes’ that someone else has incorporated into a fantastic ensemble we could never pull off ourselves? Fashion is a universal language, and some of us care to speak it differently than others. Is it any wonder that the fashion industry is so large? Or so competitive?

Fashion companies come in all shapes and sizes and cater to the entire world. From basic t-shirts to haute couture, there’s something for everyone, and that is where the challenge lies. With so many options out there, there’s enough competition to keep things interesting. Would-be-buyers are inundated with choices, both offline and online, and as a result customer retention has become more important than ever. It’s difficult to rely on brand loyalty when brands are blending into each other – quality and pricing just aren’t enough to differentiate between most brands anymore, allowing for customers to cherry pick for themselves rather than leaning towards one brand or another. As a result, brands are using other ways to differentiate themselves, developing strong corporate social responsibility tactics and adding customer experience elements to their service.

Trying to discover how best to attract and retain customers is where many companies fall over. Researching customer expectations in relation to their satisfaction can help a company deliver the best customer services. Different tactics can deliver different kinds of results, all of which can help better understand how to make the power of fashion work for your company and your customers.