Creating a Viral Fashion Label With Social Currency
Virality is not random, there are mechanics and it can be mapped and planned, to give your product the best chance on going viral
This article is based on the first part of the book Contagious by Jonah Berger, The book Contagious studies the science behind why products and ideas are talked about more than others.
Why certain youtube videos and Instagram posts go viral and the effect it can have on our behavior. It all comes down to word-of-mouth. Whether through face-to-face conversations, social media, emails, online product reviews. The trick is getting people to talk about your product, service or idea. The challenge, though, is how to do that, using examples from various fashion brands I will explain how they used “social currency” to leverage virality and skyrocket sales!
Check out the other 6 supporting viral principles are:
- Social Currency [You are here!]
- Triggers
- Emotion
- Public
- Practical Value
- Stories
Social Currency
“We Share Things That Make Us Look Good”
Let’s explore this deeper, when people share things with others in conversations, we tend to want to share things about products that will make us look good, this includes products that have the following traits: Inner remarkability, leverage game mechanics or that are scarce and exclusive.
Inner Remarkability
How is your product special from all the others? What makes it remarkable?
As seen time and time again in the fashion industry with next-level jaw-dropping fashion shows, a recent show from fashion student Fredrik Tjærandsen had created massive balloons that deflate to form dresses on the catwalk leaving the crowd amazed and the Instagram views skyrocketing!
But this is not only present on the catwalks, but Louis Vuitton creative director Virgil Abloh has also set up an LV pop-up shop in New York’s Lower East Side. With almost everything painted green from the furniture to the fire hydrant outside.
The most interesting thing isn’t what’s inside but the viral spread its caused outside! People are visiting the shop just to take photos and share them which is then creating more visitors, wash, rinse, repeat.
The most recent trends are using the method of “culture hacking” Creating new designs from recognizable brands or designs.
As you may have seen with Balenciaga’s release of the Ikea blue tote bag priced at $2,145 (with very little difference to the 99c bag that Ikea actually sells.) This release sent the internet wild, with creative individuals around the world creating their own versions of Ikea clothing from Hats, jumpers, shoes to even underwear.
The designer behind it Demna Gvasalia who is also the founder of Vetements is the king of “Culture Hacking” he has collaborated with a range of different brands from Crocs to DHL.
This method has been found so effective that it's now more common to see designers creating high-impact pieces to drive virality. Creating disrupting pieces that look good in editorials or campaigns with the aim to create buzz, using these items as a marketing tool to create hype and don’t actually sell these items in store.
Leverage Game Mechanics
How does your product create a feeling of hierarchy and/or status?
Is it using a reward or loyalty program? Were buyers collect rewards from purchasing items in-store or online to receive special benefits and perks (or just collect points to achieve a sense of hierarchy) and as you build more points a sense of status can be achieved i.e “gold member” “Platinum Member”
Michael Kors implements this really well, with their very special loyalty program unlike most of its competitors along with private events, special services, and free shipping, It also sends surprise gifts that are particularly generous and the higher you are in their loyalty program the more you can expect including trending handbags and top accessories. Which again drives shares about how special you are if you are one of the “lucky ones” to receive special gifts.
In my research I found these top examples to have amazing programs
Jonah Berger also mentions in his book the importance of “gamification” with brands and ideas and how people relate themselves to them.
Leveraging game mechanics involves publicizing peoples achievements, Burberry executed this very well with a website called “Art Of The Trench” a collage of all the people wearing the famous Burberry trench. These photos were collected from leading photographers, but people could also send in their photos and if they were lucky, It would be shared on the Burberry site. What did this contest eventuate to? Millions of views from hundreds of countries and 50% increase in sales. The lucky ones had the opportunity to tell others how great they are and of course, mentioned the brand!
Insiders
People feel important when they feel like insiders, If people get something not everyone else can, it makes them feel special, unique and of high status.
Jonah Berger gives a great example of an online retailer that sells luxury designer goods called Rue La La. That you can only access the site by invitation sent by an existing user (Sign up seems to have recently changed, looks like you can sign up using an email address via the site)
Once you are part of Rue La La’s tribe you will be fortunate enough to experience their 24hr flash sales (sometimes up to 70% off) with limited time and limited stock usually selling out within 30mins this creates scarcity and exclusivity making the customer feel like an insider but it also helps products catch on by making them seem more desirable. If something is hard to obtain, people assume that it must be worth the effort. If something is unavailable or sold out, its often assumed its a great purchase and lots of people loved it.
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here are 3 questions I would recommend you ask yourself when developing your next range or collection:
- how does talking about your product benefit others in conversation?
- What’s remarkable about your product?
- Does it leverage game mechanics or make people feel like insiders?
