Did Victoria Learn The Secret To Consumer Trust?
How the well-known brand, Victoria’s Secret, has made big changes to gain back consumer trust.
In the past, the brand, Victoria’s Secret, was known for its infamous fashion show and its legendary angels. The “Angels” were stereotypical tall and gorgeous supermodels. Due to the brand’s reputation for a particular understanding of the sexy and feminine, the brand felt exclusive to both plus-size, trans women and so many others. Over time, as body positivity grew with other brands like Aerie, consumers grew to dislike Victoria’s Secret controversial stances on beauty and they, in turn, lost trust in the brand.
Now, in order for Victoria’s Secret to return to its former glory, and gain back consumer trust, they have to redefine the brand and its purpose. The brand hired seven ambassadors who represented the type of people the brand would have once never accepted. A mix of trans, plus-size, and athletic women were chosen to show consumers that the brand is truly changing their ways.
Even though this change was a big step in the right direction, their brand still has a lot more work to due to gain back consumer trust. As noted in the 2022 Edelman Trust Barometer, 58% of consumers will buy and advocate for a brand based on their beliefs and values and 80% will invest in a brand based on its beliefs and values. This change in the brand’s overall beliefs and values, about how to define what is sexy and beautiful, can help break the cycle of distrust the brand was previously dealing with.
A survey was taken during the Covid-19 pandemic, polling 1,000 women varying in ages between 18 through 65, showing that there were fewer complaints towards the brand. The most exciting news for this survey was 13% liked the brand more than they did pre-covid, and 23% liked it less (10% less than the previous years). This survey shows that slowly but surely the Victoria’s Secret brand is gaining traction and trust back.
In order for the brand to continue moving in the right direction, it must grow upon its new movement for acceptance. This could be with ambassadors, size range, charitable endeavors, and more. The changes so far have been effective; and they have created a story of hope for other brands that have dealt with controversy in the past. I look forward to keeping an eye on Victoria’s Secret’s progress over time, as it is a great lesson in changing with the times and overcoming failure.
