Audience Appeal

One of the most revered designers of the 21st century is certainly Phoebe Philo. Her clarity, boldness, and confidence have made her one of the most unique and successful fashion designers of the times. Aside from creative talent and consistency, what makes Phoebe Philo stand out is the clear vision of who her audience is.. Her stylish women always seem to have a more natural look or something original about them. We see this in her communication strategy as well. Relaxed models representing women who choose cool clothes that portray confidence and ease without too much effort anywhere else. Many years back, and before it was trendy, Phoebe Philo featured an 80 year old model on her Celine campaign. She clearly knew that her audience would love this messaging as it reinforced what Phoebe Philo believed in and what she stood for as a creative in fashion.

Understanding and communicating to a clear target group is one of the basics of the fashion business. But so often brands aim to wide, dilute their message, confuse their audience, and risk losing customer spending to competition, including outside of fashion. Today fashion customers are being solicited by so many different industries and companies. The list is long including cosmetic surgery, beauty, wellness, and more. The result is that many customers have more options to choose from on how to spend their money and based on what they value more . Brands themselves may actually be the ones adding power to the competition coming from outside of the fashion industry because of some of the activities they engage in or the ambassadors they work with.

Having the confidence to choose a specific audience, speak to that audience, and then celebrate that audience in an authentic fashion, the way Phoebe Philo continues to do, may be one of the secrets to long-term success. Time will tell…