So you’re looking to start or grow your fashion rental brand? Well, you’ve come to the right place. This article outlines some top tips to ensure your brand works as hard as possible for your fashion business.
What is a brand anyway?
A logo? A colour? A font? A product? Well, you can’t really nail down your brand to one thing. It’s a combination of things that come together to make up your brand’s identity. It’s often said that a brand is a customer’s perception of your business. What feeling do they get when they hear or read your name? Would they recommend you to a friend? It all boils down to experience and reputation.
#1 Humanise your Brand
Try to imagine your brand as a person. The face (logo) is not the be-all and end-all of that person. It’s a combination of their personality, how they carry themselves, what they wear, how they interact and communicate with you. A whole host of characteristics and traits make up a person. The same goes for your fashion brand. From your logo and the text on your website to how you answer the phone and create your social media content, every touchpoint is a different experience of your brand. It ultimately plays a part in your customer’s perception of your company.
“A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person.”
Jeff Bezos, Founder & CEO Amazon
#2 Strategise your Brand
It’s important you know who you are and what you stand for. Try to get to the core of why your business exists beyond making money. Try asking yourself:
- What is our purpose?
- What problem are we trying to solve for our customers?
- What are we doing better than our competitors?
- What values do we believe in?
- What makes us different?
Aim to determine why customers should choose your fashion brand over another because if you don’t know what you stand for or believe in, how will anyone else?
“People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.”
Simon Sinek, Author of Start With Why
Once you’ve figured out your brand strategy, decision making is more informed. While your identity can evolve, your brand strategy should remain the same.
#3 Consider your Customer
While it’s essential to understand what you stand for, it’s equally crucial to understand your target audience. Understanding your business and brand position against your customer insight will enable you to find the gap in the market to explore. Be true to your values, your strategy and your customer. Things to consider could be:
- What is their demographic?
- Why do they rent clothes?
- What social channels do they use?
By understanding your customer more, you can tailor your content and brand to relate to those people specifically—breeding stronger relationships that will in turn increase customer loyalty.
“If people believe they share values with a company, they will stay loyal to the brand.”
Howard Schultz, Starbucks Founder
#4 Be Original
Don’t follow the crowd or your competitors. Stay true to the brand and the values you’ve created. If you try to mirror a competitor, you’re not differentiating your fashion rental business from another – so why would customers choose you over anyone else?
Equally, you won’t resonate with people if your messaging relies on cheesy clichés or sales talk. Try finding an approach that none of your competitors have taken before, and develop an identity and tone of voice that you can take ownership of. An identity that is undeniably you. This is by no means easy but it’s essential if you want to avoid blending in with the competition.
“If you’re your authentic self, you have no competition.”
Scott Stratten, Founder of UnMarketing
#5 Be Sustainable
Plan for the long term and avoid jumping on the back of the latest fads or trends. You want to build equity in your brand and rental business, so consider longevity when creating your brand. How will this feel in a year’s time? Will it still be true? Will it still be relevant?
“A product can be quickly outdated, but a successful brand is timeless.”
Stephen King
#6 Consistency is Key
This is so important in building a strong brand identity and presence. Once you’ve decided on all the elements that make up your brand, make sure you apply it consistently across every touchpoint. Do your social channels look and feel the same as your website? Is the language resonant throughout? How does your brochure work in print vs your rental website?
Many brands fall short at this, but it is vital in building a coherent, solid identity for your clothing rental brand.
“Define what your brand stands for, its core values and tone of voice, and then communicate consistently in those terms.”
Simon Mainwaring, CEO of We First
Ready to launch your fashion rental brand?
Whether you’re a startup or an established business, Zoa is a fully managed rental platform designed to help your fashion brand go circular.
Drop us an email at sharebetter@zoarental.com to get started.
