The fashion and beauty industry globally is rapidly evolving in a post-pandemic world. With a shift in consumer behavior and consumption patterns as we head into 2022. Leading data trends analysis software has scanned the digital landscape to capture the trending patterns that have emerged. By scanning and consolidating digital content across social and digital channels, the findings were as follows.
The Next-Gen of Fashion & Beauty Creators Have Arrived
Get in Early on the Next Big Content Creators
The downtime of 2020 and beyond gave rise to a new cohort of creators stepping in front of the lense for the first time. Analytics has shown that user-generated content is at an all-time high, and much of this has been driven by long-time fashion and beauty enthusiasts who tried their hand at their tutorials and content for the first time to break up the monotony of lockdowns and restrictions. Many of these newcomers managed to garner small, but rapidly growing and engaged followings, setting them up as influential nano and micro-influencers and the next in line power players in the space.
Mask Fashion & Athleisure
A New Way of Living, That’s Here to Stay
The world looks different today - we’re now accustomed to dressing for comfort. And when we have to step out in a mask, we may as well make sure it matches our outfit. Sentiment remains positive around fashion fit for wearing to work from home, but still step out for a coffee in style. Athleisure brands striking the balance between comfort and style will continue to trend.
Masks remain a requirement in some settings globally, and this may continue to be the case for the foreseeable future. Consumers are getting creative with colorful, embellished DIY face wear. Brands selling masks to match some of their best-sellers are meeting the mark when it comes to what consumers are looking for right now.
Augmented Reality
AR Technology Enhances Experiences
Virtual fitting rooms to try before you buy online are just the beginning. The closure of physical retail propelled brands into even more creative ways to engage with consumers to facilitate conversion. The trending sentiment around this space is that consumers have openly embraced a technology-led approach, and when shifting back to life post-pandemic will continue to expect this. But AR is not just for the big end of town, players making AR more accessible to emerging brands are platforms such as Called Creators AR that operates as a marketplace similar to Etsy.
Social Media Engagement Reigns
Still is Everything
Although new horses have emerged in the field, such as TikTok the channels will change, but the formula for success will remain the same. There is still an undeniable connection between social media engagement and brand sales. There is a cohort of brands leading the race when it comes to winning the hearts and minds of digitally-savvy consumers via Social. Delivering record levels of engagement across digital channels in 2021, brands such as Colour Pop, KKW Beauty, Glossier, and Fenty Beauty in Beauty have set the bar high. Whilst in fashion, Nike, Victoria’s Secret, Footlocker, and Urban Outfitters are leading the race for an extraordinary level of engagement online.
The key to strong social engagement remains a solid brand strategy, a compelling content strategy that leverages this, and optimizing for the content your audience engages with the most.
If you’d like to learn more about how we help beauty and fashion brands take their online engagement to the next level and can do the same for you, with brand strategic planning, book a free strategy session.