Mastering Brand Marketing
Welcome to Emily Oberg's masterclass in “How to Excel at Brand Marketing”
In the saturated world of today, where brands take on everlasting fights with each other to win over audiences’ support, the key seems to be headed towards a precise method of doing business centered on the conception of authentic stories that can create connections in people’s hearts.
Sporty & Rich “Varsity” campaign, Sporty & Rich IG
As human beings, we do buy into brands for several reasons. Not long ago, I was told people’s general purchasing behavior is dictated by four main drivers: affiliation, achievement, uniqueness, and power. Some want to be associated with a specific group that shares the same values as they do, and this is specifically the case for brands such as Harley Davidson, Harvard, and Soho House. The second driver brings together all those individuals who instead value accomplishment, status, and evidence of results. In this matter, it comes to mind the example of Rolex, which has turned this attribute into its leading narrative tool. Uniqueness is the need people search for when they have an inner urge that pushes them to stand out, to be original, and to look for things that are unique and exclusive. Last but not least, some look for brands that convey a feeling of power when they need control and mastery. But in short, it doesn’t matter the reason for our purchases. Do you know why? Whether we’re talking about any of the four previously described, one thing remains still. We don’t buy into brands simply for the product. We buy a story. A dream. A set of values. A connection to our group of people. A reward for the efforts we made over time. An expression of our identity and personality. A means to express our freedom. It does not matter. The mere product will always be just a consequence. The item we get in the store is simply the reflection of that same story the brand has been telling us. All of this seems to be confirmed by the fact that 71% of executives planned to increase brand marketing spend in 2024 (BoF-McKinsey State of Fashion 2024 Executive Survey). If brands are reserving bigger budgets for building their narratives, does it mean brand marketing is about to leave a mark on the way we see fashion? Leading brands isn’t what it used to be. In an oversaturated market where labels rise from the soil like mushrooms, boards finally came to terms with the importance of creating solid stories that resonate with audiences. The mere performance marketing that worked so well in the past wouldn’t be able to do the same today. Relying entirely on the quality of products, services, and efficiency of metrics would automatically activate suicidal mode by putting us straight in a circle of fire where no brand would be able to stand out because of the oversaturation of similar market offerings. In this scenario, there is one brand above all that really caught my attention lately - fitting this article to perfection - showcasing outstanding talent in the creation and nurturing of real social communities.
Sporty & Rich - born as an online blog - has turned itself into a multi-million dollar lifestyle clothing business, drawing the attention of major labels such as Adidas. Now, if you were to take a quick stop by their website, you wouldn’t feel amazed, trust me. You won’t feel as if you witnessed groundbreaking ideas either. So, what is it about Sporty & Rich that makes it so appealing to people? The ability to construct a perfectly tailored story with no gaps, coherent and consistent throughout all channels, that makes us want to learn how to do such an outstanding job when it comes to storytelling and overall branding. The genius unleashed by Emily Oberg - founder of the label - has conceived an impeccable yet simple narrative, leaning entirely on the revival of the healthy and luxurious American lifestyle of the 80s/90s: the so-called preppy lifestyle.
Sporty & Rich, “College Drop” campaign, Sporty & Rich IG
As a cultural phenomenon that embodied a distinct blend of tradition, leisure, and luxury, the preppy era conveyed an idea of life deeply rooted in a privileged and affluent way of living that reflected somehow a well-defined vision of the American Dream. The empire built by Oberg simply leveraged the relevance that nostalgia has gained in the last couple of years, gathering the attention and respect of young and older generations. In this story, the brand itself turns out to be the real protagonist, leading a mono-directional conversation and building an ever-growing army of faithful soldiers. Aspirational. Lifestyle-centric. Gracefully sophisticated. Health & Wellness-focused. Sporty & Rich - by sticking to a precise narrative - has transformed itself into something way greater than a simple clothing label. The strategy put in play has developed a masterful schedule to follow that only passed through four pillars.
Authenticity & Consistency.
The brand has cultivated a distinctive identity that resonates with its target audience by staying true to precise core values and aesthetics. An image rooted in the celebration of minimalist and timeless designs, paired with careful attention paid to quality and sustainability, has contributed to building a strong and instantly recognizable image. Sporty & Rich stays true to its origins as well by continuing to publish nostalgic content made of pictures and magazines taken from 20 or more years ago. By doing so, they contribute to creating an overall well-constructed image that it’s clear by the moment you jump on their social media platforms. The thing we should all learn from is the consistency in the repetition of the core message. Emily Oberg has very clear in mind the vision of the brand - to evoke the spirit of a healthy and well-being lifestyle portrayed by the 80s and 90s. And therefore, she does not leave anything to fate. Any single content posted on socials is perfectly coherent with the overall storytelling; old pictures, campaigns, products, images of the store. Everything over and over again until we believe it.
Inclusivity and relatable messaging.
By embracing a lifestyle that emphasizes wellness, self-care, simplicity, and balance, the brand has welcomed with open arms a wide audience of Gen Z young fans deeply interested in healthy practices. And this is demonstrated by the opening of the first-ever flagship store in New York City’s SoHo neighborhood, conceived as a wellness mecca. Flying over the entrance - where guests are welcomed with a beautiful arrangement of signature garments such as t-shirts and sweaters - there is one section that contributes to creating an environment that literally breathes wellbeing. In fact, a beverage bar has been located on this side of the store, selling healthy products such as fruit juices, alongside an extra service added in-store offering body treatments to customers. Building a store that is not just a store, is key to understanding the strategy the brand is trying to build over the years. There’s not a single target in mind but rather the willingness to create a mental connection in all those people whose desires are pushing them to live healthier lives. In the last couple of years many businesses - amongst which fashion - have seen a change in how customers see the general living. Truth is that we’ve finally understood how important it is to take care of ourselves, making sure we do everything we can to live as long as possible. And this is a universal message that has no borders, targets, or limits, making it impossible not to relate to.
Sporty & Rich Flagship store in New York, Sporty & Rich
Engaging and cohesive visual identity.
As we said before, Sporty & Rich has decided to stick to a precise aesthetic characterized by clean and minimalist design elements, recalling the style used in the 80s and 90s. Every single element - such as the clean logo and the typography - chosen as part of the overall storytelling has played a pivotal role in shaping a well-defined image conveyed to the world that could be instantly recognized by anyone. In this matter, the majority of the success gained by the brand has to give credit to its social media presence, showcasing products in a multitude of scenarios, from daily-life situations to aspirational ones. Here, the mixture of minimalistic aesthetic, consistent color palette, high-quality imagery, authentic images, and unified tone of voice creates a visual identity that becomes more cohesive, attractive, and engaging the more you keep looking at it.
Community building and engagement.
The brand has fostered a deep sense of community by engaging with followers on a personal level and encouraging them to share on social media their own experiences and stories. And this is key to understanding the incredible success the label has been able to reach in such a short time. Creating a brand that stands for precise values, lifestyles, and standards played a major part in attracting fans from all over the world, making them feel part of a global team. Reposting customers’ stories on IG is an example of a smart inclusivity move, by giving them importance, relevance, and recognition. And this is all that matters, because - as humans - we need compliments. We need to be seen. And Sporty & Rich has just done that by lowering itself down to the ground level, making everybody feel part of a community where our true value is recognized. And this is exactly what we want as customers, but before that, as human beings. Sometimes we need to unwind from the stress generated by our daily lives. We need to put our minds away for a moment so that we can breathe and recharge. We have to believe in something that can guide us. This is one of the reasons why brands - especially in fashion - are important. They provide a direction to pursue. A team to be part of. A set of values to embrace. A story to listen to. Whether we like it or not, we will always be children inside. As such, we love to be entertained because we have an auto-generated necessity to get lost in those fairy tales that make us want to fly and dream. And this is why Brand Marketing will never cease to exist. And it will always continue to lead.
