What is Fashion Marketing? Your Ultimate Guide

Have you ever watched “13 Going on 30,” “Ugly Betty,” or “Emily in Paris,” and wanted the type of career they have?

All three of these characters have a certain charisma about them that makes their jobs seem so glamorous.

Living in a big city, fancy clothes, editorials, and photoshoots are what most girls dream of. If this is the kind career you want, the answer is fashion marketing. So, what is fashion marketing? 

What is Fashion Marketing?

Fashion Marketing is the steps a fashion business takes to get people to buy their products versus their competitors. This process can be done via social media, advertisement, print work, etc. 

You may have seen fashion marketing girlies on social media and became instantly attracted to the glitz and glamor of it all. The photoshoots, fashion shows, exhibitions, networking, beautiful dinners, and traveling. 

Every girl’s dream right? But what is fashion marketing?

Today, we are spilling the secrets on the steps you can take to achieve your dream fashion marketing career! 

What do Fashion Marketers Do?

Fashion Marketers work on various campaigns that appeal to a target audience by increasing consumer interest in a product or brand.

By doing so, they have to determine the best method to reach their demographic.

Print media, Social media, exhibitions, and fashion campaigns are all ways fashion marketers develop brand image and consumer loyalty. 

How to Start Your Fashion Marketing Career

Education

Earning a degree in marketing, public relations, or business is a great way to start your fashion marketing career. In college courses, you’ll acquire some industry knowledge such as consumer behavior, branding, and marketing strategies.  

All of which are extremely important in understanding how to attract customers to any brand.

If you have already completed school and received a degree, no sweat!

Today’s new era of fashion marketing is mostly digital. There are tons of paid and free online certifications that can be obtained for you to explore!

Certifications in SEO, digital marketing, content marketing, and e-commerce are what you want to look for. These four certifications are vital to the daily job duties of a fashion marketer and will help you stand out to your future employer. 

Stay up to Date with current trends

Find your favorite fashion brands and follow them on social media. What do you notice about their content in comparison to other brands? What things stand out to you when you think of this brand?

Staying up to date with current fashion trends, marketing techniques, and future predictions, will help you become a valuable asset to any fashion marketing team.

Knowledge of current fashion trends will help you become more aware of the way brands present themselves to consumers.

Brand awareness is also important for developing your personal brand. 

Which brings me to my next point. Finding your niche.

Experience 

Ever heard the old saying, “you can not get a job without experience and you can not get experience until you have a job.” - Jack Buck

This quote is extremely relevant to fashion marketing. 

Fashion marketing is all about getting exposure in the fashion world. It is not just about who you know but also what you know.

Look into unpaid internships, part-time jobs, or volunteer opportunities at retail brands. This helps get your feet wet and is an excellent resume builder.

Gaining a further understanding of fashion can be done by attending fashion events. Trade shows and conferences are great to meet other professionals in the industry. 

Connect with those professionals through networking sites such as LinkedIn. Interact with their posts to make an impression!

Since fashion marketing has turned into a large umbrella of terms. You may want to consider finding a niche within fashion marketing. Areas such as public relations, graphic design, journalism, social media marketing, and more. Are all great ways to set yourself apart from other applicants.

Create a Portfolio

Once you have taken all these steps it is now time to create a portfolio. 

Creating a portfolio should showcase your skills. Include marketing projects, campaigns, and creativity you could bring to the brand. 

It is important to keep your portfolio up to date and tweak it according to the employer.

Common Job Titles in Fashion Marketing

Here is a list of most common job titles in fashion marketing. 

Being well versed in all areas is important as they all relate in one way or another.

Project/ Event Manager: In charge of planning events and budget overview. They also supervise and manage all business partners.

Influencer/ Content Manager: In charge of developing influencer campaigns. They create mood boards or briefings and serve as the point of contact during in person events.

Public Relations manager: Working primarily in public relations of the fashion brand. Very close connections to press and brand partnerships.

Art Director: Requires you to work on graphic design. Involved in content creation and you define the visuals of the brand.

Fashion Buyer: In charge of buying materials, products, and handling the budget. You will be visiting trade shows and show rooms

Fashion Journalist: Report on latest trends and current developments in the fashion industry. The day to day may include attending fashion shows or conducting interviews. 

Photographer/ Videographer: Shoots the content for campaigns. Requires you to have an eye for detail as you will be developing your own creative concepts.

After viewing the list of jobs, I want to reiterate the importance of finding your niche. When you find your niche, you will be able to land one of these jobs easier.

Which job stands out to you?

If you’re still asking yourself, “what is fashion marketing?”

Let’s Review!

Fashion Marketing Key Takeaways 

So, what is fashion marketing? 

You have learned that fashion marketing is about fashion brands promoting their products to catch the consumers eye. But what next?

Go out and research which niche of fashion marketing you want to grow in.

Find free online certifications, internships, and network to gain experience and fill your resume.

Stay up to date with current fashion do’s and don’ts. Follow your favorite fashion brands on social media and see how they market their products in a way that makes you want to buy them.

Once you have done all of these things, create that portfolio!

Fashion Marketing looks different for everybody. We are all marketing girlies trying to find our niche and become corporate baddies!

Starting your career in fashion takes time and patience

Remember, everyone starts somewhere. Fashion marketing is an extremely competitive industry. With passion and the right preparation, you'll be able to create a successful career. 

You got this!

✍️ Written by Lexie Coleman