Context of Practice: Research on social media and fashion branding

Why Fashion Brands All Seem to Be Using the Same Font

“‘Luxury typography’ is kind of a non-sequitur,” he says. Instead, he was guided by Tisci’s desire for the treatment to work just as well on a gabardine raincoat as on a chiffon blouse. He describes what he and Tisci settled on as “modern utility,” adding, “It looks like it’s been there forever, but it’s still contemporary.”
When the Burberry redesign made its debut, design blog Brand New gave it a snarky welcome: “It is no more different nor more or less interesting than any other fashion sans-serif logo.”
Ultimately, luxury isn’t about mimicking trends. It’s about a timeless and enduring form of value: current yet classic, expensive but worth it.

Debate: “Commercialism Ruins Art”

In the end, no one really gets to enjoy that piece of art, especially since art museums can’t keep up with rising art prices
When art accumulates that much commercial value, it starts being seen in the same way as a really flashy car that is too expensive to risk driving. A piece of art gets bought by a millionaire who knows it will accumulate value as time goes on, and to decrease the risk of anything happening to it, they ferret it away in their private museum.
So, does commercialism destroy art? It seems that an answer to this question must first consider what we look for in art;
From a historical perspective, I think commercialization doesn’t destroy art but makes it more interesting. Commercialization is really just another aspect of art’s sociological meaning.

Has branding become boring?

Recently, the logos of the world’s biggest brands have opted to go character-less, rather than character-full.
When new brands are born they have the flexibility to play. They can take risks, be light-hearted, look different and divide opinion. They’ve got little to lose, so a fresh, alternative approach helps them stand out and engage with consumers.
But as brands develop they often find it harder to be fun and show their personality. They worry that it may isolate and deter potential customers. They feel the need to be seen as a safe bet, becoming more serious. And naturally the fun tails off.

Branding in the Age of Social Media

Social media would allow your company to leapfrog traditional media and forge relationships directly with customers. If you told them great stories and connected with them in real time, your brand would become a hub for a community of consumers.
In fact, social media seems to have made brands less significant. What has gone wrong?
To solve this puzzle, we need to remember that brands succeed when they break through in culture. And branding is a set of techniques designed to generate cultural relevance. Digital technologies have not only created potent new social networks but also dramatically altered how culture works.
Digital crowds now serve as very effective and prolific innovators of culture—a phenomenon I call crowdculture.
Classic ads like Alka-Seltzer’s “I Can’t Believe I Ate the Whole Thing,” Frito-Lay’s “Frito Bandito,” and Farrah Fawcett “creaming” Joe Namath with Noxema all snuck into popular culture by amusing audiences.
social media, influensers
Social media —> fast fashion —> fast changing trends

Context of Practice