Analysis of River Island Marketing Campaign #lablesareforclothes

Digital marketing is transforming the landscape of marketing. Marketing before digital was all about the big spend and larger brands had the budget and therefore had the power to release big media campaigns through TV, radio, print media, billboards etc. leaving the small to medium sized business in the shade. Digital marketing has put the focus on diversity and creativity allowing brands to reach out to their customers. Good digital marketing is centered around the customer and should engage, capture the attention and trust of people. In comes the Digital Marketing Trifecta, creating 3 types of media to engage with people and raise awareness of a brand:

a) Owned Media, where the company/brand own media channels, including their website, mobile app, blog site, social media channels are used to share and promote their brand. An example of how to nail owned media is singer, actress and producer - Selena Gomez. Selena Gomez has a following of 143million on Instagram alone. Gomez controls what she shares on her social media channels, whether it is her music, meeting fans/followers or paid partnerships with brands like Coach.

b) Paid Media, all marketing that a company pays for including paid influencers, endorsements and social media ads. Example being H&M paying David Beckham to star in advertising campaign to promote launch on the brands new season collections.

c) Earned Media, refers to any communication about your brand including word of mouth, reviews, social media mentions/shares and reposts from influencers or customers. Earned media is made through successful paid and owned media. Founder of Cocoa Brown, Marissa Carter, uses earned media well. Most recently to gain exposure for her new makeup brand, Carter Beauty Cosmetics. Carter Beauty launched in August 2018 and in the build up to that launch she garnered attention via her own channels and beauty influencers including @facesbygrace23 (following of 148k on Instagram) showing a video applying the new Carter Beauty products and since the launch of Carter Beauty Cosmetics there have been multiple posts on Instagram of customers sharing images of looks using the products using #carterbeauty.

The River Island campaign “Labels are for Clothes” have incorporated each element of the digital trifecta to market its brand and its message. It used paid media by gathering a diverse range of models to star in their campaign to express themselves and not be pigeon holed by stereotypes given to them showcasing the unique identities of its customers. Once the campaign was live and run across tv, press and social media, River Island paid influencers to further promote the message “Labels are for Clothes” including Chanel Iman, model, with a following of 1. 6million on Instagram and sharing her message of diversity. @Reyalfashion with an Instagram following of 33. 5k also collaborated on the campaign and shared his message of feminism.

River Island used their owned media channels to share the campaign. With the directors cut video exclusively shown on their YouTube channel. An edit of the video featuring on their website page including background information on each of the models about who they are and why they are proud to be what and who they are. River Island also shared the campaign on their other social media platforms including twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat and asking people to share their message using #labelsareforclothes. The campaign also featured on the River Island Blog with this particular feature sharing “The 5 Lessons We’ve Learnt From Our #LAFC Collaborators”.

On the back of a strong campaign, earned media kicked in and people started talking about the campaign. People applauded the campaign for ditching the negative labels put on people and sharing a positive story of amazing diversity. The campaign got people sharing on social media, with tweets like this one, giving people the opportunity to reduce the stigma put on them: The music track that played over the video, Fever by Ember, also got people intrigued, listening and watching the video. On the week of the launch of the campaign in February 2018, the track became the 3rd highest Shazamed Ad (reference the drum. com) in the UK.

River Island told a story using the digital trifecta. It used paid media to create and tell a story that would connect with people. It used it owned media to communicate that message to people on its various platforms. While each platform used the same message, separately they had a different version or slant – making it more engaging to people. With the YouTube video sharing a strong and visual message, website sharing information about the people featured in the ad, blog showing what River Island learnt by running this campaign. It told the story many ways. All these methods got the people talking and sharing and liking and supporting and loving what River Island was doing. River Island also put some creditability behind the campaign by joining up with the charity Ditch the Label, who support and push for a world that is equal and free from all type of bullying. Ditch the Label tweeted their immense pride to work with River Island on the campaign. So why did River Island create a campaign centered around people?

River Island created this campaign to show what they believe in and to celebrate the people who big themselves up regardless of stereotypes. Some might say, well that’s great but River Island just sell clothes? True, they do but River Island get good marketing and understand that good marketing in today’s world is all about the people and the people are their customers. The marketing team in River Island knows how to tell a story to its people. In this campaign they took 12 people from a variety of backgrounds, who have faced various challenges through stereotypes but are smashing those stereotypes. It tells people amazing stories, individuality and victory in the face of diversity. In doing so it is giving those watching and engaged, who were once silent, an opportunity to speak up – whether through a share on Facebook, a retweet on twitter, a comment on YouTube or post on Instagram wearing their Labels are for Clothes tee or sweatshirt while sharing their very own message or support for the campaign. This shows River Island cares, it empowers and says a massive YES to self-expression regardless of who you are. River Island are building their tribe. The Labels are for Clothes campaign continues, including a Spring Summer 18 kids campaign and the most recent launch of the Autumn Winter 18 campaign, including another kids campaign. While taking the same theme, its shares a different diverse range of people and their amazing stories. It also added another element to its most recent campaign which shares how some of the staff who work for River Island style their Labels are not for Clothes range and also tell a little bit about themselves. This shows belief in the message River Island are communicating to another level by sharing what makes the people that work in River Island unique and the label they give themselves.

River Island is using the marketing of today, marketing 3. 0. Renowned marketing guru, author, expert, mogul Philip Kotler has been talking about how to do marketing since the 1960’s and has been ahead of the curve. In his book titled “Marketing 3. 0” Kotler states the following “We know that touching the human spirit in the consumer and employee marketing is about making a difference in these people’s lives” - “In mature markets such as US and UK markets that an increasing number of consumers favour companies whose activities have a positive socio-cultural impact” and “Marketers need to identify the anxieties and desires of the consumers to be able to target their minds, hearts and spirits. In the globalisation paradox, the generic anxiety and desire of the consumer is to make their society and the world at large a better place to live” I believe that River Island have touched the human spirit with their campaign by being very real and honest. The campaign champions all people by rejecting stereotypes which resulted with a positive socio-cultural impact. River Island has built up trust and its very own tribe. Now I don’t have a quote, but I think Philip Kotler would approve of this campaign as it’s connect with the consumer by identifying anxieties and turning them on their head into something empowering and positive.