Persuasion and influence are not just limited to sales and cold emails anymore. It has become a part of everyday life for people who want to succeed. From choosing where to eat lunch to finding a life partner, there’s hardly any human interaction that is untouched by persuasion. At a time when technology and social media present the possibility to modify opinions at every step, people today are well versed with the value and the power of persuasion.
The goal of public relations is to create these opinions with truth, logic and reason. Despite the growing emphasis on individualism in contemporary society, PR experts continue to leverage the power of the circle of influence, recognizing that individuals are often swayed by the opinions and behaviours of their social networks. By identifying and engaging with key influencers within these circles, PR professionals can effectively amplify their messages, encouraging individuals to form favourable opinions and make informed decisions.
In fashion, sourcing for celebrities helps build on your social proof which enhances credibility and encourages others to join the bandwagon. When you are trying to influence people you need to not only sell yourself but also help consumers understand how your product or service will make their life easier, better, amazing. This involves highlighting the practical benefits and emotional satisfaction that your products offer.
Being genuinely grateful and focused on the customer is the cornerstone of effective PR. Understanding what keeps your audience up at night, their stressors, and what they celebrate allows you to create campaigns that resonate emotionally. For instance, if your target audience values sustainability, highlighting the eco-friendly aspects of your fashion line will align with their values. Consistency in living up to promises, particularly with journalists, is vital for building trust. Always provide solid evidence and facts to support your claims, as this is at the heart of any persuasive argument. By maintaining your credibility and consistently delivering on commitments, you build a reputation that encourages long-term loyalty and trust from consumers and the media.
Be the first to experiment with giving and helping out before you ask for something. It’s imperative to make it about the other person, it’s not always about offering a story, but about helping them make their stories pan out with ease. In practical terms, this could mean offering journalists exclusive stories or access to additional contacts for their articles. For influencers, it might involve providing them with unique experiences or products that they can share with their audience. This kind of generosity ensures that you are remembered favourably, and over time, journalists and influencers are more likely to approach you for stories or partnerships. In influencer marketing, offering their followers incentives such as discounts or affiliate commissions creates a sense of shared success, making campaigns more effective and engaging.
Creating a sense of scarcity and exclusivity can significantly enhance the appeal of your offerings. Research shows that a one-week holiday with a few great moments and a great end is rated more positively than a fantastic three-week vacation without a real peak, which ended with disappointment. This means that people value experiences with peak moments and strong endings more highly, even if the overall experience is shorter. By providing influencers and journalists with exclusive, limited-time content or access to unique events, you create memorable ‘wow’ moments that leave a lasting impression. This not only increases the perceived value of your offerings but also encourages quicker decision-making among consumers who don’t want to miss out on exclusive opportunities.
In PR, building familiarity and trust is important. This involves thoroughly researching who you are pitching to and showing genuine interest in their work. People are also naturally drawn to those who share similarities. Tailoring your message to reflect their interests and values demonstrates that you care about their goals and are willing to collaborate. A personalised approach fosters a sense of cooperation and increases the likelihood of a positive response to your pitch.
Focusing on principles like gratefulness, genuineness, reciprocity, scarcity, exclusivity, and familiarity helps create impactful PR campaigns that resonate with your audience. For instance, a parent company which owns India’s largest ethnic fashion brand, faced the challenge of launching a new premium ethnic wear brand without being overshadowed by their established mass-market image. To position the new brand in the premium category, we strategically avoided any mention of the parent company and marketed it as a fresh, high-end brand.
We collaborated with premium influencers and key opinion leaders (KOLs) in the fashion industry, ensuring their content highlighted our quality, variety, and elegant designs. We carefully selected influencers who were neither too luxurious nor too mass-market to maintain an approachable yet upscale image.
Our media strategy focused on articles about the collection, silhouettes, fabrics, and creative story, securing coverage in top fashion publications and aligning the brand with relevant competitors, thereby reaching the target audience of discerning premium fashion consumers.
These strategies build strong relationships with journalists and influencers, enhancing your brand’s credibility and consumer appeal. Effective PR in fashion involves understanding and aligning with your audience’s values, fostering trust, and crafting memorable experiences that inspire others to follow.
The views and opinions published here belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the publisher.
At Mint and Milk PR, she divides her time equally between the Mumbai and Pune offices and is focused on adding value to clients where passion materializes into growth stories for brands. With a proficiency in mathematics, Komal also oversees Accounts and other key growth aspects of the business. She is committed to thinking outside of the box and foraying into industries that continue to excite including tech, art and culture, web3 to ensure that there is no stone left unturned for Mint and Milk PR and that the company is set for expansion.
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