Added Improvements
• Well known luxury brand that is recognised around the world by its iconic annual fashion show as well as its aspirational super models known as the Angels. • Digging deeper into the brand is where the flaws within the brand start to show.
Current consumer demographics And Current social media/influencer marketing
Why Victoria’s Secret?
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They’re current market position even with criticism is still higher than any other. In 2017 the brand was the most dominant retail brand on social media with over 352 million activities including (likes, comments, shares, retweets, etc.) Urban outfitters took second place with 161 activities.
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Their current position in the market is to be seen as this fantasy/aspirational like brand. Women shop there to feel sexy and empowered whether they’re loyal customers or just a luxury purchase.
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They widen their target market by including PINK within Victoria’s Secret. This expands their target market to younger consumers.
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However within still being the leader of the lingerie market the brand is still failing as it sees a decline in views from 5 million in 2017 to 3.3 million in 2018.
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The company has seen comments from racial diversity, body diversity and cultural appropriation.
Current brand market position
Liu Wen the first model od Asian descent to be casted in 2009.
In 2012, Both Victoria’s Secret and Karlie Kloss had to apologise as she walked down the runway in Native American-inspired attire involving a feathered headdress.
My own conducted Instagram survey
1&2: 83% of people agreed the brand should offer plus-size also 76% agreed that plus-size models should be involved in the brand. This would create a variety of healthy body imaging being portrayed within the brand. The percentages prove that consumers are agreeing and calling out for Victoria’s Secret to make it happen. There is only so much that society can call out for. 3: 64% of people said that they perceive Victoria’s Secret as being a positive brand rather than negative, this is where there is a consumer divide into two separate consumer ideologies come into play. One being; the brand portrays toned, skinny centric bodies that appear to be healthy as the models are seen working out and sharing the ‘angel work out’ videos across social media platforms. Two being; the brand is portraying negative unattainable body imaging with its none diverse models which is sending bad messages through their advertising. 4: Although 64% agreed Victoria’s Secret is a positive brand, 78% agreed with the statement of ‘Victoria’s Secret is lacking in body diversity’. Again, people would think that Victoria’s Secret is portraying a positive healthy image as the models are what every woman aspires to look like. However, digging deeper the brand is sending negative body imaging with the lack of diversity we are now seeing in other brands. So, although people are initially agreeing that the brand is healthy they are also agreeing that the brand is lacking in diversity. 5: 72% willingly agreed they would still purchase from Victoria’s Secret knowing the lack of the body diversity. The diversity movement is an on-going struggle within the industry for consumers to understand it is a real problem. The none loyal customers may shop at the lingerie brand for the brands name as it is seen as a luxury high end brand. 6: 54% of people agreed (thankfully) that the angels although are fit and healthy models, them viewed on a whole scale with no variety between them creates a bad body image that the brand are portraying to the media. Where as a variety of realistic model that a consumer can relate to will be seen as a more appropriate and less damaging role model. 7: 64% of people agreed that trans-models should be involved in Victoria’s Secret, this would portray a wider acceptance and diversity within the brand and into society of what is deemed as ‘sexy’; sending out positive diverse messaging through its advertising and promotion. 8: Although Victoria’s Secret was founded as a retail store that men could go to purchase for their partner, 81% agreed that the brand is not a male friendly brand. The fact that the brand only appeals to women’s lingerie could have impacted the percentage of the survey as it is not viewed as a male’s underwear brand.
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In 2014 Victoria’s Secret was at the height of criticism for its ‘Perfect Body’ campaign which was said to be a play on the ‘Body of Victoria’s Bras’. Due to the negative comments the brand rewrote the campaign as ‘A body for everybody’ however it is not a body for everybody.
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The biggest bra you can purchase at Victoria’s Secret depending on the style is either a 40D and 40DDD and pants to an XL equivalent to a size 16. The average UK bra size is a 36D which is close to the end of Victoria’s Secrets range of sizing. The fashion industry defines plus-size as 12-24 but most brands opt to size 28 to meet the demand of consumers. In the US an average woman is between sizes 16 and 18 according to a 2016 study in the International Journal of fashion design, Technolodgy and Education. The plus size market (14 and up) made 21.4 billion dollars in 2016 which was an increase from 17.4 billion dollars in 2013. This shows that Victoria’s Secret are missing out on a large proportion/percentage of the market within the industry. Victoria’s Secret is not a brand that was made for everybody nor is it a brand to produce comfortable plus-size lingerie.
Proposed Brand market position
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If the brand does not change to these ideologies it will be stuck in the past. For the brand to carry on succeeding they would need to include body diversity within the brand as well as cater for plus-size lingerie.
Models such as plus-size model Ashley Graham and trans model Leyna Bloom who have taken to social media to express their opinion on the lack of diversity seen in Victoria’s Secret.
The brand can make easy steps towards making a change by: • Including a diverse casting of models within the brands marketing, advertising and promotions. • Including a plus-size lingerie campaign • Showing ‘imperfect’ flaws within the media • Stop the retouching in the editing process.
Proposed consumer demographics and social media/influencer marketing
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