2020 has begun with a challenge for the world: managing a pandemic called COVID-19. The deadly virus, whose death toll by the time of this article’s publication is 195,119, is easily spreadable amongst individuals which is why many countries have enforced social distancing and quarantine measures. As a result, a lot of professionals have had to continue their businesses via online platforms, if they can. According to a survey conducted to 1,500 professionals in the fashion industry by the Business of Fashion, 85% of these are working from home. Shifting a large part of the workforce of an industry to working remotely must surely have its implications, which is what this article seeks to explore.
The survey mentioned by the Business of Fashion pointed out that 60% of the workers stated that this shift has marked a negative impact on their productivity. The fashion industry is filled with creatives that constantly seek to create, innovate and design products that come from the heart. Being in an enclosed space where the surroundings are constantly the same and interactions with others are limited may dull out these creatives. They constantly need to be inspired and motivated to generate pieces that truly make a difference.
Another challenge that comes with working remotely is the management of individual situations. Every person is facing their individual challenges that are ever-present in their current environment, which could be dealing with a poor wi-fi connection, taking care of a family member, coping with a mental illness such as anxiety, amongst others. These difficulties are added factors that were not present during regular business settings that may impede a person’s performance.
However, within the current difficulties, there can be a silver lining in the industry. This situation has been a fail or fly for the way in which professionals dedicated to content generation and community management have responded with their strategies. Community and social media managers were forced to generate innovative strategies in an extremely short time frame to stay relevant and grow their following. Fashion brands know that sales are dropping and the majority of these have responded by fostering their community and solidifying their relationship with customers by generating content that boosts engagement. These include creating memes, such as the one pictured above by the brand PrettyLittleThing, giving discounts, generating #s that promote the brand and staying in home, such as #stayinginwithnastygal by Nasty Gal who has over 1000 posts using the hashtag in Instagram as pictured above, and collaborating with different artists by having “IG Lives”to promote their brand, such as Levi’s had a IG Live with the music artists Doja Cat shown below, amongst others.
During these turbulent times, it’s important to recognize that there has been a shift in the way professionals conduct their businesses. Creatives in the fashion industry are facing new hardships that affect them in a personal and professional context and this should be taken into consideration by their employers. Flexibility and effective communication should help along the way. On a lighter note, this has allowed for better communication with customers. Creative strategies have surged and flourished in social media that will shape the way consumers interact with fashion brands from now on.
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