Marc Jacobs' unhinged TikTok strategy
CEOs of niche creator partnerships
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You’re laughing. The Duolingo-ification of fashion marketing is happening, and you’re laughing. 🤨 No, but seriously, I never thought I’d see a luxury fashion house go down this route, especially one with a legacy like Marc Jacobs, but at the same time, it makes so much sense. Let’s look together at WHY this is working so well for Marc Jacobs.
Brand identity
Okay, so to truly understand why Marc Jacobs is the hottest commodity in the fashion marketing sphere, we really have to start with their brand identity. And also because I need to make good use of my fashion business degree, for which I am an academic victim. 🙄
Marc Jacobs, from a first look, is a very playful brand. With Heaven by Marc Jacobs, he’s brought back the 90s and its subcultures, which are also some of his most famous campaigns. The label is a luxury-positioned brand, and if I were to map it visually, it would be pretty high on the luxury axis, but unlike its LVMH counterparts, it is the more playful one. You wouldn’t expect Tiffany, Givenchy or Fendi to make TikToks with a “slay, purr, the house down, boots, queen” audio. They shudder at the thought.
Having two brands that cater to different audiences but slowly merging the two demographics via TikTok is a genius move. Right. Hear me out. Although young, the main Marc Jacobs brand is more for the older Gen Z. Heavens by Marc Jacobs is geared towards the younger Gen Z but appeals to both demographics. It also helps that the models associated with them and their campaigns are popular in the Gen Z zeitgeist, with Alex Consani and Bella Hadid being the two most famous faces.
The best way I can explain it to you is that Marc Jacobs and Jacquemus are two sides of the same coin. Jacquemus uses physical and experiential marketing, while Marc Jacobs uses the green owl as their inspiration. This newfound relatability is scoring them brownie points with Gen Z, increasing their brand loyalty, market reach and market presence.
Move over, Duolingo, you have competition
(At the risk of this owl showing up at my house, it was a joke. I’m on a three-day streak of Latin, Duolingo. Please release me.)
Mr. President, we’ve just been informed that brain rot has reached Marc Jacobs, and they’re matching Gen Z’s freak. 😩 I never thought I’d say that sentence, but I’m just staying true to Marc; it’s what he would’ve wanted. I don’t precisely know WHEN they decided to switch to brain rot, but I think I have a pretty great guess. Remember when a picture of Mr. Jacobs's reading went viral? Yeah, that’s the first instance of brainrot marketing that I can think of.
I scrolled through their TikTok to see if I was correct, and yeah, pretty much. Before the constant shitposting, they had the usual campaign shorts with hints of behind-the-scenes content here and there, but THEN, Miss Mannie (@mainlymannie) promoted Marc Jacobs to one of her elite designers and opened the floodgates for other (meme) icons like Rahul Mehmi, Hugo Hilaire and Bofem.
Open any one of these TikToks, and the comments are flooded with “GIVE YOUR MARKETING TEAM A RAISE”, “I didn’t know Marc Jacobs was culturally active”, or my favourite, “I’m sorry Marc Jacobs, I wasn’t familiar with your game”. All of these comments are great, and that’s building a rapport between the brand and its target audience. The most essential comments they get aren’t about raises or game; it’s people WANTING TO BUY their products after they see these videos. That’s the point of marketing, and they’ve hit the nail on the head.
They’ve also absolutely nailed niche creator partnerships, getting people like Dax Flame, Bofem, and Deez to post on their account. And it works absolute wonders.
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So, what’s next for Marc Jacobs?
Listen, Marc Jacobs’ marketing team knows the audience very well. They also know different platforms need different strategies. While their TikTok is shitposting, Instagram is where they’re artistic. All the pretty pictures and videos are on Instagram.
And remember when I said that he and Jacquemus are just opposite sides of the same coin? Yeah, Marc Jacobs’ personal Instagram will become just as important as his label’s socials. People will want to know more about the man behind the label. Gen Z loves authenticity, and nothing is more authentic than getting to know a founder (just like our company, by the way, we’re very cool).
But what can your brand do?
I don’t expect Fendi, Dior, or any other luxury brand to adopt this strategy, but Marc Jacobs is a testament to how you can be luxurious and exclusive but still be chill as hell. I could see Gucci adopting this strategy under Sabato de Sarno or maybe Loewe. And your brand doesn’t have to do it, either. Brainrot isn’t the only way to get to Gen Z.
Take cues from Diesel and create the weirdest campaigns possible with a social message behind them. Or invest in interesting visuals like Burberry. Surreal marketing is on the rise, and it’s the best way to get your brand noticed while maintaining your brand identity because surrealism can be interpreted in various ways. Something to think about? ✨👀
Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for the next issue covering latest marketing campaigns and strategies winning over Gen Z. Any questions/suggestions as to what we should cover next? Reach out to us and we’re always here to chat!
— Brought to you by Shaurya, Trends Reporter at The Z Link