Today, it seems like everyone, from every household, is starting to create their own clothing brands, but standing firm in this industry is extremely difficult. To achieve this, designs from new brands must look different from their competitors.

But don't worry too much if you have suitable strategies to develop a clothing brand, sales strategies, and build a loyal customer base; you can still succeed in the fashion industry.

Understanding consumer psychology and fashion psychology can help you understand your target customers and create an appealing brand for them. By understanding these two branches of psychology, you can create a fashion brand that meets the needs, desires, and values of your target customers. Let's explore the following 5 tips to build a successful local brand:

Show customers that this is a genuine and reliable brand.

We often tend to act in accordance with the crowd and conform to social standards. Therefore, you can 'leverage' this tip to create a successful clothing brand:

• Use customer reviews as a way to generate word-of-mouth marketing. When one person sees another satisfied with your product, it will influence their purchasing decision.
• Highlight your products on social media by increasing their visibility. It can be seen that when people see others wearing your clothes, they are more likely to want to wear them too.
• Collaborate with influencers who have a similar style to your brand to reach a large audience and build trust in their community.
• Try to get recognition from industry experts, as this can help build credibility and attract new customers.
• Consistently use the same messaging across all your marketing channels, as this will help build trust and credibility.

Learn the principle of scarcity from the luxury industry

The principle of scarcity means that to increase the desire to own something, they must make consumers believe that the product is scarce due to limited supply or produced in limited quantities... This is because we are attracted to things that are rare or exclusive. A classic example of a brand successfully using the principle of scarcity is Supreme because it is attractive and creates mystery.

Have you ever heard of the fear of missing out (FOMO) syndrome? FOMO is understood as a fear of missing out on exciting or attractive things that others have experienced. Let customers know that your product is only available for a limited time or in limited quantities without causing misunderstanding for customers.

• Introducing exclusive products or collaborating with other brands or designers can create a special feeling for your product. This will make people want to buy them more.
• Releasing limited edition collections is a great way to create a sense of scarcity.
• Using high-quality materials can make your product look more exclusive and valuable.
• You can be creative with your own scarcity strategy and find what works best for your brand.
• By understanding and using the principle of scarcity, you can increase sales and build a loyal customer base.

‘Less is more’ is what you can leverage

Think back to the time when you were browsing Shopify to buy clothes online or any other e-commerce platform, clothing website, do you feel that the number of products from a brand is increasing day by day? Even the colors and prices are becoming more diverse. Have you ever visited online fast fashion retailers like SHEIN or Temu? How do you feel about these websites? Do you feel overwhelmed by the large number of products?

Having too many choices can overwhelm consumers, so you need to choose an appropriate number of items to display.

• Limiting the number of displayed products is also a good way when people have to face too many choices, they can become overwhelmed and indecisive. This can lead to them not making any choice at all. You can allow customers to customize the product display page.
• Providing clear and easy-to-understand options will make them more likely to make a decision. Highlighting the benefits of the product will make it easier for consumers to choose your product. By understanding this psychological tip, you can find ways to 'set up your store' that your customers will like.

Understanding the portrait of the target audience

If you intend to sell a product or already sell one, you should 'sketch out' your customer portrait clearly. Understanding the target audience can help your clothing brand succeed. If you don't understand the desires and needs of your customers, it will be very difficult to sell the product. And first of all, you need to research:

• Demographics include the objective characteristics of the target audience, such as age, gender, income, and location.
• Psychographics are about the subjective characteristics of the target audience such as values, beliefs, and lifestyles.
• Buying behavior will help you understand how your target audience makes decisions.

When you know the characteristics of the target audience, creating marketing messages, campaigns, and products that appeal to them will be much easier. For example, if your target audience is Gen Z, born between 1997-2012, they are interested in sustainable fashion and good quality, so you will build your brand identity based on these values.

Here are some consumer psychology principles you can use to understand your target audience and create a successful clothing brand:

• Talking to customers is the best way to understand your target audience. You can ask them about their needs, desires, and preferences. What are they looking for in their desired product?
• Use surveys, polls, and focus groups to get feedback from your target audience.
• Track results when your brand starts marketing to your target audience to see what is effective and what is not.

By understanding your target audience, you can create more persuasive and effective marketing messages and campaigns.

Treat customers with gratitude, and they may come back to make a purchase.

The reciprocity principle says that people tend to respond to others' actions by showing support, gratitude, or responding in an equivalent way. This means that most people will be persuaded by someone who has done something nice for them and they feel very grateful and want to reciprocate that action. You can consider activities such as:

• Provide gifts or free samples when making a purchase. When you give someone a "free" gift, consumers may feel inclined to buy something from you again.
• Offer first-time purchase discounts for your customers when they sign up for emails.
• Provide high-quality customer service. When you go out of your way to help customers, they will feel grateful and want to come back to buy from you again.
• Focus on personalized marketing. Personalize your marketing strategy to show everyone why your product is right for them. Leave a thank-you note for customers with their name. Additionally, you can personalize your services, emails, and remember to include the customer's name.
• Organize contests and giveaways for customers to participate in.
• Creating valuable community values will help consumers see that you care about more social issues than just selling.

If you can understand how to use this principle, you can increase sales and build a loyal customer base.

 Mean BLVD