Lean In like Lounge: Rip Up The Rulebook, Create Outside Your Category & Win Community ft. Sonia Hussain

What do Duolingo’s ‘Duo’, ‘Percy Pig’ & AO’s marketing have in common? 

Fun, personality & an easily translatable visual identity. 

They’ve cracked the code on breaking through social media’s noise. 

Industry-leading fashion brands, like Lounge Underwear, are now crossing categories to market like them. Here, you’ll learn how to too. 

In today’s episode, Verity interviews Sonia Hussain (Brand & Communications Specialist | ex-Lounge, ex-Bravissimo) on building a great brand in 2024.

Together, they dig deep on the importance of establishing a strong identity, making meaningful connections with your customers, and the three key pillars to any Advocacy strategy – purpose, positioning, and personality. 

Touching on direct strategies for building a brand people actively seek out to engage with, Sonia also shares advice for utilizing influencer marketing at every stage of this funnel. 

Stand out by challenging the social status-quo. 

Get started with Sonia’s take on…

• Retailtainment in Community-Building: Building meaningful connections is made easier by creating experiential marketing that resonates. Brands need to focus on ‘retailtainment’ — blending retail and entertainment to engage customers in-store. Hosting community-driven events, like Lounge Underwear's partnership with Girls Who Walk in Manchester, only serves to strengthen relationships and build a loyal customer base.

• Looking Outside Your Category: The social landscape is oversaturated. Now, to stand out, brands must innovate beyond the playbooks provided by the platforms to make their own mark. Observe and learn from successful strategies outside your category; like Sonia’s latest obsession with AO's engaging social content. Tailoring your approach to each platform is necessary – actioning content that fulfills Instagram’s need for polished inspiration, while prioritizing playful engagement on TikTok.

• Thinking Outside The Demographic Box: Actually understanding your audience, from their own input over any assumptions, is crucial for crafting compelling brand narratives. The ‘Barely There Bra’ campaign was a success for Lounge when they listened to direct feedback, tapping into Gen Z's preference for comfort over traditional underwear choices. This data-driven approach allowed them to craft a campaign that worked; selling out of bras that were marketed without even a photo.

Here’s how you build for brands with a mission-driven approach. 

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Connect with Sonia:

• On LinkedIn