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Tik Tok Marketing & Communications Manager - Global Business Marketing EUI

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Tik Tok Marketing & Communications Manager - Global Business Marketing EUI

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Advance your career with TikTok. Search, browse, and apply for current job openings and join us on our mission to inspire creativity and bring joy.

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Tik Tok Marketing & Communications Manager - Global Business Marketing EUI

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Tik Tok Marketing & Communications Manager - Global Business Marketing EUI

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Demonstrates experience working in marketing and communications for an established brand.

Experience independently managing B2B campaigns end to end with cross-functional teams.

Experience in briefing and working with creative and media agencies.

Can craft a compelling multi-channel integrated marketing communications plan, and is well-versed in how to leverage paid and owned channels (social media, website, email marketing, trade media) to drive maximum campaign impact.

Experience analysing campaign results and real business impact (ROI) and drafting strong recap/learnings reports.

Experience working across Europe with a solid understanding of local market nuance and how to work closely with dispersed teams to adapt and scale campaigns locally.

Strong copywriting skills is a must.

Additional European languages is a definite advantage.

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Problem solver, so great at finding a solution to problems, taking the pressure off others in the group.

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Tik Tok Marketing & communication manager global business marketing EUI 

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Tik Tok Marketing & communication manager global business marketing EUI 

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Craft compelling marketing communications plans for large, integrated, multi

Channel paid B2B campaigns to tackle client barriers to spend and positively position the TikTok for Business brand. - Build smaller, tactical organic campaigns that leverage our owned marketing channels (email, social, web, education) for always on campaigns that educate and inspire.

Plan and execute B2B marketing campaigns from front to end, starting with a strong written campaign brief and finishing with a data

Backed impact and learnings report to guide future campaigns.

Work cross-functionally with the hub team in London to build campaign messaging and with local teams across Europe and Israel to rollout campaigns and drive impact in local markets.

Work with external media and creative agencies to build and execute effective campaign plans.

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We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking "Accept", you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.

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10 women's fashion highlights for London Fashion Week

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10 women's fashion highlights to celebrate London Fashion Week

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LONDON, United Kingdom - The Lewis family began their clothing business by selling knitting wool alongside fruit and vegetables on a market stool in a Blitz-damaged North London in 1948. As the first fashion retailer in the UK to target the teenage market, and one of the first fashion chains to deal with global garment suppliers directly, the family has a history of innovation across three brands: Lewis Separates, Chelsea Girl and River Island, the last of which was founded in 1988. Today, the River Island retail brand has a network of over 300 stores, 40 of which are located overseas in Continental Europe, the Middle East and Australia.

The driving theme of this more than 60 year history is a culture of entrepreneurship and a commitment to innovation, making River Island a market leader at home and abroad. The brand's near-900 head-office employees work on an expansive open-plan site, which includes a mocked up store, in-house production capabilities, design, buying, merchandising, marketing, operations and digital teams. The space is purposefully designed to foster the exchange of ideas between individuals - from all areas and levels of the organisation.

BoF sat down with chief executive Ben Lewis to learn more.
How would you define River Island's DNA today?
It's a family business, and I think that helps in terms of how we run the business, how we plan the business and the culture of the business. We can think long term and make decisions that are right for the business in terms of its commercial sustainability and growth. At the same time we are very happy to experiment; in fact we see it as a key part of our DNA to try new things. We're not frightened of experimentation, and follow very much a test and learn approach. That's really been a theme that's run through the businesses - right from the start, from the late 1940s and early 1950s. We don't have all the answers, but what we have is initiative, we have energy, we have creativity and we apply those to find our customer.

We also value creativity throughout the whole business, and when I say throughout the whole business, I mean not just in terms of the all the way through the levels of management, which is absolutely true, but also across all functions as well.
How have you maintained the culture of entrepreneurship as the business has expanded globally?
I think it's maintained because it doesn't matter if you are a senior director or you just joined five minutes ago, everyone comes into contact with each other. There is always an attitude of how can we do it better? How can we improve it?

Our business over the years has expanded by taking many, many small steps. It has been a constant process of iterative growth - trying something, discarding the things that haven't worked, and doing more of the things that have worked. That's the spirit of a start-up, the spirit of being entrepreneurial. I think it runs through the veins of everyone that joins the business even if they have been here for a relatively short period of time; it's just in the culture. It's a culture where people feel they can air their opinions and their ideas, and know that those ideas are welcome and people are rewarded for their opinions.

We're curious, we're very inquisitive; we work at a low level of detail and are always encouraging people to come up with ideas and solutions to help to grow the business or to improve the business. There's great teamwork at River Island. People take responsibility for not just finding the problems that need solving, but also coming up with solutions, and using their own initiative. Our leadership culture is not about issuing instructions; it's about encouraging thinking, enabling people to come up with their own answers, so it's a more of a questioning approach.
How is this reflected in the drivers you look to for future growth?
Of course the big themes for us at the moment are omni-channel, in particular within the UK and markets that are close to home, such as Continental Europe. I see lots of growth in terms of developing our business through multiple channels in new markets. Then of course there is also product-driven expansion. We started as a womenswear only business, added menswear 30 years ago now, kidswear about five years ago and babywear about one year ago. So we're constantly looking for ways to expand our width of product, which then allows us of course to service our customers even better.

We have a very strong culture of trading. What I mean by that is we have a very clear idea, as we start our product development, of what we think the River Island take on fashion is going to be for a season. But once you put that in front of the customers they will have their own view. We recognise the fashion business is a whole sequence and series of experiments, where you are trying a new design and if the customers like it you have to have to have the ability to turn the tap on and get more of it. Likewise, you have to know when to turn the tap off if they don't like it.
How have you ensured that the business evolves with the market, in terms of both operational strategy and branding?
Experimentation and innovation - I mean right from the start; opening the first clothes shop was an experiment at the time, the market for ready-made clothes was only just opening up - it was a big financial risk for us. The design of the first shop was an experiment; we innovated with the window display using wire formed bust shapes for the tops, which was new at the time. We were very, very early when we took design in-house; I think we only had about three or four shops. We were perhaps the only small retailer with a few shops that actually had its own design function and then its own production. So that was an experiment, which also worked.

We're one of the first businesses that started to source directly from Hong Kong and from Asia in generally. Virtually all other retailers relied on supply importers and agents to do so. We went directly to factories and did that very early on in the opening up of the Asian markets. And, I think perhaps more in the public eye, is the change from Lewis Separates, which was the name above the door in the early stage of the company, to Chelsea Girl. At a time when the 1960s fashion boutique was really taking customers in their youth, a teenage market was really opening up. We took those ideas, which were only really seen around Kings Road and Carnaby Street and spread them nationally. So, Chelsea Girl was the first national chain of 1960s fashion boutiques.
Looking to the future what excites you most about River Island's potential?
You've got to have something to say in fashion. It's a very crowded market; people don't need clothes they've got to want clothes, it's very, very important as far as the River Island brand is concerned that we are offering a new take on fashion. We're constantly pushing the envelope as far as the design content is concerned, and design doesn't just mean the style, it means fit, quality, everything. We've got product and a brand reputation that is highly desirable in many places around the world. We ship to about 120 countries, through our primary website and through dedicated international websites in France, Germany, Holland, Sweden, Australia and the US and we have 40 overseas outlets in the form of stores, franchises and wholesale partnerships. Out of that we have about eight key markets. I think the business is in a great shape, what really excites me now, is that we are of a size that we are able to scale the business very, very effectively.

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BoF sits down with River Island chief executive, Ben Lewis, to learn more about the company's 60 year history, from a fruit and vegetable market stall to global fast fashion brand.

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Charlotte Tilbury Marketing Manager - Europe 

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Charlotte Tilbury Marketing Manager - Europe 

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63,000+ Marketing Manager jobs in United States (3,803 new)

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Today’s top 63,000+ Marketing Manager jobs in United States. Leverage your professional network, and get hired. New Marketing Manager jobs added daily.

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750 million+ members | Manage your professional identity. Build and engage with your professional network. Access knowledge, insights and opportunities.

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We are simplifying beauty. We're committed to creating products and a community that inspire you to be your most confident self.

You'll be part of a team that leads with authenticity and is empowered to shape the way we operate, creating an environment that reflects our shared values and aspirations.

We're always vegan, cruelty and fragrance free and proud to be Leaping Bunny certified. Join us on an exciting journey to cut through an overwhelming market and create products and world-first formulas, that give our customers what they need and want simplified.

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Join REFY in Marketing, Manchester as a Brand & PR Intern

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Must be open to travel within Europe

A minimum of 4 years experience gained within beauty or retail in the European market preferred

Experienced in devising and implementing strategic plans with creative flair

Excellent leadership, team management and communication skills

Experience of budget and P&L management

Experience & knowledge in planning and buying media is a plus

Have the ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines in a timely manner

Have a flexible and professional attitude

Structured and organised

Have exceptional organizational and prioritising skills and show great attention to detail and be results-driven

Excellent English written and verbal skills

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You live and breathe Social Media – it is a true passion, not a job.

You have experience leading a high-performing team.

You have comprehensive experience of Google Analytics and Meta Insights and good analytical and numerical skills.

You have exceptional creative eye, strong copy writing abilities and outstanding attention to detail.

You have a can-do, problem-solving mindset. You thrive on driving positive change through collaborative working and optimising processes, to create efficiency and results.

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An interest in Brand & PR

Strong administrative experience

Highly organised and strong attention to detail

Experience with Excel & Powerpoint

Proactive and solution based

Always willing to help!

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Charlotte Tilbury Marketing Manager - Europe 

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Charlotte Tilbury Marketing Manager - Europe 

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Gain and communicate a clear understanding of the markets and customer profiles across the region; use retailer and market insight to develop retailer-specific objectives for the seed, tease, launch and sustain periods, with a clear focus on customer acquisition

In collaboration with PR, VM, Commercial, Retailer.com, Retail, and the retailers in region, build 360 marketing plans to deliver customer and commercial objectives both for NPD and always on, including OOH, media partnerships, in-store visual drama, service protocols, and eventing, whilst considering the connectivity of on and offline marketing activity to ensure flawless in-store & online execution

Bring thought-leadership to the regional team, suggesting innovative and disruptive brand activity in the region to raise total brand awareness

Undertake regular store visits with the Retail and Commercial teams to identify best practices across the industry and opportunities to increase Charlotte Tilbury share of voice and ranking in existing regions

For new and existing markets, work with local agencies to identify partnership opportunities to drive brand awareness and customer acquisition

Shape and deliver new retailer launches and, where applicable, new market launches in close collaboration with PR, VM, Commercial, Retailer.com and Retail teams tailored to retailers/market needs on time, on target and within budget

Ensure a robust sustain plan for new launches is in place to accelerate growth, maintaining ranking & brand awareness

Support in establishing clear processes within the EU team which ensure a 'world class' delivery is achieved across the region, particularly focusing on the briefing for the field team

Own the planning and follow-up from the regional Sales & Marketing meeting, to gain alignment from all key stakeholders on the regional team

Contribute to the maintenance of the Europe marketing calendar, feeding back to Global Marketing on regional nuances and opportunities

Contribute to the creation and actualisation of the regional marketing budget as well as oversee forecasting of future marketing activities in line with regional sales targets

Build exceptional relationships with the retailers’ trade marketing and PR teams, to ensure the best possible collaboration and execution of marketing activity

Build collaborative relationships with all internal functions, retail partners and key business stakeholders

Oversee the delivery of the key priorities of the Marketing Executive, providing guidance, support and regular feedback

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Embody the Adanola people-first culture by ‘being the manager that you would like to have’ for your direct report.

Align your reports personal KPIs and development path to that of the team and the business. Set specific but ambitious personal KPIs to get the most out of your direct report for their personal growth as well as the teams and business’ growth.

Hold your team accountable for delivering on their KPIs, but always with the brand values and guidelines at the heart of their decisions.

Develop the quality of line management within the Creative department (beyond just your own) through feedback, training, and proper development plans.

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Supporting the Brand & PR team on daily tasks

Email outreach and confidence to speak on the phone

Assisting with event planning and project management

Build a relationship with PR & partner agencies

Fulfil general admin & adhoc tasks

Creative deck creation

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Modern day "It girls" aren't just born, they're made.

The elusive term, describing a girl or woman with that certain je ne sais quoi, has been part of the cultural vernacular for over 100 years, made famous in the 1927 film "It," starring silent actress Clara Bow (often referred to as the first "It girl"). Since then, it's been used to describe a slew of women, from Andy Warhol muse Edie Sedgwick to Bianca Jagger to Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy to Alexa Chung.

But today's crop of It girls don't earn the title by accident. Odds are, behind every breakout famous-for-being-famous celebrity of the moment is a team of publicists, stylists and other image-crafters making "it" happen.

Take Sofia Richie Grainge, unquestionably this summer's It girl. Her April 2023 wedding in the South of France set off a firestorm of interest, with TikTok users labelling her the face of "old money" style. Google searches for her name multiplied by 100 in the days preceding and following her wedding. Since then, she's inked collaborations with brands like Jo Malone and Maybelline, sat front row at Chanel's cruise show in Los Angeles (the luxury house made three custom looks for her wedding), grown a TikTok following of over 3 million and landed on the cover of Town & Country.

There was no guarantee Richie Grainge's nuptials would go quite as viral as they did, or have such an extended afterlife online. But that doesn't mean it happened by accident, either.

"With anything in life when it lands, it lands," said Liat Baruch, Richie Grainge's stylist. "But it's something that's been building. We've been working together for a while. We know what silhouettes work, what fabrics work."

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Whether by necessity or desire, today's crop of It girls are propelled by a well-oiled machine behind-the-scenes. No longer is being an It girl simply a side effect of being a paparazzi magnet (Bessette-Kennedy), attending all the right parties (Jagger), having influential connections (Sedgwick) or simply having great style (Chung). Today, it's a job in and of itself - one that, to do successfully, requires a team behind you. At the same time, having that "It factor" is increasingly necessary to break through in fashion at all, particularly as a model or influencer.

"It used to be that you could find a great-looking person somewhere, give them the right haircut, dress them the right way, send them out and that would work," said Jeni Rose, senior vice president and co-head of fashion representation at WME Fashion. "That's not possible anymore."

How Publicists Make 'It' Happen

For those already in the public eye, it's often a well-coordinated, and well-publicised shift in style that triggers "It" status.

Richie Grainge had been working as a model for years and was known as the little sister of 2000s It girl Nicole Richie. It took until her wedding, when she embraced a "quiet luxury"-inflected look (and signed up for TikTok that weekend) to cement her Gen-Z style iconhood. Anne Hathaway, a Hollywood mainstay of over two decades, has crept up into It girl territory in recent years since working with stylist Erin Walsh, leading to headline-making outfits like a white Armani Privé column gown at Cannes.

Vogue's wedding coverage has become a go-to It girl launch pad, because their photo-heavy stories offer a way for people to get a comprehensive view of a bride's style and taste, said Robyn DelMonte, a content creator and media strategist who comments on pop culture on her account Girlbosstown.

Ivy Getty, the great-granddaughter of oil tycoon J. Paul Getty, blew up online in November 2021, when Vogue shared her San Francisco wedding. Since, she's been on the cover of Town & Country and become a fixture on the fashion scene, attending events like the Met Gala and Cannes Film Festival.

Getty has all the makings of a classic It girl - famous family, beautiful looks, a distinct sense of style. But in today's ecosystem, she needed that extra push to pop in the cultural consciousness. The coverage of her wedding was arranged by Savannah Engel, the founder of public relations firm Savi, and after the wedding, the pair decided to keep working together to capitalise on the interest - and newfound opportunities - that came Getty's way.

They "immediately got to work," Getty said: She met with Engel and communications strategist Federica Parruccini to lay out both her immediate and long-term goals, and received media training to better handle the swarm of attention.

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"I wanted to learn how to better brand myself, but also not feel like I'm 'branding' myself," she said. "I just wanted to feel like I am putting somebody out there that feels authentic to who I really am."

Today's It girls face much of the same expectations as influencers - be transparent and most importantly, true to yourself. (Even if that means they're not always relatable.) Parruccini said that with Getty, it's about evaluating if something feels genuine to her, her life and her interests. If she attends a fashion show, for instance, they want it to be a show for a brand she already likes and has an interest in.

"Our goal is not at all to make her famous," said Engel. "Our goal is to create her brand. It's not about the next two years, it's the next 10 to 15 years."

Do You Still Need "It"?

With social media, today's It girls can harness the power of the public's interest and turn it into a long-lasting career. Someone like Hailey Bieber started out as a model and social media star, and then got a boost from her famous relationship (and Vogue-covered wedding) before launching her skin care brand, Rhode, which sells the "glazed donut" beauty look she made famous on her Instagram.

"Getting out there for five minutes, especially in fashion, is not hard, because people are always looking for the next thing," said Rose. "But becoming a big deal and staying a big deal for years on end is a testament to the level of the talent that you're dealing with and also the level of the management."

There's greater opportunity, but the stakes are higher, too. Today's It girls are faced with a heightened level of scrutiny, particularly if they make the choice to pursue a more public career.

"You can't be in that public light without having protectors or brand builders, and that's what we are," said Engel. "We expand her community and build her brand, but we're protecting her. It would be impossible to smoothly grow as an It girl without that unit around you."

Plus, there's more competition for "It" status than ever before. It's not just socialites, heiresses or the Hollywood-adjacent, but influencers like Alix Earle, that earn the title.

Still, there's something about a connection to wealth or fame that people can't resist - this is the year that people were captivated by quiet luxury, after all. "It takes a different kind of confidence to be a little more quiet and still be noticed," said Baruch.

And that confidence or charisma - that certain something that's been an It-girl must-have for over a century - is still the fundamental piece of the equation, no matter how big of a team you have behind you.

"Even if you have the tools and are following all the calculations of what it takes to be an It girl, it still might not pop," said Delmonte. "You need to have that "It factor" for it to work."

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The PR Machines Building the Next Generation of 'It Girls'

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The girls we can't stop talking about today have that it factor, but they also are armed with publicists and stylists curating their image.

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1,000+ Jobs in Manchester, England, United Kingdom (263 new)

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Today’s 1,000+ jobs in Manchester, England, United Kingdom. Leverage your professional network, and get hired. New Manchester, England, United Kingdom jobs added daily.

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ai in fashion retail: mastering the future of the style business

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ai in fashion retail: mastering the future of the style business tickets

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ai in fashion retail: mastering the future of the style business manchester

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ai in fashion retail: mastering the future of the style business manchester tickets

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AI in Fashion Retail: Mastering the Future of the Style business

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Eventbrite - The Fashion Network presents AI in Fashion Retail: Mastering the Future of the Style business - Thursday, 7 December 2023 at Shoosmiths Offices, The XYZ Building, Manchester, Greater Manchester. Find event and ticket information.

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Unpicking Couture premieres spectacular high-end fashion which has recently entered Manchester Art Gallery's collection.

Created by influential designers and fashion houses, each outfit represents a groundbreaking moment in fashion and includes works by Christian Dior, Elsa Schiaparelli, Azzedine Alaïa, Cristobal Balenciaga, Pierre Cardin, Vivienne Westwood, Yohji Yamamoto, Bruce Oldfield and Alexander McQueen.

This exhibition celebrates pioneering creativity and design.

The two main themes of the show are: investigating the links between fashion and emotions, in the form of dopamine dressing which encourages dressing for joy, and focusing on repair and restoration, inviting us to consider the lifecycle of a garment and the way it is valued and cared for.

The exhibition will reveal the recent restoration of a 1930s silk velvet jacket by Italian couturier Elsa Schiaparelli, Unpicking Couture promotes sustainable approaches to repairing and preserving much loved and well-worn clothes.

The garments will be on display for the first time. They were acquired through a National Heritage Lottery Fund Collecting Cultures grant from 2015-20.

Unpicking Couture will expose the work that underpins the care of dress collections through a mediative film that captures the process of dress mounting and how the craft and skill involved, mirrors the work of dressmakers and couturiers.

Find out more about Unpicking Couture at Manchester Art Gallery

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Event: Unpicking Couture at Manchester Art Gallery

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Unpicking Couture premieres spectacular high-end fashion which has recently entered Manchester Art Gallery's collection.

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Fantastic Sustainable Plastics Materials Roadshow

This pop-up event features a range of activities that give you a chance to have a go with with technologies and techniques that explore the use of repurposed plastics including 3D printing and fashion design.

You can also help create a garment from plastic to raise explore the impacts of fast fashion with Queen Bayard, who is an eco-conscious drag queen, onsite to show off the creation.

Tackling plastic waste is a real challenge and requires input from all backgrounds to create and implement technological and societal changes. From exploring new materials and manufacturing techniques to design and social awareness. You can discuss these themes and ideas at this pop-up with some practitioners working in sustainable design and engineering to find sustainable solutions.

The brand-new Manchester Met Sustainability Society will also be in attendance to help you get involved in future Sustainability efforts!

Find out more about the Team
The Plastic Shed
Wainman Design
Dundas Digital Queen Bayard
Associated Badges:

In A Nutshell...

Discover ... how new materials and technologies can tackle the impacts of fast fashion

Take part ... in the creation of a garment from sustainable plastics

Discover ... the power of 3D printing technologies and products and their roles in sustainable design

Learn from ... a range of practitioners and designers working with repurposed plastic

Earn up to 5 Rise points ... which can be recognised within your degree.

Schedule

place 10:00 to 13:00 on 28/11/23 - Benzie Foyer
Plastic Roadshow Pop-Up: Benzie Foyer Come along to this pop-up and take part in a range of activities exploring the world of sustainable plastics

place 13:00 to 16:30 on 28/11/23 - John Dalton The Street
Plastic Road Show Pop-Up : John Dalton Street Come along to this pop-up and take part in a range of activities exploring the world of sustainable plastics

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Fantastic Sustainable Plastics Materials Roadshow This pop-up event features a range of activities that give you a chance to have a go with with technologies and techniques that explore the use of repurposed plastics including 3D printing and fashion design.

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Public relations has gone from a behind-the-scenes practice to content fodder.

Scroll TikTok after a big celebrity scandal or a botched product launch, and chances are you'll come across a creator explaining why the bad news broke at 5 p.m. on a Friday (usually the time of week when the fewest people are paying attention), the art of the non-denial denial or the telltale signs of a staged paparazzi shot.

According to Molly McPherson, a crisis communications veteran who lifts the veil on the motivations behind high-profile PR decisions for her 450,000 followers, there's always been a curiosity that propels people to want to decipher the words and actions of brands and public figures. Before TikTok, there just wasn't an easy way to get a crash course in communications strategy. Now, creators like McPherson are providing it online.

As consumers get wise to the best tricks, the layer of privacy and protection that traditional PR has long provided has begun to fade. Brands and influencers are rethinking how they market their products and respond to scandals. "Spin" is out, "transparency" is in.

"We've had years of publicists using various forms of optics, whether it's paparazzi or video in lieu of official statements. People are wise to that, they've just become smarter over the years," said McPherson. "If someone isn't transparent, it's so blatantly obvious that people can really sniff it out."

Brands aren't exactly practising radical honesty at all times. But they're more careful to at least sound like they're levelling with their customers. That means showing more of the inner workings of how clothes are made, and crafting a less-curated, unairbrushed image in marketing. And when something does go wrong, better to admit guilt, promise to do better and move on, rather than try to sweep problems under the rug.

Because if users do catch wind of an attempted coverup - or creators like McPherson put them onto some less-than-transparent tactics - the consequences can be instant and devastating. Look at Target, which found itself at the centre of right-wing ire after conservative commentators responded negatively to its Pride Month apparel collection online. The brand backtracked, removing some of the merchandise to appease that audience, which then upset those on the left. By trying to spin the situation to appease one audience, Target ended up losing both, because the pivot felt disingenuous - the kiss of death in the world of TikTok PR commentary.

"TikTok is a super powerful, high reward tool for brands ... but there is also high risk in viral exposure," said Allison Katz, president at public relations agency The Krupp Group. "Brands need to make sure they are able to stand by the claims that they're making. It's really important for [PRs] to hone the messaging and hold brands accountable for what they're selling."

Scepticism and Savvy

Influencers were some of the first to show consumers how the PR sausage is made. Pre-Instagram, fashion editors had closets full of gifted clothes and accessories, but rarely talked to strangers about it. Now, internet personalities candidly share their "PR hauls" in get ready with me videos and post-event Stories and TikToks.

But while that content will get a brand's products in front of a consumer, it also lays bare the transactional relationship. Is that influencer wearing that dress because they love it, or they loved getting it for free?

"The average consumer definitely knows more about how products are being placed in front of them, so it's harder now for brands to reach their consumer or in an organic way," said Janie Karas, the co-founder and managing director of Gen-Z-focussed influencer agency 28 Row. "This generation of social media users can smell an ad from a mile away."

Journalists and seasoned professionals like McPherson take it a step further, diving into the thought process and likely motivations behind celebrity PR moves, such as actress Sophie Turner's decision to employ a "quiet PR strategy" in the wake of the announcement of her divorce from Joe Jonas. Then there's the army of internet sleuths with homegrown investigative skills and the ability to instantly publicise their findings. When Balenciaga was facing a slew of negative attention in late 2022 when critics accused the luxury label of sexualising children in an ad campaign, its woes were made worse when users online discovered that stray papers pictured in the shoot were actually printouts of a legal document from a US Supreme Court decision on child pornography laws.

"If someone isn't transparent, it's so blatantly obvious that people can really sniff it out."

Still, there's plenty of TikTok personalities whose videos "decode" communications strategies without formal experience in PR. And while some have developed an understanding of the space, other users will "make judgments without necessarily being aware of all of the levers that are being pulled," said Maura Brannigan, head of content at public relations firm Jennifer Bett Communications and editor-at-large at Fashionista, leading to inaccurate accusations. To combat that reality, brands should be straightforward and build that trust with consumers directly, leaving less room for social media sleuths to pick them apart.

And if your brand makes a mistake, own it, don't try to hide it.

"The way to eliminate and diminish that type of backlash is to become comfortable with vulnerability," said McPherson. "Vulnerability is perceived to be an exposure to weakness, but it's actually an exposure to truth. It makes people understand and empathise with you better, and then, they're less likely to destroy you."

For example, when Gucci received backlash for selling a sweater that people online claimed made the wearer look like they were in Blackface, the brand apologised and immediately stopped selling the sweater, and in doing so, avoided lasting brand damage. By contrast, Dolce & Gabbana is still recovering from a 2018 controversy over a campaign that was criticised as racist to Chinese people after private messages from co-founder Stefano Gabbana defending the campaign were leaked.

Tell the Truth

Authenticity may be a marketing buzzword, but there's a reason for its omnipresence: Consumers care more about transparency - and they can tell when a brand isn't. PR has evolved to be less about creating spin and more about figuring out how to craft an honest message, according to McPherson.

"Denial is next to impossible to get through unscathed," said McPherson. "Now, everybody can investigate, and someone will find you out. Even if they don't have the proof, they're going to comment about why they think that you're not telling the truth.'"

Shein's influencer trip debacle earlier this year is an example: The brand flew a group of influencers to tour one of its factories in Guangzhou, China, in hopes of quieting chatter that the brand uses less-than-ethical manufacturing processes. But consumers didn't buy the claims because there have been numerous reports of labour abuses at Shein. Ultimately, the trip not only didn't help the brand achieve its original goal, but may have created further consumer distrust.

Some brands are using TikTokkers' willingness to offer opinions on their activities to their advantage. Activewear brand Halara, for example, uses TikTok as a tool to ask customers about design choices and preferences. Halara's global brand president Gabby Hirata said that the company is able to use the platform to "almost reverse engineer Halara's identity," where it begins with the customer and trickles up to the brand, rather than the other way around.

Now, people want to be a part of the dialogue around their favourite brands, and they don't need permission to do so. With just a few taps on their phone, any average social media user can essentially become a brand ambassador, whether brands want them to be or not.

Just look at Djerf Avenue, the apparel brand from Swedish influencer Matilda Djerf, which came under fire last month for removing videos that discussed "dupes" of the brand's products. Creators who had their videos taken down spoke out, arguing that they had claimed in their videos that the dupes didn't measure up - and were upset that the brand would take such action against small creators. Some even shared the emails the brand's legal team sent them on TikTok. In doing this, Djerf Avenue created a viral swarm that was arguably more damaging than the original videos were. (The brand said that it has instructed its intellectual property firm to stop reporting individual accounts and focus on third-party sellers of "dupe" items.)

Rather than try to quiet the chatter, experts say, brands should understand its inevitable - and work with consumers to guide the conversation, rather than attempt to control it.

"You need to trust your consumer base, and if they are providing you with criticism in any form, whether you deem it valid or not, they're still your customer, and it's incredibly important to listen to them," said Brannigan.

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Spin doctors and amateur sleuths relish in revealing the tricks of the trade on social media. As a result, today's consumers are savvier about spin than ever, forcing brands to change tactics.

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Danielle Bernstein has been to the brink and back.

The influencer, known for her outfit photos and candid Instagram Story posts, was an early fashion blogger who translated her fame to Instagram, and later, product, with a 2015 collaboration with swimwear brand Onia that turned into an ongoing partnership and a 2019 team-up with Joe's Jeans. But her attempt to parlay that moment into a fashion empire seemed to hit a roadblock in 2020, when, shortly after releasing a collection with Macy's, Bernstein was hit with accusations that her brand's skirts, dresses, and even face masks copied smaller designers' work.

The controversy drew far more attention online than her clothes; the mere mention of Bernstein's name on Instagram can attract a flood of negative comments. In January 2021, Insider even published an investigation into the accusations, uncovering new instances of alleged copying.

Bernstein always denied the allegations, even suing one brand after it accused her of copying a print.

Three years on, Bernstein is no longer working with Macy's (her partnership ended in early 2021). But her other brand, WeWoreWhat, is still going strong. Co-owned by Onia founders Carl Cunow and Nathan Romano, Bernstein said the brand hit $30 million in sales last year, through its own website and retail partners, including Revolve. She's aiming for up to $40 million in 2023. On Oct. 20, she's opening her first pop-up store, in New York's NoHo neighbourhood, and is set to roll out two new categories, handbags and shoes.

The number of influencers who have been able to build lasting brands that last beyond the initial rush of attention is small. Add in some launch-day controversy, and the odds grow even longer.

After a splashy launch in 2020, Arielle Charnas' Something Navy has closed its stores and its e-commerce website. Julia Berolzheimer shuttered her Gal Meets Glam clothing line in 2020, two years after launch (she's since debuted a smaller brand, Parterre, that releases a more curated product assortment). In January, Sephora dropped TikTok star Addison Rae Easterling's Item Beauty line. Two celebrity brand incubators, Forma Brands and Amyris, have filed for bankruptcy this year.

"Not all influencer-founded brands are that resilient," said Sinead Norenius-Raniere, vice president of product and creator marketing strategy at media software company Cision. "[Bernstein's] followers clearly feel deeply, deeply connected to her."

Bernstein said she feels she's been able to beat the odds because she's found the right partners and taken a slow-and-steady approach to building the business, beginning with swimwear before embracing other categories like ready-to-wear, activewear or jewellery.

The goal now, she said, is to build something that's bigger than social media.

"Just being an influencer, one second, you're the hottest thing and every brand wants to work with you and the next, you're potentially being cancelled," she said. "But if you own your own product, and you own your own brand, and it can extend past you and your reach, then you have a really big potential career."

The Comeback

WeWoreWhat isn't Bernstein's first brand. In 2016, she launched Second Skin Overalls, which sold one collection before shutting down. In 2015, she inked the Onia collaboration; in 2019, she debuted her own swimwear brand with the label.

The Macy's partnership, with a collection under her own name, was meant to take her personal brand to the next level, allowing Bernstein to branch out beyond swimwear and activewear, and to get her name in front of shoppers across the US.

At least, in theory. Her collection launched in 175 stores and Macy's website on March 5, 2020, selling $2.5 million worth of product on launch day, BoF reported at the time. A week later, the pandemic forced the vast majority of Macy's stores to close. The copycat accusations soon followed.

Bernstein says developing a "thick skin" helped her get through it.

"A big mistake I made when this was all happening was that I addressed every claim that came my way," said Bernstein. "Learning to totally block that noise out and not address it has not only been a game changer for my mental health, but for my team and the brand."

Bernstein said her critics seemed to be everywhere online, but she said there wasn't much overlap with her customer base, who remained loyal.

"Just because you're the loudest does not mean that is what the rest of your consumers think," Norenius-Raniere said.

In 2021, Bernstein said Macy's offered to renew the partnership for two more years. (A spokesperson for Macy's stated that "Macy's had a limited Danielle Bernstein capsule collection in 2020 that included four drops.") She decided to bring the ready-to-wear aspect of the business under the WeWoreWhat brand to get closer to that consumer, selling primarily through direct-to-consumer, which represents 70 percent of their sales, while wholesale is 30 percent. The brand has expanded far beyond its initial category, swimwear: activewear arrived in August 2020, ready-to-wear in April 2021, lingerie in January 2022, jewellery in May 2023.

"I had less control when it was with this massive retailer," she said. "There was good and bad involved with that, but being able to bring it under my brand allowed me to make sure that that was always a great experience for our customers."

Last Influencer Brand Standing

Those devoted consumers have helped grow WeWoreWhat at a time when investors and traditional brands are reconsidering the value of working so closely with influencers. The celebrity brand boom in fashion and beauty has come and gone, and it's become clear that more than a famous face with a devoted fanbase is needed to move product. Even Beyoncé's Ivy Park line with Adidas hasn't been a smash success; earlier this year the Wall Street Journal reported that the brand's sales reached $40 million in 2022, well below expectations of $250 million.

"Just because you have a big following does not equal success in retail," said Norenius-Raniere. "There's influencers that we look to for aspiration, but we wouldn't buy something from."

Today, WeWoreWhat has 40 employees, and Bernstein said staffers are vigilant about researching prints and designs on the market to ward off future copying claims.

The growth of the business has also meant that Bernstein's day-to-day has changed. Now, she said, she spends 90 percent of her time on WeWoreWhat the brand, and just 10 percent on more traditional influencer partnerships.

"It's not for everyone, building your own brand is a huge commitment. A lot of influencers that set out to create their own brands, they don't know the first step," she said. "That's nobody's fault, but I didn't pretend to know how to build my own brand. I went out there and found the right people to help me do so."

She's still her brand's most potent marketing tool. WeWoreWhat is a constant presence on Bernstein's own feed, though the brand now works with other influencers too, including a sponsored trip to Tuscany in May.

The pop-up shop is set to open Oct. 20 and will run through the end of the year. The pop-up will also carry a new collection of cotton basics, and play host to a variety of customer and influencer events throughout the fall. If it goes well, permanent retail spaces could follow. After shoes and bags, she's considered a home line.

Bernstein said her experience at the centre of a social media firestorm that become something of a ritual for public figures today. Her takeaway: listen to her gut, listen to her team and focus on the ultimate goal - growing WeWoreWhat.

"I've never apologised for who I am," she said. "Although, if I make a mistake, of course, I'll apologise."
Editor's Note: An earlier version of this story stated that Danielle Bernstein began her partnership with Onia in 2017. This is incorrect, the partnership began in 2015.

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How Danielle Bernstein's WeWoreWhat Broke the Influencer Brand Curse

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Three years after accusations of copycat designs threatened to derail her fashion career, the influencer's WeWoreWhat brand is going strong, and looking to expand.

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Guest speaker Kemi coming into the lecture and talking about her vastly growing business and the success that has evolved from starting up only a few years ago. Her story and what she does do be sustainable as a business is empowering and inspirational.

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Easy to get along with and approachable in many situations, meaning people in the group feel like they can come to me but also say how they feel in order for us to get along as a team.

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Great team work skills, I feel like i can make sure everyone in the group is on track and feel at ease to distribute tasks in order for the work to get done.

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I feel very confident in using Canva, adobe and Digital design skills including Microsoft 365,

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Proficient skills to create and market trend level research, consumer insights from past university projects, this has set me in good steed for the future.

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Experience in working to meet deadlines in short time frames, therefore see myself as a person who works well under pressure.

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Customer behaviour and experience, Importance of number and Budget, remembering orders - shows organisational ability and time management skills and multitasking.

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Description

For this upcoming project we were put into groups decided by our lectures, and were given the option of three choices to pick from. The one we picked as a group was Future Fashion Fair as we thought it was more relatable to us as a group and made things flow as we were interested into the topic of sustainability. When deciding the company, one of our main aims was picking a brand and topic that we found interesting and felt like we could talk about for days on end. Additionally, finding more and more out about the brand and therefore also being creative with the campaign considering many options we can include to make consumers more aware of future fashion fair. Evidently we had to disperse the tasks into 3 ways so we could all get on with our work load at home which made it easier for all 3 of us to focus on a few sections rather than being overwhelmed by lots of information.

Feelings

Initially, I think we all felt overwhelmed at the thought of woking with people we hadn’t worked with before, as we didn’t know how people coped with work loads, deadlines and getting the work complete, however this was soon overcome when we all saw how much we contributed to the work for the powerpoint in November to pitch our idea. By taking the pressure off each other, splitting the word count and sections and also arranging weekly face times calls to discuss any problems we all had definitely helped us to overcome the stress. By acknowledging the issue of finishing early for Christmas meant we couldn’t work in person together, this felt like we were being held back but acknowledging it as a group it made us all feel as of we could relay on each other to get the work complete on time by agreeing to a plan that worked for everyone. At this point I made me realise how well I worked as a team and how I had to stand up in certain situations.

Evaluation

Upon reflection, making the strengths and improvements form when we first got put into a group together made us all realise who was better at what and made it easier to delegate tasks, this took pressure off the situation. However we did end up being quite tight for time and realising we had to maximise our time wisely in order to get all the tasks done promptly.

Analysis

Factors I’m going to takeaway from this assignment is realised that being pushed out off your comfort zone to work with people you don’t know is such a positive aspect to the course and is something I will use in day to day life in my future job, however I do believe that if we were able to have more say in the budget our campaign could of been reached by a bigger crowd.

Conclusion:

This research project taught me how well we all communicate as a team, and stand up in certain situations where I feel is correct. However if I was to do this task again, I would defiantly start it earlier, I think with having this alongside another time consuming project meant, I wasn’t able to spend as much time on it as I would of liked too.

Action plan

To improve in the future, time management will be a bigger focus of mine and also making sure we are all happy with what we are working with, making sure we are always helping each other out. Additionally, making sure models added are relatable to what we are doing and not just including them because they are on the checklist.