Chapter 22: The Alchemy of Fashion Influencer Brands: Emergence, Social Identity and Follower-based Influencer Brand Equity

Over time, it has become more evident that the use of influencers in fashion marketing communications is vital to success of fashion brands. This chapter offers an exposition of fashion influencer brands including a definition and examination of the concept of influencer brands and development and expression of social identity and its role in the FIBE ecosystem.

At the simplest level, a brand is defined as an identifier, which functions as an economic tool to support selling products. Perceived in this way, it serves to distinguish an organisation’s product or service as distinct from competitors (Veloutsou & Guzman, 2017). Whilst this definition is relevant, it is limited. Rather, a broader range of associations exist (Holt, 2003; Kotler & Keller, 2016; Moore & Reid, 2008). For example, beyond a brand functioning as a passive entity of a marketing transaction, it serves as a relationship partner, which as in any relationship, can add significant meaning to the life of a person (Fournier, 1998). Further, beyond the individual, brands can be used to build communities, wherein interests are shared, and social relationships formed amongst a group of admirers of a particular brand (Ritch & McColl, 2021). Examples of successful fashion and lifestyle brand communities include Nike, Dove and Timberland (Kim & Sullivan, 2019) wherein the brand and its community is representative of a cultural asset. That is, the brand functions to bind people together and provide value (Holt, 2003). In addition, it can be symbolic of whatever the individual and community wishes the brand to be (Keller, 1993).