During my marketing research, I wanted to figure out our best tactic to appeal to Gen-Z. I looked at case studies on brands that utilized direct-to-consumer marketing. Bobby Hundreds – an individual I reference a lot from the streetwear community defined this marketing as: Direct-to-consumer doesn’t just stop with sales. It encompasses marketing, cultivating trust, and most importantly, community building. I reference him as he is one of the first transparent individuals to discuss what goes on behind the smoke and mirrors of drops and parties within elevated streetwear. He was also the first to do this before it recently became a thing desired by Gen-Z. He had a voice online through his blog, and took the feedback his audience gave him to heart and changed how The Hundreds could accommodate them.
A more recent brand created by students in New York is Parade – a sustainable and inclusive underwear company. They aim to make a cultural impact on Gen-Z, through their usage of Influencers to their tone of voice. For Parade, they believe social media ads don’t cut it and that means their shift to focus is in community, text and digital experiences.
Brands like Glossier, Parade, Warby Parker, etc. all utilize this community driven contact, just as YOUNIFORM will based on its relationship the elevated streetwear community. Streetwear was born in community and rebellion and it will continue to rise due to the open mindset of Generation Z, or what Bobby Hundreds calls them – the new wave generation. The ones who were raised on his blog, and will continue the legacy for those who interpreted the subculture when it first was born.