How many of you still remember the last album Rihanna released? It is hard to recall it as the album Nothing Is Promisedwas released three years ago. However, Rihanna has never faded away.
Last month, I went to Fenty Beauty and tried its Diamond highlighter. The moment I applied it on my cheek, I become the follower of the Fenty Empire. It is interesting to study how Rihanna trades her cultural capital to commercial success. Before studying how Rihanna builds up her empire, Let’s reflect on the pivotal moments of the Fenty Impact.
2011: Rihanna releases her first fragrance
2011: Rihanna becomes the face of Armani
2013: Rihanna launches her first collaboration with MAC Cosmetics
2014: Rihanna wins CFDA Fashion Icon Award
2015: Rihanna launches beauty and style agency Fr8me
2016: Fenty PUMA debuts at New York Fashion Week and Rihanna wins Shoe of the Year
2017: Fenty Beauty launches, catering to women of all colors
2018: Savage x Fenty lingerie line arrives
2019: LVMH makes Fenty a luxury house
It is fair to say that the success of Rihanna in the fashion industry is not a coincidence. What can we learn from Rihanna’s huge success as a marketing venture?
1. Collaboration
When started stepping on the fashion stage, Rihanna chose to work with other brands like PUMA, MAC. Celebrities like Rihanna indeed have great potential marketing power. However, the costumers still fail to connect the cultural capital of celebrities with the products they designed. In that case, working with companies who have already had solid customer bases and financial support is a good start. The success of celebrity collaboration can benefit both the brand and the celebrity. Take myself as an example, the only sneakers I bought from PUMA are the Fenty PUMA sneakers due to their iconic design and wearability. Impressed by the design of Fenty sneakers, I would like to purchase them considering PUMA produces high-quality sneakers.
2. Listen to ALL customers
After being recognized by the market about her fashion talents, Rihanna is destined to start her empire. One thing important in Rihanna’s success is how she bridges with the market’s demands. Fenty Beauty is famous for its 40 shades of foundation. It is the first time that a brand covers almost every skin tone in its foundation line which shows Fenty Beauty’s great respect for all customers. Rihanna is successful in adopting inclusive marketing strategies. Instead of focusing on particular target audiences, Fenty is trying to attract every single customer by providing them with the products they want and build an emotional connection. The inclusivity sounds inefficient, but the huge success of Fenty Beauty proves that it is profitable as it maintains the conversation between the brand and the costumers.
3. Facts speak louder than ads
In the era of social media, taking good advantage of media platforms is essential to brands. When I was about to buy the highlighter, I searched online and found positive reviews on it. These real and authentic product reviews are essential in pushing me to buy this product. Fenty Beauty has realized the great power of customer engagement. On the official page of Fenty Beauty, they used the pictures and words from ordinary customers rather than influencers. As a result, Fenty Beauty makes full use of words of mouths.
Rihanna has successfully positioned herself as an influential empire rather than a fashion icon or a singer. Her great success is always an interesting topic for people to think about.
References
Snowden, H. (2019, June 25). Rihanna’s Fashion Career – a Full Timeline: From Firsts to Fenty. Retrieved from https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/rihanna-fashion-timeline/
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