SHEIN goes on marketing talent hunt in SG across a slew of verticals

Online fashion e-tailer SHEIN is looking to increase its workforce in Singapore by four times, reaching around 200 employees by the end of the year. A quick check by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE on LinkedIn revealed that some of the jobs listed include roles in eCommerce marketing, influencer marketing, social media marketing and PR. SHEIN declined to comment on MARKETING INTERACTIVE's queries. 

According to Reuters, SHEIN is currently also advertising for government relations associates as well as for human resources and IT. The hiring comes as SHEIN looks to expand its Singapore offices to support the firm's growth in the Southeast Asian market, Reuters reported. SHEIN first expanded to Singapore and the Southeast Asia region in June last year, with a new hub based in Singapore. The expansion of the brand’s international footprint was accompanied by the launch of its SHEIN VACAY MODE campaign, which ran until 5 July 2021, featuring its summer series with various coupons offered to SHEIN users.

It also appointed Mercury Marketing and Communications to manage its PR duties, and later launched a standalone website for shoppers in Malaysia. SHEIN's spokesperson told MARKETING-INTERACTIVE then that as part of its marketing strategies in the region, it will focus on its niche, digital and influencer marketing. In July that year, SHEIN ceased operations in Indonesia.

According to SHEIN, it experienced positive growth with a community of about 100 million members and approximately 230 million app downloads globally since its launch more than a decade ago in 2008. Multiple media reports including the South China Morning Post said that SHEIN was founded in a city in eastern China known as Nanjing, and has exploded in popularity among American teams. 

Despite its Asian roots, SHEIN's branding and user interface is more Westernised, with the brand using mainly Western or pan-Asian looking models in the online catalogue and ads. It also has plenty of product reviews from users globally. The spokesperson explained to MARKETING-INTERACTIVE then that as America was one of the first regions it expanded into, naturally, Western models were used for these campaigns. "With the expansion over the years to other regions, the models we had fronting campaigns shifted to different nationalities as well in order to ensure market relevancy. Part of the brand’s identity stems from values like inclusivity and diversity and we are committed to the philosophy that everyone can enjoy the beauty of fashion," said the spokesperson.

SHEIN has declined to comment. 

Meanwhile, SHEIN has also had a fair bit of criticism by the fashion community. A quick search by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE on social media revealed that SHEIN has been accused by independent creators for allegedly ripping off their designs and make from independent creators. For instance, Mariama Diallo, who runs her own apparel line called Sincerely RIA, called out the marketplace for copying the design of one of her dresses.

https://twitter.com/MariamaDiallo__/status/1403426272789680129

Elexiay's owner, who sells crotchet apparel, also took to twitter to vent her frustrations.

https://twitter.com/TheElleyy/status/1416111425337053192

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Fast fashion brand SHEIN enters SEA with new SG hub