Did Victoria's Secret's attempt at rebranding itself actually work?

The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show (VSFS) made its return to the runway last week after a six-year break. The surprise return came in the form of an Instagram post in May this year with the caption:

"We’ve read the comments and heard you. The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show is back and will reflect who we are today, plus everything you know and love—the glamour, runway, wings, musical entertainment, and more." 

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The show opened with angel Gigi Hadid and closed with retired model Tyra Banks. It also featured plus-sized models Jill Kortleve, Ashley Graham, Paloma Elsesser, older models Kate Moss, Carla Bruni, Eva Herzigová and even transgender model Alex Consani. 

Victoria's Secret journey to diversity 

The show was first cancelled in 2019 as it had no immediate impact to sales and was suffering from dwindling viewership, according to former L Brands' CFO Stuart Burgdoerfer. 

At the same time, L Brands was looking to "evolve the marketing" of the lingerie brand as consumers turn to body inclusivity. Following which, the brand unveiled a string of partnerships in 2021 with a group of accomplished women who share a common passion to drive positive change under "The VS Collective". 

"At Victoria's Secret, we are on an incredible journey to become the world's leading advocate for women. This is a dramatic shift for our brand, and it's a shift that we embrace from our core," said Martin Waters, chief executive officer, Victoria's Secret in 2021.

The collective, which includes soccer player Megan Rapinoe, actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas and plus-size model Paloma Elsesser - are known for their advocacy work in gender equality and body positivity, as well as represent a wider range of body types and sexual and gender identities. 

According to media intelligence firm Truescope, the Victoria's Secret brand saw a significant spike in social engagement and mentions on 16 October, the day after its fashion show returned. It amassed 45,526 interactions and 601 mentions. 

The posts that drove the most engagement focused on the inclusion of transgender models and the representation of Indian models, signaling a strong response to the brand's diverse and inclusive approach in this year's VSFS, said Truescope. 

The show even received an overall engagement rate of 64,599, a 1,368.5% increase from the previous period and a 219.1% spike in mentions. Of which, the mentions found that the VSFS gathered favourable discussions on social media, with netizens expressing support for its efforts to be more inclusive.

Generally, the brand was praised for celebrating a wider range of body types and genders. Some netizens voiced nostalgia for the earlier Victoria’s Secret shows, which featured traditionally slim supermodels. They argued that the new focus on body positivity detracts from the show’s former sense of glamour and fantasy, said Truescope. 

While supporters lauded the brand’s progressive shift, emphasising the importance of diverse representation, Truescope revealed that there was some resistance to the inclusion of transgender models. 

Truescope also found that VSFS' word cloud included words and phrases such as 'inclusive marketing', 'iconic', 'grand return', 'diverse communities' and 'first transgender models' among others. 

Interestingly, the show gained most attention from Thailand, according to media intelligence firm CARMA. Thailand made up 88.4% of the conversation online in the Asia region, with India following behind with 4.9%, followed by Philippines (2.1%), Japan (1.6%), South Korea (0.7%), Indonesia (0.6%) and Malaysia (0.5%). 

In Thailand, majority of mentions were about Lisa, a Thai singer and performer who was featured in the show, said CARMA. 

Progressive or performative? 

While the show did get netizens talking online, marketers that MARKETING-INTERACTIVE spoke to are not confident that the show successfully changed Victoria's Secret image to a diverse and inclusive brand. 

Stella Wong, founder of Brand Soul Malaysia said it’s still too early to fully assess whether Victoria’s Secret has completely transformed its image but that she holds out hope. 

"Their efforts to embrace body diversity and celebrate all women are steps in the right direction. If Victoria’s Secret sustains this shift toward inclusivity and follows through with continuous, meaningful initiatives, it could help the brand rebuild trust with audiences and align itself with modern values," added Wong. 

To Wong, inclusivity and diversity reflects the reality of different backgrounds, culturals and life experiences, adding that its appeal is both profound and multifaceted. 

"On a personal level, inclusivity means feeling valued, appreciated, and respected for who you are. It breaks down barriers, reduces biases, and helps people connect on a deeper level, fostering a sense of belonging that is vital in today’s world," said Wong. 

Meanwhile, Graham Hitchmough, chief operating officer, The Bonsey Design Partnership, is of the opinion that it will take "a lot more than a successful return to the runway for Victoria’s Secret to address its many reputational and commercial challenges." 

"With a more diverse cast, a 7% rise in the share price, and 5,000% increase in social media mentions, the show can be seen to have done its job," said Hitchmough, adding:

"The reality is that a lingerie runway show as a platform for DEI will always be compromised."

"Victoria’s Secret will always struggle to compete in terms of DEI perceptions relative to fast-growing competitors such as Skims, where such ideologies are fundamental," said Hitchmough.

According to Hitchmough, Victoria's Secret grew up in and helped define a previous age and now faces the challenge of reinventing and detoxifying what made the brand dominant, all while exploring ways to find relevance and respect among new generations of consumers.

"Some of these efforts may be performative, but that doesn’t diminish the importance of Victoria's Secret pursuing diversity and inclusion both in principle and in practice," added Hitchmough. 

The secret to a major rebrand

Hitchmough said that a globally live-streamed catwalk show will always represent 'vanity'. Meanwhile, 'sanity' is reflected in the brand's "less showy strategies", added Hitchmough. This includes Victoria's Secret's focus on experiential retail and eCommerce, an extension into more accessible product lines and most notably, its focus on growing the Asian market, particularly Greater China. 

"In China, the emphasis has been on smart collaborations with local brands and celebrities that help broaden VS’s reach and appeal and support the company’s DEI credentials in more subtle and credible ways," explained Hitchmough. 

He added that Victoria's Secret bears a particular responsibility to make amends for its legacy of promoting unrepresentative, and unhealthy feminine stereotypes.

"Despite the fanfare of its New York runway return, the event serves more as a reminder of the company’s past than a blueprint for its future," said Hitchmough, adding:

"It will be the brand’s more nuanced moves – localisation, collaboration and product diversification – that ultimately decide whether Victoria’s Secret can recapture its market influence in a more positive and progressive way."

Similarly, Wong is of the opinion that Victoria's Secret can leverage its global reach and influence to promote diversity and inclusivity instead of purely selling products. 

She added that Victoria's Secret's strong brand presence and digital channels could be used to initiate community engagements programs that support unheard voices while promoting racial and body equity. 

"Similar to Adidas, which has positioned itself as a brand that empowers athletes rather than just selling shoes, Victoria’s Secret could celebrate all women’s stories and unique journeys, fostering a culture of women’s empowerment that goes beyond fashion," explained Wong. 

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