How Is This Brand Growing Faster Than Nvidia?

Abercrombie was very in-demand in the 90s (referenced in pop songs etc.)

Then it dropped off a cliff as it’s over-the-top ‘sex sells’ approach felt completely out of kilter with where the world was heading.

As The Cut tells us, ‘The Abercrombie brand, once an easy cultural punching bag, now brings in more revenue than it did when it dominated teen culture in the aughts’.

Hell, the stock is even beating Nvidia (it is up five-fold).

And favourability among millennials reached a record high in the first quarter of 2024. It’s also making gains with Gen Zers, according to Business Insider.

But how did they do it?

Let’s dig into three key factors and what other brands can learn…

Let Influencers, Influence

So many brands engage influencers in such a strict way, overwhelming them with dos and don’ts that ultimately create less effective communication.

As per Ali Grant, a partner and the chief marketing officer at the Digital Dept., an influencer-management company in the same Business Insider article:

“They really allow for creative exploration and direction from the content creator they’ve hired, which is really rare.”

Moving Fast

Fashion has historically responded to the seasons, but it now takes a dramatically different approach, mirroring the fact that trends in general are more fleeting.

To quote the Financial Times:

“Depending on the category, Abercrombie now places orders a few months or weeks in advance, compared with the traditional industry standard of about nine months ahead of time.”

Minimal Aesthetic

Perhaps because trends move so fast, people are buying brands that are more minimalist and able to adapt for different looks (the exception to this is shameless merch items). In short, whereas Abercrombie once sold status, it now sells trend-driven value.

As The Cut article says:

“We all know sex sells, but, it turns out, so does boring.”

Why does this matter for marketers?

Firstly, brands can come back from the dead.

Secondly, it is possible to charge a relative premium in an inclusive way.

Finally, the speed of trends these days (if you can even call them trends) means that traditional product cycles often need to be thrown out of the window.

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Bonus Link: Guess which brand is filling the thirsty gap left by Abercrombie?