top of page
Search

Get personal: What Aerie's "Role Models" teach us about opinion leaders

  • elisabethmartin0
  • Feb 28, 2019
  • 3 min read

If you're not talking about what your favorite underwear company is doing to change the world, you should be.

ree

Aerie is not only a brand that sells high-quality apparel and accessories for women across the United States, but a brand that has mastered the use of opinion leaders to make customers feel good about what they are buying.


An opinion leader is somebody you like so much that you just have to get your hands on the latest thing they've been talking about. They're on the front of every trend, and if done right, they're the first person you go to for advice about, well, anything.


I mean, look at these women. Doesn't this squad look like your new best friends?

ree
Photo from @Aerie on Instagram

Aerie has created the super successful campaign #AerieREAL with the help of some influential, successful, and beautiful women who tell you that you can be whoever you want and wear whatever you want, as long as you're happy.


I'm here to share five reasons that Aerie's opinion leaders are effective (and things your brand should be aware of when choosing opinion leaders, too!)


1. Aerie's "Role Models" practice what they preach.

The women who model for Aerie are accomplished advocates for women and body positivity. The group includes women who were game changers in their fields, including:

  • U.S. Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman, who in addition to her accomplished gymnastics career gave a courageous testimony against her abuser in court as the world watched in January 2018.

  • Plus-size model Iskra Lawrence, who was the first plus-size model to be the face of Aerie and has done extensive advocacy for body positivity, self love and eating disorder awareness.

  • Actress and activist Jameela Jamil, who founded an organization called "I weigh" as a way to address the importance of looking beyond weight and conventional beauty standards for women.


ree
Glamour magazine's headline says it all.

Since Aerie has chosen their opinion leaders wisely, customers are more likely to find them trustworthy since their values line up with Aerie's messaging.



2. The "Role Models" are well established on social media.

For example, Role Model Brenna Huckaby has 88.8k followers on Instagram, Cleo Wade has over 483k followers on Instagram, and Iskra Lawrence has more than Aerie itself with 4.4 million (quadrupling Aerie's 1 million.) These women can reach many more people than Aerie alone can, and the Role Models' large following is another testament to how likable and influential they are.


ree

3. Aerie's customers can see themselves in these opinion leaders.

ree
Photo from @Aerie on Instagram

Role Models come from many different backgrounds, with diverse characteristics and personalities. Using a diverse group of opinion leaders appeals to a wider audience. Additionally, when you see somebody who looks like you, you're more likely to listen to what they have to say. This is the backbone of Aerie's entire #AerieREAL campaign- women want to see people like them modeling clothing. They are tired of looking at the same artificial, unattainable body that models so many clothes.


4. "Role Models" engage with their audience and work to engage in interpersonal interactions.

Opinions aren't changed overnight, and the reason that opinion leaders work so well is because people are more likely to be persuaded by people they know than by people they don't. Aerie models engage with their audiences by sharing personal stories, private photos, and asking questions on social media. This keeps followers feeling updated on their lives and therefore, like friends.

ree

ree



5. Aerie doesn't just use their "Role Models" to sell products.

These models are well-rounded individuals with stories to share, struggles to endure, and advice to offer. Aerie emphasizes that through creating and sharing videos in which Role Models answer questions like "What is your super power?" For example, Role Model Samira Wiley responds, "My smile, because it's not just a smile, it's everything that emanates from that." She speaks about the importance of inclusivity and being happy in your own skin. There is no mention of a product in this video, but instead there is a beautiful emphasis on the person.


For Aerie, clothes don't make the woman special- the woman makes the clothes special. That is what opinion leaders are really about: making the customer feel like they are valued and they belong with your brand.

ree

Sources:

 
 
 

Comments

bottom of page