Among UAE’s home-grown sustainable fashion brands, The Giving Movement has been garnering significant attention and making waves.
Their unique blend of stylish designs and commitment to sustainability has resonated well with consumers both locally and globally.
The brand emphasises ethical production practices and a commitment to giving back to society. They offer a range of clothing and accessories that are both fashionable and eco-friendly.
It’s philanthropic initiatives, where a portion of proceeds goes towards charitable causes, adds another layer of appeal to the brand. This not only attracts socially conscious consumers but also reflects the brand’s commitment to making a positive impact on society.
Founded by Dominic Nowell-Barnes in 2020, with a goal to develop a “new model where sustainability is curated for youth, a disruptive brand that creates meaningful apparel — making an impact with every purchase.”
Nicolas Nath, Chief Brand Officer at The Giving Movement speaks to Campaign Middle East about marketing strategies, adapting to evolving consumer needs and standing out from the crowd.
What marketing strategies do you use to influence consumer purchasing decisions and behaviour?
At TGM, it always starts with the consumer in mind. We have great cross-functional collaboration to ensure we stay agile and consumer-centric across the marketing funnel. Every week, tech, growth, CS, product, and brand teams meet to analyse feedback, look at data, and to share insights.
We have been quite heavily focused on the bottom of the funnel which is normal for a startup/scale-up brand. As we continue to grow, so will our activities at the top of the funnel. But I’m proud to see how we’re continuously evolving.
One great example is how amazing tech team is. By looking at data, they’ve amplified the consumer journey, which has led to improved KPI’s.
What’s the biggest challenge for e-commerce and a digital-first approach?
The digital landscape has drastically changed over the last few years. The barriers to entry are non-existent today and anyone can start a fashion brand within hours, thus the competitive landscape is ever-growing.
I believe there are two things to consider. The first one is regarding your “HOC” which ideally sits in both brand and product. You have to have a strong proposition, something that makes you stand out, be it your brand identity, design and quality of goods or marketing tactics.
The second aspect to consider is your omni-channel solution. In the fashion space, consumers across the globe have returned to the physical shopping world, they want to touch and try the products as well as get an inspiring retail experience. Both of these aspects are something we at TGM are putting a lot of focus on.
Can you share an example of a creative campaign and how it resonated with your target audience?
In recent months, we have put a lot of work into the evolution of our brand identity. We are extremely proud to be born in Dubai; our headquarters are based here, our production is local, and our creative output is inspired by this region.
Dominic Nowell-Barnes, founder of The Giving Movement had a very clear vision of giving back to society and leaving a lasting footprint.
These are core values that we live by. We are a socially impact-driven brand; our slogan is “Humanity in Motion,” and at the same time, we are known for our eco-friendly materials and comfortable design.
The latest campaigns are a case in point. Whether it’s the UAE National Day, our travel campaign, or our latest “24/7 Iconic” campaign, we have amplified these elements.
The results show that consumers appreciate this, with our social engagement growing month-on-month by 116 per cent and our reach increasing by 16 per cent.
How do you ensure influencer partnerships reflect social impact values?
Our influencer strategy, or “people of influence” as we prefer calling it, is evolving and our core values such as being eco-friendly, impact driven, and proud of our heritage need to align with our partners.
We get a lot of collaboration requests that would make sense financially, but that we turn down because they don’t align with our values.
Thus, when choosing partners, we look at their history, values, their current content and discuss what we both want to accomplish. If this rims well, we get the ball rolling.
How does the brand stay agile and adaptable, especially when it comes to implementing creative campaigns that stand out from the competition?
I’m a firm believer that with the right team behind a product or a brand, true magic will happen. It is important to allow for creative freedom, being bold, supporting research, being out and about to understand what’s trending.
And I’m lucky to have a very talented, passionate, and committed marketing team. This is how we stay agile and adapt, by having a great team that feels empowered, engaged, and happy.
