What Marketers Can Learn From Victoria's Secret's Partnership With TikTok Star Remi Bader

Source: Remi Bader

Victoria's Secret and Remi Bader recently announced a new partnership that will see the TikTok star serve as a year-long brand ambassador and size consultant for the brand’s PINK line.

With over 2.4 million TikTok followers, Bader has quickly established herself as a prominent voice for size inclusion in the fashion industry by showcasing try-on hauls, offering honest feedback on inclusive clothing, and discussing mental health.

As part of the partnership, Bader will design a collection of her favorite PINK products, help launch PINK’s first XXL swimwear line, participate in brand activations and events, mentor Campus Reps (the brand's student ambassadors), and much more.

The partnership encompasses multiple components, including several stand-out elements. Below, you’ll find key highlights, takeaways, and applications for marketers.

Authenticity Is The Core Of Successful Partnerships

With PINK's efforts to be more inclusive and Bader's content focusing on inclusivity, the partnership is a natural fit. The clothing line's public statements indicate a desire to push boundaries and affect real change, a sentiment shared by Bader as well. Bader's niche and PINK's desired state are clear. Rather than having to adapt to each other's missions or values, the two parties are already on the same page, allowing them to move forward immediately with their partnership. Ultimately, both parties can act as extensions of each other without being forced.

Whether digital-native creators or celebrities, one of the key characteristics of a successful brand partnership is that it is authentic and natural. Brands and creators should always have something in common, whether it's something as simple as creators being existing customers or something as powerful as shared missions and values. Bader and PINK connect on both.

Influencers Can Drive Value As Strategic Consultants

Maybe one of the most important aspects of Bader's new role is the size consultant piece. As PINK expands into XXL swimwear for the first time, Bader's expertise and knowledge of the market are imperative. She's able to give insight on the technical aspects and the messaging that her community will connect with. She knows what will resonate with PINK's new target audience as evidenced by her hundreds of viral try-on hauls that have garnered over 60 million likes. Victoria's Secret has a history of not being inclusive, so an expert such as Bader can fill existing gaps between the company and today’s current landscape.

Influencers as consultants present one of the biggest opportunities for brands today. Creators are already seen as means of creating content and reaching audiences, but they can be strategic consultants as well. Through their insights, expertise, and experiences, they can help brands enter new markets and product categories, improve their positioning, and stay abreast of the latest industry and digital trends. By leveraging creators beyond traditional tactics like social posts, brands can work with influencers throughout various steps of the marketing process (e.g. research, strategy, ideation, concept testing, etc.) to drive more value and growth for their business.

Brands Can Also Help Nurture & Grow Creators

Despite a lack of details around Bader’s mentorship role with Campus Reps, it likely will be centered around providing ambassadors with advice and tips on content creation, navigating the digital world, building a career, and being an activist. Through Bader's guidance, PINK can cultivate and grow its ambassador network and make them stronger brand advocates.

It is a relatively new concept, but brands are starting to educate creators in recent months. Companies like Walt Disney, Gatorade, Chipotle Mexican Grill, and the WWE integrate education and mentoring into their brand ambassador programs and creator classes, which include webinars that teach creators about content creation, branding, media training, business, monetization, and much more.

Even though brands typically look for creators for their expertise, there are things such as business-related topics that brands can teach creators. Brands can provide creators with resources to accelerate their careers through education, guidance, or mentorship. This isn’t just beneficial for creators, either. Investing in creators can help them become stronger partners for the brand and also move influencer partnerships beyond transactional relationships and into true collaboration.

An Increasing Trend: Deeper Ambassador Programs

Victoria's Secret bringing Bader abroad demonstrates a trend of brands engaging digital creators for deeper brand ambassador programs, where creators can make a significant impact on multiple facets of their business.

Relationships between brands and creators that start and end with content creation are fast becoming a thing of the past. Today's savvy brands are finding new ways to engage creators, big and small, that allow them to be an extension of their brand and team, and increase their chances of success.