Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.
Lingerie chain Victoria’s Secret has long struggled with its marketing strategy, previously criticized for creating unreachable and unhealthy beauty standards.
It is now the brand’s attempt at becoming more inclusive and providing further visibility for marginalized communities which has sparked outrage across the internet.
Highlights
- Victoria's Secret drops inclusivity efforts after sales decline.
- CEO admits inclusivity didn't improve profitability.
- Company aims to surpass $7 billion in annual sales.
- Victoria's Secret stock rose 15% after strategy shift.
Victoria’s Secret's “woke and feminist makeover over the recent years” is now being ditched amidst a drop in sales
Image credits: gettyimages
Back in 2018, Victoria’s Secret former chief marketing officer Ed Razek was slammed for making insensitive remarks about brand talent.
Responsible for a homogenous, airbrushed, and sexualized brand image, Razek infuriated the public with comments he made in a Vogue.com interview about Victoria’s Secret’s casting practices: “Shouldn’t you have transsexuals in the show? No. No, I don’t think we should. Well, why not? Because the show is a fantasy.”
Surprisingly, the confirmation of Razek’s departure came on the same day when news talks began circulating that Victoria’s Secret had hired its first-ever transgender model, Valentina Sampaio.
Victoria's Secret has long struggled with its marketing strategy, previously criticized for creating unreachable and unhealthy beauty standards
Image credits: gettyimages
A year later, the lingerie company signed Ali Tate-Cutler, its first-ever size-14 model.
The retailer worth billions of dollars has since undergone a rebranding, with new CEO Martin Waters being appointed in 2021, implementing policy changes and new partnerships with a number of new spokeswomen including Megan Rapinoe, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, and Naomi Osaka.
But new reports have revealed that Victoria’s Secret’s “woke and feminist makeover over the recent years” was being ditched, as it didn’t translate to business success after all.
As of May 2020, with over 1,070 stores, Victoria's Secret reportedly remained the largest lingerie retailer in the United States
Image credits: Phillip Pessar
According to Business Of Fashion, the company spent the last two years overhauling its hyper-sexualized image in a bid to regain cultural relevance, and yet, sales have continued to decline.
The retailer’s prime objective now has reportedly been to improve profitability and cross back over $7 billion in annual sales.
As of May 2020, with over 1,070 stores, Victoria’s Secret reportedly remained the largest lingerie retailer in the United States.
Victoria's Secret spent the last two years overhauling its hyper-sexualized image in a bid to regain cultural relevance
Image credits: candicehuffine
In a new attempt to revitalize itself, the brand has planned to bring back “sexiness.”
As reported by CNN, Victoria’s Secret’s efforts to promote inclusivity – which included getting rid of its famous “Angels” supermodels – earned “favorable reviews from online critics [but] never translated into sales.
”The retailer’s projected revenue for 2023 is reportedly $6.2 billion, which is 5% lower than it was last year, and even lower than 2020, when the brand’s revenue was $7.5 billion.
The retailer's prime objective now is to improve profitability and cross back over $7 billion in annual sales
Image credits: victoriassecret
Victoria’s Secret stock soared 15% in just five days after ditching its “wokeness strategy,”
Finbold reported.
Finbold reported.
The decline in Victoria’s Secret’s sales coincided with the company’s decision to predominantly comprise its board of directors with women.
In 2021, American football star Megan called out the brand before its rebranding, claiming it had sent out a “really harmful” message that was “patriarchal, sexist, viewing not just what it meant to be sexy but what the clothes were trying to accomplish through a male lens and through what men desired.”
Victoria’s Secret’s efforts to promote inclusivity included getting rid of its famous “Angels” supermodels, notable for their extremely skinny body type
Image credits: victoriassecret
She also said that Victoria’s Secret’s image “was very much marketed toward younger women.
”Victoria’s Secret: The Tour ’23 new fashion show has reportedly displayed what “fell somewhere in between the personification of male lust of the brand’s aughts-era heyday and the inclusive utopia promoted by its many disruptors.”
Victoria’s Secret and Pink brand president, Greg Unis, outlined this fresh corporate direction when he reportedly addressed investors: “Sexiness can be inclusive.”
The decline in Victoria's Secret's sales coincided with the company's decision to predominantly comprise its board of directors with women
Image credits: victoriassecret
He had explained that “Sexiness can celebrate the diverse experiences of our customers and that’s what we’re focused on.”
Nevertheless, CEO Martin reportedly admitted that the inclusivity initiatives were not profitable for the company, stating, “Despite everyone’s best endeavors, it’s not been enough to carry the day.”
According to Unreserved Media, Victoria’s Secret has had trouble withstanding newer brands who have marketed themselves as being inclusive from the start, such as Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty, because “Victoria’s Secret was built from the male gaze, while Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty is all about what women want.”
Megan Rapinoe called out the brand before its rebranding, claiming it had sent out a “really harmful” message that was “patriarchal and sexist"
Image credits: victoriassecret
“Victoria’s Secret’s show was known for skinny supermodels, featuring the most beautiful women in the world, while your everyday girl could only wish to look like a Victoria’s Secret model. The brand was selling an unachievable reality,” the publication stated.
CEO Martin Waters admitted that the inclusivity initiatives were not profitable for the company
Image credits: victoriassecret
It explained: “Savage on the other hand embraces diversity, a movement that shook social media and almost every well-known fashion and beauty brand in the world.
“The lingerie brand speaks diversity in every form, featuring women and men of all sizes, skin tones, and ages, including pregnant [people] and drag queens.”
Many people were unsurprised at the announcement, while others thought the drop in sales was caused by poor quality products
