Nerd Fashion and Mainstream Marketing

Nerd fashion has many faces, and finding that marketing success requires getting to know them better. There is the face of the cosplay enthusiast who is hungry for products geared towards their specific needs. Then there is the face of the mainstream market where once in a while everyone wants to feel like a superhero.

So many elements are involved in getting those products and services out there. Marketing is a part of everything from that small neighborhood costume shop to models, photographers, and costume makers. The target audiences are out there, and with a little added promoting, everyone wins.

Nerd Fashion for the Cosplayers

When it comes to creating that cosplay masterpiece, there are basically three options for people: (1) Make it yourself, (2) pay someone to make it, or (3) buy it ready-made online.

Not everyone is lucky enough to have a seamstress in their back pocket, so many reach out to websites like Etsy to get one tailor-made. It’s not like a person can waltz into the mall and find Lolita, steampunk, or superhero apparel. Well, there is Hot Topic, but their sizes are not always kind to curves.

Photos courtesy of WeNeals Photography and Kitty Krell

Then there are the sci-fi and comic conventions. They certainly offer that introduction to the talented people who sell those must-have gadgets and apparel. These events are a company’s chance to shine, but nerd fashion merchandising does not end on the dealer’s room floor.

Online retail for nerd fashion is popping up everywhere and it takes more than talent to find success. Marketing is everything, and businesses need to keep some things in mind:

• Stay on top of current trends. The 2017 cosplay season will no doubt feature Fantastic Beasts‘ Queenie, and definitely Dolores from Westworld.
• Stay active in cosplay Facebook groups. Word of mouth is free marketing.
• Expand that inventory to items that nerds don’t know they need, until then need them! Last minute cosplay supplies such as fashion tape, safety pins, toupee tape, eyelashes and glue.
• Include clear size charts to define what the versions of small, medium, and large are.
• Prominently feature photos of cosplayers wearing the website’s product. Instagram focuses on photos, and it can be a great platform. Also encourage people to hashtag or tag you when wearing your product.

Nerd Fashion for the Mainstream

The days of it not being cool to be a nerd are long gone. The comic book and video game genres have never been more popular, and nerd fashion has gone mainstream. Stores such as Hot Topic used to have that niche in the fashion market, but now small and creative companies are appealing to people of all ages and interests.

One of the coolest qualities in the nerd community is that there really are no “fashion police.” If someone wants to wear superhero pajamas to the store or a Wonder Woman swimsuit to the pool, then go for it.

Comic Con 2016 photo via Gamespot

In many cases, nerd fashion all starts with the neighborhood costume shop. For cosplayers, Halloween is a year-round holiday. Finding those 365-days-a-year sales opportunities will keep those shops open. Markets are also out there for models, photographers, and authors.

Los Angeles, California, hosts a Geek Fashion Week that shows off designers, vendors, and styling lectures. Designers and models have their chance to show off what they’ve got at the fashion show.

Thoughts and ideas for crafting and marketing mainstream nerd fashion:

• Start the little ones off right by offering nerd apparel for babies. Who doesn’t want to dress their baby as Batman?
• How about specialty gym clothes? Why not inspire those workouts to become the superhero you want to become?
• Anime and gaming are hugely popular; especially with younger audiences.
• Swimsuits. With the release of the new Wonder Woman film, character swimsuits can be a popular item. Show up to the pool as a Dalek, Sailor Moon, or Harley Quinn. Some even have detachable capes.