Meta's Threads and the New Fashion Media Mix

Twitter couldn't crack fashion & content creators. Threads can.

In the first seven hours of its launch, Meta’s new platform, Threads, gained 10 million sign ups across 10 countries and counting. The platform is a “new, separate space for real-time updates and public conversations.” Evidenced by the lack of direct messaging functionality, Threads will be a way to engage with respective communities, offer quicker, more colloquial content, and develop a strong point of view in collaboration with both existing friends and new connections. The sporadic launch has brands and strategists wondering - how will Threads fit into the media mix?

Threads is going to be a top of funnel tactic, a place to cultivate community and encourage exploration of new brands and ideas from like-minded people. The interface is built for the exchange of ideas and lacks the pressure of commercialization. This presents an opportunity for creators and designers to talk through process and methodology versus showcasing products that are ready for sale. Similarly, the immersive nature of the content is one of the reasons TikTok resonates so well with the fashion community. Even the formats of the videos (GRWM, A Day in the Life of, Come with Me to Get..) captivate you by explicitly pointing out a problem or scenario, what the options are, and finally what the best option is. Threads has the opportunity to do the same but it also borrows the ease of share ability that made Tumblr successful and is more succinct. You can easily reply or repost an idea with your perspective. Fashion archivists are already getting excited about potential reference explanations or historical deep dives.

Due partially to the rise of Substack and just a general interest in clothing beyond mere consumption, more consumers are looking for thought leadership from creators and influencers. Between TikTok, Substack, Instagram, and even Reddit, there is a lot of pressure to deliver highly produced content in a timely manner. Given the colloquial nature of Threads, there’s less pressure to be refined which may lead to more content. It’s possible that we’ll see Threads as the incubator for concepts that get finalized with higher production value on TikTok or Instagram. It’s a great low-stakes way to get a pulse check on an idea and then start a larger scale activation if there’s positive reception.

Take watches for example. As a watch collector, I love seeing the content of Dimepiece, Mike Nouveau, and WatchbyJuls. They offer a first hand look at some of the rarest pieces in the world and educate us on designs and history. This type of content translates extremely well to TikTok because it’s so highly visual. Threads offers a powerful supplement to this type of content with potential historical recounts of watches, store suggestions, AMAs (ask me anything sessions), and reviews of new releases where you don’t have to sift through minutes of dialogue to get to the crux of a review. Additionally, where TikTok is highly active and demands full attention with it’s immersive screen display and audio, you’re able to scroll Threads more casually, even while watching TV.

The creator piece is clear. Threads will offer a great way to diversify your media mix and offer an opportunity to further develop and convey a point of view by directly connecting with the community. Drew Joiner is one of my favorite content creators not only because of his deep knowledge of the space and expertly produced videos, but also because he actively interacts with his community. The direct interaction with creators is a powerful way to bring a brand to life and develop a real affinity for its designs. This type of interaction is a rare experience that reminds you that fashion is an ecosystem, and Threads is primed for these types of conversations.

Some companies, like Wendy’s, on Twitter became famous for their off-the-cuff tweets. We can expect some of these trends to trickle over to Threads but the true opportunity for brands is offering an under the hood perspective. By the time brands fully onboard on Threads, they will already have a complete brand narrative. They will have nothing to prove on a brand level, so they can lean into heritage, history, and archives to target the more discerning customer. It’s also highly likely that Threads will be a better home for product marketing versus larger brand building initiatives that will still be more omni-channel activations. Seeing the public perception of a new collection is a great proxy for brand relevance, especially on the newest social media platform. As long as the platform carefully manages ad-frequency and the algorithm is able to curate meaningful content with new connections to the tune of TikTok, Threads will be a mainstay in the media mix.

- AS