Challenges of being in the Spotlight as a Fashion Business Owner

Just like the entertainment industry, being in the spotlight in the fashion industry comes with challenges as well. Typically in Ghana, designers are seldomly seen except during fashion shows and events. Most of them are busy working behind the scenes creating designs and even doing all other jobs.

They have hesitations about being in the spotlight. As a PR person, I have heard and worked with clients telling me how they dread being in the spotlight. Among some of the things they say include wanting people to know the product and not themselves, they feel they are not yet ready for the spotlight and all the ‘drama’ that comes with it, it comes with a lot of pressure they are not ready for.

Undoubtedly, being in the spotlight can be quite frustrating and consuming. It also means there is a lot of pressure on you to begin to look and act a certain way just because you feel everyone else is watching.

In an era where consumers are becoming more complex, there is the need to connect with your community. Consumers of your product or service don’t just want to know who is behind their favorite brand but also demand to know what they do and how they do it. They want to be able to reach out and connect with owners.

You will be wrong to think that your community doesn’t want to know you and to think that you can get by with hiding in the background while your brand thrives. Guess what, you are your brand and if you want people to connect with it and believe in it, you can’t pretend you don’t exist.

While being in the spotlight could offer opportunities to the brand such as creating visibility, being able to connect with your consumers and tapping into your spotlight and driving them into action(purchase), it can also come with some challenges if not carefully managed. You may also consider the following:

No privacy

Being in spotlight means your everyday life is being laid before the public domain for people to talk about. You should also know that people will be very much interested in your successes at the same time your losses and embarrassing moments. Your privacy is taken from you with anyone connected to the brand in any way feeling they ought to know what is happening in your life and are unapologetic about that.

Lost sense of Self

A lot of celebrities find themselves loosing their own self and their personal values by being in the spotlight. This is because they are compelled to live a certain way because of the constant thought of someone watching them. Loosing your sense of self could also be detrimental to your overall brand goals and objectives.

Imposter Syndrome

Bewildered by their fame, many celebrities begin to create a far from perfect image of themselves. Knowing that it is unrealistic, there is very little they can do to change that because they have been swamped into this whole stardom and are being led into faking what they are not. The loss of the spotlight after being at the center of attraction and attention can leave people feeling bereft of purpose and importance.

While it may be advisable to push your self out there because you want to be able to connect with your customers or fans, you should invest in managing the spotlight such that it doesn’t get you into a myriad of problems.

This article originally appeared in the Business and Financial Times Newspaper on 29/03/2018

Image Credit: Google Images

Faith Senam Ocloo
Fashion Public Relations
Fashion I Beauty I Lifestyle I Arts