Empowering tradition: a case study on Panache’s social media marketing strategy in the fashion industry

Learning outcomes This paper aims to acquaint students with the significance of social media platforms and develop an understanding of using social media data for decision-making. Upon completion of the case study, the students will be able to identify different social media platforms and their pros and cons; identify influencers and their role in promoting business; understanding how to use likes, comments and customer involvement in analysing social media data; and comparing traditional marketing platforms with social media platforms. Case overview/synopsis Panache is a case study of a luxury fashion brand in an Indian emerging market that uses social media exclusively to communicate and maintain relations with its clientele. Panache has made its presence in India and globally in a very short time. Its client base extends to the UK, the USA, Australia and New Zealand. Panache, the first-of-its-kind brand, exclusively used social media platforms, from Facebook to Instagram, to communicate its product to people. Digital platforms can provide access to people and competitors, and that is where the problem started when many new brands came up and started using the same idea, the same platform mixed with traditional marketing tools. The founder of this new brand had ingeniously used fresh-faced models to showcase the timeless Kashmiri attire, the “til pheran”, embellishing its narrative with cultural significance. What should have been a moment of admiration for the revival of tradition became a cause of concern for Beenish, founder of Panache. This new brand had seemingly appropriated Panache’s idea of modernising traditional attire, stirring a disconcerting dilemma for Beenish. Complexity academic level The case is most suitable for graduates, ideally in the following courses: Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 8: Marketing.