Djerf Avenue is a Swedish-born fashion brand founded by Matilda Djerf and her boyfriend, Rasmus Johansson, in 2019. The brand is known for its sustainable and body-positive clothing, and it has quickly become popular with Gen Z consumers.

With its social media marketing strategy, US and Australia are its top two markets today.

Let us take a look at how they have managed to accomplish a D2C fashion brand that was birthed from TikTok.

I. Who is Matilda Djerf?

Just a regular worker at a fish shop, Matilda grew restless at the sight of innovation being rejected around her. She modeled here and there, and after a holiday travelling, gained attention on her social media posts for her natural beauty, and of course that iconic hair:

"Girls don't want boys. they want Matilda Djerf's hair"

This growth gave her an opportunity to be herself and make a change. She had noticed how much the model industry changed and retouched her images to fit a certain mold.

She decided to start her own brand with products that she felt were lacking in her own wardrobe, and today it is a very successful brand with a loyal and strong community.

There are a few customers that have spent around $100k on their products. This happened because of Djerf’s authentic character, love for body positivity, and hard work (11-14 hours a day)

Today we are going to look at how Djerf Avenue did its marketing in a unique way, as a brand born in a GenZ world, for GenZ.

II. The Marketing Stroll

Djerf Avenue's marketing strategy is focused on social media, particularly TikTok. Matilda has over 3 million followers on Instagram and over 1.5 million followers on TikTok.

Djerf Avenue uses social media to share behind-the-scenes content, product updates, and user-generated content. The brand also hosts regular contests and giveaways on social media to engage with its followers.

In addition to social media, the brand sends out regular email newsletters with new arrivals, discounts, and exclusive content. Djerf Avenue also partners with influencers to promote their products on social media.

While from afar, this may not seem a particularly distinct marketing strategy, the difference lies in the details.

Djerf Avenue strays from conventional marketing techniques in a few ways. First, the brand focuses on building a community around its products rather than simply selling them. Second, the brand uses social media to connect with its customers in a more personal way. Third, the brand is committed to sustainability and body positivity, which are essential values to Gen Z consumers.

Let us look at these key aspects in detail:

Matilda Djerf on Instagram: “early summer”

🌟 Focus on Social Media, especially TikTok:

In recent times, we have seen the rise of brands that are growing through TikTok. In spite of the fact that social media has been playing an increasingly important role in purchasing decisions for years, TikTok is something that has never been seen before.

Around 1.2 billion folks are into it, spending a whopping 25.7 hours every month on TikTok. In contrast, Facebook users clock in around 16 hours monthly, and Instagrammers chill for about a measly 7.9 hours.

And get this, a big 70% of TikTok users are part of the Gen Z squad. This crew is set to boost the personal luxury goods market by 130% by 2025, packing a hefty $143 billion in spending power.

Pair all of this with that additive algorithm, and you are looking at an irresistible platform to get your products viewed by potential customers.

Sixty-seven per cent of users report that TikTok inspires them to shop even when they don't intend to. A testament to the shared sentiment is the fact that the hashtag #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt has been viewed more than 21 billion times.

Djerf Avenue is one of the brands that were born out of TikTok. They use short-form videos, kind of like mini vlogs. You know, they show stuff like morning routines, what they're wearing for the day (OOTDs), and give tips and reviews, all while making the products a natural part of everyday life.

They have plenty of User Generated Content, behind-the-scenes content and product updates. Their posts strongly reflect their core messages: completely unfiltered, and always aimed at community building.

First-hand reviews, which can easily spread on the platform, are the most powerful tool in a brand’s arsenal, especially when you sell top-notch products like Djerf Avenue.

Djerf customers (known as “Angels”) on Instagram, wearing the Summer Berries robe 🍓

🌟 Personalised marketing:

Djerf Avenue doesn’t focus on personalisation as a marketing strategy, but rather it is inbuilt into the brand as it strives for building a community. That is why you won’t find the usual email marketing that reminds you of your cart at Djerf Avenue.

Instead, you will find offers, new arrivals, exclusive content about the brand, and so on.

Djerf Avenue uses product recommendations to show people products that they might be interested in based on their past purchases or browsing behaviour. This helps the brand personalise the shopping experience

Djerf Avenue also contacts some of its customers to check up on how they liked the products and the experience.

The brand also uses social media to run contests and giveaways and to interact with its customers in a more personal way.

🌟 Sustainability:

Djerf Avenue has put a ring on sustainability. The brand really speaks to Gen Z who are very conscious of protecting the Earth. The brand uses recycled, organic and sustainable materials in its clothing, including the buttons and it also partners with organisations that are working to protect the environment.

What’s more, Matilda Djerf has her own thoughts on sustainability being more than just materials, but the product in itself. That is why Djerf Avenue is not marketed as any season-specific fashion but as an everyday-all-day brand.

“Djerf Avenue is a Swedish, non-seasonal, ready-to-wear brand. It's created for you, by us.”

They also still have their oldest products in stock, unlike most brands that would discount prices and cut down on stocks of older products because they’ve gone off-trend.

This thought into the brand message and marketing strategy gives Djerf Avenue a sense of timelessness and ensures that its products are always fresh, trendy and not just a one-hit wonder in the eyes of the customers.

Djerf Avenue on Instagram: “*crazy for cream denim🤭🤍🍦available now”*

🌟 Authenticity:

Djerf Avenue is a brand that is genuine in its existence. TikTok, the brand’s market, is a space where attraction is the by-product of authenticity, it doesn’t need a 4k Hi-res video made on Sony Premier Pro. This makes the platform a great fit for Djerf and her ideas for content.

Matilda in an interview stated that her posts are very organic, like a photoshoot executed on the way to work, and the viewers can really feel the legitimacy.

None of their posts are retouched, it’s all the real deal, raw and relatable.

Under authenticity, we would also like to uncover the transparency that Djerf Avenue maintains.

They marketed themselves as a brand that uses clean methods of production, from materials to the workforce and workplace. This greatly boosts trust in their community because let’s face it, not a lot of brands have such confidence.

🌟Body Positivity:

Djerf Avenue is a body-positive brand that spreads positivity like no other. The brand encourages its customers to love their bodies.

And how do they do that?

By showcasing its own customers and models of all shapes and sizes,

No filter,

No edit,

Straight from the camera roll onto the social media page.

A brand that implements the message it spreads, is a brand that is bound to receive the affection of people.

They also have a variety of sizes for clothes and want to break the norm that fashion icons with tiny waists on the runway are the standard for beauty.

Djerf Avenue on Instagram: *“Babe* *@ionnaregina* *in Breezy❤️”*

III. In Conclusion

Djerf Avenue's marketing strategy has been successful in helping the brand grow its business and reach its target audience and doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon. The brand deserves due credit for its authenticity, transparency, and commitment to sustainability.

Djerf Avenue's Marketing Success: A Gen Z Approach to Sustainability, Authenticity, and Community Building