How to market UK fashion in the US: ‘I’d be wary of this wave of samey tweeness’

“The fact that we are a British company is very important,” he said. “Americans love the UK – there’s long been a fascination with British music, fashion, art and theater.”

Boden joins brands including Ted Baker, Dr Martins and Sweaty Betty, which have all recently made waves across the pond. In August, Ted Baker was bought out by the US retailer Authentic Brands Group, suggesting its potential for long-term US viability, and even Primark has plans to build over 60 US stores in the next five years with lofty ambitions to play Target at its own game.

Emma Chiu, global director of Wunderman Thompson Intelligence, says the pandemic and looming recession has left UK high street brands in need of overseas support and expansion. In the past two years, the British high street has lost iconic brands from Topshop to Peacocks, Jeagar and Debenhams.

“During the pandemic, many brands opted to focus on going local, but as the world opens up again brands struggling to keep up are looking to go global,“ Chiu says.

It is known that British retailers have struggled to break the US market, with some famously failed attempts by Marks and Spencer’s, Tesco and Sainsbury’s. James Jenkins, the chief operating officer at creative agency B-Reel, says: “In a market as dynamic as the USA, the challenge of staying ahead becomes just keeping up. Look around – so many brands, so much sameness. As an emerging player, it becomes even more challenging to stand out.”

So how should UK brands stand out in a market of ’sameness’? Zara Ineson, executive creative director at House 337, says heritage is key, but that there is a need to avoid stereotypical tropes. “I’d be wary of this wave of samey tweeness I see across the high street, which suggests we mostly spend our lives sipping cups of tea between walks in the country.“

The brand experts we speak to all cite Dr Martens for its successful US exportation. The shoemaker plans to open 25 to 35 new stores in 2023, mainly in the US and Germany, with US consumers buying more shoes per head than in other territories.

Siobhan Simpson, strategy director at The Brooklyn Brothers, says: “When done well, heritage can unlock layers of credibility; such as Dr Martens leaning into the rebellious side of British culture.“

Sweaty Betty is also regarded as a UK success story with 49 stores in the US. It was also acquired by American group Wolverine Worldwide in 2021 for $410m, with the Lululemon competitor marketing itself “less about selling a British lifestyle, with more focus on product ideas and innovation – it has strong associations with quality, sustainability and value,” explains Ineson.

So, UK brands should own their British heritage but ensure they also sell a modern view of Britain, which leads Simpson to ask: what does a more modern view of Britain look like?

“Britain is conflicted yet progressive and utterly diverse; it is more reflective and creatively interesting,” she says. ”But to what extent can that be understood in the US market?”

With only a few brands managing to translate a modern sense of Britishness, it will be interesting to see how this latest swathe of retailers can balance traditional with authentic representations.

For more on what marketers and their partners need to do to succeed on a global level, check out The Drum’s Globalization Deep Dive.