Digital media blog

RACE framework relates to how brands to engage with their customers and consumers. 

The first part of the RACE framework is reach. Reach is regarding how a brand gets their message out to their target audience through media such as emails, ads and social media campaigns. For example, Calvin Klein sends out regular emails to their customers with offers on sales they are having. The brand also frequently posts on their social media, advertising new clothing lines and celebrity endorsements. 

The second part of RACE is Act. This entails getting people to act or buy a product once they have been exposed to their message. This includes using eye catching adverts and creating captivating content. Calvin Klein’s use of celebrities for their ads has created a lot of online conversation, leading many more customers to their website. For example in 2018 the Kardashian family did a campaign with Calvin Klein which was a huge success for the brand. The campaign received more than 15.4 million views on Youtube, making it the most watched video for the month of January that year. The campaign also fueled rumours of one of the sister’s, Kylie Jenner’s pregnancy which added to the media attention.

The third part of the RACE framework is Convert. This is regarding turning visitors into customers. This can be difficult when advertising online as people may see your product but not put in the effort to follow the link and buy the product. This includes using good landing pages, using A/B testing which is when different versions of a website are compared to see which one is most effective with user engagement and using re-marketing campaigns which allow businesses to direct their ads to those who have once interacted with their media but have not acted. Calvin Klien tries to combat this issue through social media as they always have very accessible links on their websites and post frequently to make sure potential customers are being exposed to their brands regularly.

The last part of the RACE framework is Engage. This is when a business tries to facilitate a relationship with a customer using strategies such as customer feedback loops which is where businesses look at customer feedback, analyse it and make changes based on what is gathered. This also includes businesses keeping in contact with customers through social media, something Calvin Klein focuses heavily on through their bold social media presence and working with influencers who post content to their target audience. Moreover, sending out regular newsletters and running loyalty programmes are effective in terms of customer engagement something which Calvin Klein does frequently. They also offer discounts for customers if they sign up for their website and their emails.

In conclusion, I do believe that Calvin Klein has effective engagement with its consumers. This shown as Calvin Klein offers a 10% on customers next order if they sign up for their emailing scheme. This is an intelligent business move as it gives customers a chance to try out the brand at a discounted price and for Calvin Klein to potentially gain a loyal customer who will purchase products in the future. Their strong social media presence is also a big contributing factor to their success, including the hashtag “mycalvins” which has created a lot of buzz online. However I think Calvin Klein could be more successful if they focused more on sustainability as even though they have goals to be 100% sustainable they have pitched this goal for 2030 which is quite a considerable amount of time away. If they were able to become 100% sustainable in a shorter amount of time they may be able to attract more customers as in recent years more people, specifically young people are caring about the impact that fast fashion has on the planet. it would also give the brand a more positive reputation and set an example for other brands in the future on how important sustainability is in fashion.

bibliography:

(Amy Gesenheus, 2018. “Kardashian & Jenner sisters take Calvin Klein’s #MYCALVINS ad to top of Youtube’s January ad leaderboard” available at: (https://martech.org/kardashian-jenner-sisters-take-calvin-kleins-mycalvins-ad-top-youtubes-january-ad-leaderboard/)

(Calvin Klein UK, accessed 2025. Available at: https://www.calvinklein.co.uk/sustainability#)