Everything in retail relies on hitting the right audience with the right message. That’s how you sell. Take fashion sunglasses. As part of a much broader eyewear industry, sunglasses undoubtedly get a lot more media attention than they deserve. That’s because slick marketing geniuses know how to sell shades. They use things like social media and its proud stepchild, narcissism, to convince people to buy.
Social media and narcissism have been a boon for the eyewear industry. So much so that celebrities are falling all over themselves to launch their own lines. Any celebrity with a good photographer and marketing guru can lend their name to a new line of sunglasses and make millions.
The good folks at Olympic Eyewear, a Salt Lake City, Utah company that specializes in off–brand designer sunglasses, explains that there is very little that designers can do to improve a typical pair of shades. The industry has maxed out from a technological standpoint. So the only way to keep selling new styles is to find new ways to connect. This is where social media and narcissism become so important.
The Exploding Instagram Feed
If you need any evidence of the influence social media has on eyewear sales, look no further than a Stylecaster piece published in early February 2021. Contributor Julia Marzovilla began by mentioning her exploding Instagram feed. The explosion is not one of gunpowder or TNT. It is an explosion of new sunglasses with colored lenses.
This is apparently the latest trend among millennial shade buyers. Marzovilla says they are all about sheer tinted lenses in a range of colors from blue to pink and orange. Dark black and mirrored lenses are out. So is the whimsically fun practice of being able to stare at people without them knowing.
None of this would be notable except for the fact that millennials are buying these new trendy sunglasses simply out of a desire to look like everyone else. Marzovilla made mention in her piece that the shades do not necessarily offer any UV protection. She also warns her readers to make sure they have at least one pair of sunglasses that actually do protect their eyes.
Narcissism Breeds Imitation
It has been said that imitation is the best form of flattery. If this is true, a lot of social media influencers are being flattered aplenty. That’s what narcissism does. Could it be that most social media influencers are actually narcissists who have found a way to turn their issue into a source of revenue? It could be.
At any rate, social media allows the narcissists of the world to seek out approval through posting. And given that the culture is so easily influenced by visuals, a site like Instagram is the perfect venue for marketing new lines of fashion sunglasses.
There are plenty of influencers more than happy to promote the products on their social media sites. Their fellow narcissists react with lightning-fast speed, commenting on new posts before running out to buy a pair or five for themselves. It is a magical thing.
Getting That Look
At the end of the day, there is money to be made in the eyewear industry on looks alone. People are willing to spend a lot of money to achieve the latest trendy look. And where are they being exposed to the latest looks? On social media.
There is little doubt that social media is food for the narcissistic soul. It is also the perfect platform to market eyewear. Social media and narcissism combined have made the eyewear industry a lot of money in recent years.
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