White Fox, an Australian fast-fashion brand that has become a go-to for teenagers and young adults, has found success through a unique marketing strategy. The first time you open the White Fox app, you’re greeted by a vibrant image of four women in cowboy hats, micro-shorts, and knee-high boots, posing as if they’re on their way to Coachella. The text reads: “Your new wardrobe just dropped,” a nod to the brand’s fast-paced release of new styles each week.
This approach captures the essence of White Fox’s marketing strategy: positioning itself as the brand hot girls wear to cool parties, creating a sense of urgency and a fear of missing out among its audience. White Fox has made waves across Australia, the UK, and the US by targeting young shoppers with aspirational imagery and influencer-driven campaigns.
According to Jennifer Piña, from influencer marketing agency Magic Links, White Fox stands out from competitors like Boohoo and Shein due to its curated and aspirational aesthetic. The brand collaborates with high-profile influencers who also work with luxury and mid-market brands, further elevating its image.
White Fox advertisements, featuring provocative poses, are hard to miss, plastered on buses and billboards in major cities like Sydney, London, and Los Angeles. These ads not only reach teens but also contribute to the overall influencer-driven marketing machine that has propelled the brand to success.
The brand’s founders, Daniel and Georgia Contos, have long recognized the power of influencers. White Fox began as an eBay store in 2013, where a listing featuring Kim Kardashian wearing one of their dresses sold for more than double the original price. Inspired by the influence of celebrity style, Georgia was driven to take the business to the next level.
Fast-forward twelve years, and White Fox is now a household name in certain demographics. The brand boasts 2.6 million Instagram followers and 1.1 million TikTok followers, with its bubble-font logo adorning the wardrobes of young fashionistas. White Fox products, such as bandage dresses, triangle bikinis, and track pants, have been worn by celebrities like Emily Ratajkowski, Hailey Bieber, and Love Island UK winner Gabby Allen.
The cost of influencer marketing varies, but Piña notes that a creator with one million followers typically charges $16,000 ($10,000 USD) for a 30-second video. According to Brent Coker, a viral marketing lecturer at the University of Melbourne, a $25,000 budget could secure collaborations with three influencers who each have 50,000 followers. As influencer marketing becomes more measurable, brands can adjust their strategies based on the return on investment.
In addition to influencer campaigns, White Fox hosts exclusive events and sends content creators on glamorous trips, including to a mansion at Coachella and to experience an Australian summer. This helps foster a sense of exclusivity and adds to the brand’s aspirational allure. They even market a line of fake tan products called “Baddest” to maintain the image of bronzed, fit, and stylish individuals.
Despite its success, White Fox isn’t immune to criticism. Like other fast-fashion brands, it has faced scrutiny for its manufacturing practices. In 2023, the company came under fire for posting a video on Instagram stories showing garbage bags full of garments in their warehouse. In 2024, White Fox was excluded from Baptist World Aid’s annual ethical fashion report due to a lack of transparency about its production processes.
Customer service issues have also plagued the brand, especially after a backlog of orders during their 2023 Black Friday sale led to the cancellation of Boxing Day promotions. Daniel Contos acknowledged the growing pains, saying, “We are doing everything we can to get [orders] out as quick as possible. We’re learning as we go, and yes, even though we’re 10 years in, as we scale with growth, there’s always going to be learning curves.”
Despite these challenges, White Fox’s growth has been impressive. The brand launched in the US in 2019 and expanded to the UK in 2022. In 2024, White Fox recorded nearly US$73.8 million in sales across its Australian and US websites. The brand also purchased a five-story commercial office building in Sydney for A$70 million, while the personal property portfolio of Georgia and Daniel Contos includes five mansions in Sydney’s upscale suburb of Vaucluse, estimated to be worth A$150 million.
White Fox’s social media presence has grown exponentially as well. In 2023, the brand posted nearly 25,000 times, five times more than in 2018. While some of this content is sponsored, much of it is customer-generated. The brand encourages its followers to share photos of themselves wearing White Fox products, further extending its reach and fostering a sense of community among its young customers, many of whom feel isolated.
The brand has also launched “White Fox University,” a program that recruits aspiring influencers with at least 2,000 followers to become brand ambassadors. Successful applicants receive free outfits every month, along with discount codes to share on social media.
Eva Harkin, a 23-year-old digital media graduate from the University of Galway, has been a White Fox ambassador for eight months. Harkin, who has nearly 7,000 Instagram followers, spends around 10 hours a month creating content for the brand. She attends events and has even met other influencers through the program. “If you told me a year ago that I would be working with one of my favourite brands, I wouldn’t believe you,” she says.
Brent Coker compares White Fox’s ambassador program to the viral marketing success of Hotmail in the late 1990s and early 2000s. “Hotmail went viral simply by including a link at the bottom of every email that said ‘refer a friend and get a free something.’ White Fox’s strategy works in much the same way,” he explains. “By offering incentives like free clothes, they’ve created a network of customers who are essentially doing their marketing for them.”
White Fox’s success is a testament to the power of viral marketing, influencer culture, and social media savvy, making it one of the hottest brands among Gen Z shoppers.
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