E-commerce powerhouse ASOS has relaunched its Insiders scheme, which was previously wound down in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
36 ASOS employees-turned-influencers across various departments have been recruited for the programme based on their “strong sense of individual style and identity, love for fashion, and knowledge of fashion trends”. The creators will be tasked with curating top fashion picks, serving inspiration and sharing style tips to help customers stay up-to-date with new releases and current trends. They will also have the opportunity to support other marketing initiatives, such as fronting campaigns delivered with ASOS brand partners, which includes Adidas, Puma, Speedo and more.
Dan Elton, senior customer director at ASOS, said: “We’re so excited to be bringing back ASOS Insiders and to be giving our customers a glimpse behind the curtain at ASOS. We think there’s no one better to help us create deep and authentic connections with our customers than our very own ASOSers.”
The reintroduction of the Insiders programme follows recent financial concerns for the brand and is part of an updated marketing strategy. At the end of 2023, ASOS warned sales will continue to fall in 2024 (by as much as 15%) after its delayed annual results revealed a £300 million annual loss in the year to 3 September 2023. The relaunched initiative aims to build stronger and more meaningful connections with 20-something fashion enthusiasts, reignite the brand’s image and remind customers of everything it has to offer.
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ASOS’ announcement Reel received more than 274,000 views in 48 hours and although the brand has previously been praised for championing diversity, influencers have been quick to call out the retailer for the lack of representation within the team. Lifestyle creator Stephanie Yeboah was one of the first influencers to query the lineup and used the comment section to ask where the plus-size Insiders were. She added: “ASOS Curve in its heyday was one of the bestselling collections if I’m not mistaken. It’s such a shame to witness this downfall.”
Model Felicity Hayward also responded to the launch, saying: “There should be a lot more plus size representation here in your team especially as ASOS Curve is such a huge part of your business.” Lifestyle creator Laura Adlington called out the brand for its lack of size inclusivity while fashion influencer Danielle Vanier criticised the e-tailer for failing to include subtitles. Nyome Nicholas-Williams (“More black plus size representation PLEASE!”), Grace Victory and Lucy Dawson (“I really hope there are some disabled icons with both apparent & non apparent disabilities”) also voiced their concerns in the comments.
In response, ASOS wrote: “We hear and see you all and acknowledge your disappointment. Our selection process was a little different this time – our Insiders are all ASOS employees here to give you a look behind the scenes of ASOS. We put out an open casting call to HQ ASOSers, and those that wanted to take part stepped forward. We carefully selected our final lineup to be as representative as possible with the employees who applied. We’re not done yet though and continue to encourage more ASOSers to join our Insider line-up.”
The Insiders will begin featuring across ASOS’ social channels soon, although a date has not yet been confirmed.
By Abby Oldroyd, CORQ news and features writer. Picture credit: ASOS via Instagram
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