Connecting with today’s consumer is no easy task. Sure, there are more ways to reach them thanks to the internet, but there is also more competition for their attention — and their wallet. But experts say brands can stand out using not just storytelling but bringing customers and community into play to co-create more impactful narratives.
Catch+Release’s Tom Christmann, executive director of the content curation and licensing technology company, stressed in an Adweek webinar the importance of following culture, always curating content and celebrating creators.
Our customers have become ambassadors for our brand, sharing their experiences and helping to spread the word about our commitment to quality and sustainability.
Abby Price, Founder, Abbode
“Co-creationism is a strategic marketing approach that involves the customers, employees and even the broader community in the creation of brand-built content and experiences,” Christmann said. “If you can coordinate your customers and your employees, and get them to feel like part of the tribe, that would be pretty powerful.”
Cotton Incorporated has engaged in many co-creative campaigns to tell the story of both cotton, as well as the brand with which it partners. One such brand is Abbode, a modern, custom embroidery shop based in New York City.
“Our Cotton x Abbode collaboration with Cotton Incorporated was a natural fit,” said Abbode founder Abby Price in an interview with the Lifestyle Monitor™. “We have always prioritized using high-quality, sustainable materials in our products, and cotton has been a staple in our offerings from the beginning. Our partnership with Cotton began when they approached us, recognizing Abbode’s commitment to sustainability, authenticity, and of course, our fun personalization and artistry. Their outreach meant so much because it felt like a testament to our shared values and vision for high-quality, sustainable products.
“In the past few years, we’ve seen more and more shoppers sharing what they love and why they love it online and on social media,” Price continued. “This collection was no different, we’re thrilled to see our customers support what we do and enjoy the pieces we create with them in mind. It’s always impactful and really meaningful when we’re able to connect with our shoppers and audience. It reinforces what we do and why we do it.”
Cotton Incorporated’s Anne David, director of advertising, expressed the importance of authentic consumer engagement.
“When consumers and influencers share their genuine experiences with cotton, it creates a personal connection that resonates deeply with others,” David said. “I find that this approach builds trust with an established audience and also fosters a sense of community and rally around our brand.”
Cotton Incorporated’s Marissa Barlin, director of brand partnerships, described the company’s collaboration with lifestyle brand LoveShackFancy and gold medal gymnast, Suni Lee.
“It was the perfect match with the season-appropriate and patriotic capsule, ‘Cotton x LoveShackFancy’s Americana’ collection, timing (the summer games were kicking off) and talent, Suni Lee, who was competing with gymnastics Team USA. We told her ‘off-the-mat’ story, which looks a lot like our own where we want to embrace comfort and exude confidence. The ease, softness and beauty of cotton in the collection accomplish just that.”
Earlier this month, LoveShackFancy and Cotton Incorporated again collaborated, this time during the Kentucky Derby. Activities included a pop-up shop, a designated area in the stands at Churchill Downs and a dinner party for select Derby attendees.
“The consumer is very savvy and is aware when talent is not authentic to our brand or to our retail partners,” Barlin said. “We look for talent that wears cotton in their daily lives and has aligned values when it comes to fiber preference. Our retail partners also ensure that talent is familiar with their brand, wears their brand, has an appropriate voice that their audience will gravitate to and is a match when it comes to style aesthetic.”
Connecting on the style aesthetic is important as more than three-quarters of consumers (77 percent) say clothing style reflects their identity, according to the 2025 Cotton Incorporated New Year’s Survey. Further, 78 percent of shoppers say they most associate cotton and cotton blends with being stylish/fashionable, according to Cotton Incorporated 2024 Lifestyle Monitor™ research. In fact, near 6 in 10 consumers (58 percent) say cotton/cotton blends are fibers best suited for today’s fashions.
Collaborating and telling brand stories with like-minded partners also offers both parties further reach.
Brands like Abbode and LoveShackFancy that make their connection to cotton clear while telling their brand story also have a better chance of relating to today’s consumers. Consider that the majority (73 percent) say cotton is their favorite fiber or fabric to wear, according to the Monitor™ research. And fully 78 percent say they think better quality garments are made of all natural fibers such as cotton, according to the Cotton Incorporated 2025 Lifestyle Monitor™ Survey.
“Collaborating with such a like-minded partner to create this custom collection felt perfectly aligned to what we’re all about at Abbode,” Price told the Lifestyle Monitor™. “Creating high quality, personalized pieces meant to be passed from generation to generation with Cotton felt very natural to us.
Price adds that shoppers, both online and in-store, continue to tell Abbode’s story, and truly understand the brand’s connection to cotton.
“Our customers have become ambassadors for our brand, sharing their experiences and helping to spread the word about our commitment to quality and sustainability,” Price said. “Whether online or in our Elizabeth Street store, they engage with our story and help to perpetuate it, reinforcing the connection between Abbode and the quality of natural fibers. Having an ongoing dialogue with our customers helps keep our brand story fresh and genuine.”