In recent years, our society has given increased attention to the changing dynamics of the cultural and social and factors that shape individual and community life. From changing attitudes about gender, diversity, and the environment, alongside the influence of Gen Z, social media became highly populated by changemakers who are challenging society’s narrative on a whole range of social causes whilst having trusted and dedicated audiences; social influencers. Meanwhile, brands have shown enthusiasm towards social influencers, due to their authenticity and dedication to social causes. So how can brands best collaborate with social influencers in an uplifting manner, while maintaining authentic grounds?

Working with social influencers and exploring diverse brand partnerships can be both authentic and uplifting. To have an authentic perspective on this matter, VOCAST engaged in a conversation with Bella Neergaard, a passionate advocate for self-love and neurodiversity. Through her personal experiences, Bella shared her journey of collaborating with fashion brands, seamlessly intertwining her advocacy with her love for fashion.

Meet Bella Neergaard

Approaching Social Influencers

During our conversation, Bella emphasizes the significance of having open and honest communication from the get-go. As a neurodivergent influencer, she values brands reaching out to discuss and raise awareness about neurodiversity. However, she candidly shares that this interaction can sometimes feel inauthentic if brands are merely ticking a box without genuine intentions to empower or to raise awareness about a social cause. Recognizing this recurring issue, Bella emphasizes the importance of brands acknowledging that they may have limited expertise on social causes, and expressing curiosity to understand the influencer’s feelings and experiences about the social cause. Bella particularly values when brands initiate sincere conversations about neurodiversity, viewing it as an ideal foundation for a meaningful and authentic brand partnership.

“When reaching out, brands should respect and acknowledge that the influencer is a point of reference on the social cause – it is about passing the microphone to the influencer, and providing them with the freedom to speak out and raise awareness.”

In the realm of brand partnerships, Bella shared her thoughts on past brand collaborations and told us that she appreciates when a brand approaches her with the intention to let her tell her own story, whilst collaborating to share the brand’s story. She adds that this can especially be carried out by providing her with trust and creative control over the partnership. Creative control is, according to Bella, essential to make a brand partnership authentic and uplifting, as it enables the influencer to openly adapt their own story around a particular brand partnership, while also adapting it to her trusted community of followers. Bella also points out that she considers herself and her community on her social media as her “own tiny world”, suggesting that not only should brand partnerships be aligned and embodied within her values, but they should also be aligned with her community’s own needs and values.

Mindful & Honest Marketing

Being considered a trusted voice when it comes to raising awareness about a social cause such as neurodiversity, Bella also tells us that this comes along with many responsibilities across her social media channels.

“Influencers consider their own community, as their own tiny world and brand partnerships need to be translated into the language and values of this tiny world.”

In the realm of creating TikTok content, Bella sees herself as a guiding “big sister” to her young audience. This role comes with significant responsibilities, prompting her to approach her content on TikTok with mindfulness, especially when sharing aspects of her journey as a neurodivergent woman. Bella notes the importance of tailoring her content and brand partnerships to suit the unique dynamics of each social media channel, recognizing the diverse audiences she engages with across different platforms.

“Being a responsible person online is knowing what to say and how to say it.”

In her insights, Bella underscores the importance for brands to recognize that her content isn’t one-size-fits-all across social media channels. She highlights the significance of mindful adaptation, emphasizing that adapting marketing content is crucial when venturing into brand partnerships with social influencers.

How to approach authentic partnerships: Perspectives in the fashion industry

When sharing her expectations about brand partnerships, particularly with fashion brands, Bella emphasizes the importance of these collaborations to challenge preconceived notions and stereotypes surrounding neurodiversity. She believes that such challenges not only break barriers but also play a significant role in fostering empowerment.

“Being a neurodivergent influencer and working with beauty and fashion brands, enables the creation of a fully-fledged image of the modern neurodivergent woman.”

Drawing from her own experience in the modeling industry, Bella notes that despite progress in promoting inclusivity in fashion, the voices of those with visible and invisible disabilities are still marginalized. She underscores the potential of the fashion industry to incite wider inclusion for neurodivergent voices. This, she suggests, accentuates the significance of brand partnerships that actively contribute to fostering such inclusivity and empowerment.

“The fashion industry has the power to acknowledge difference, and not silence it.”

Partnership Advice: Key focal points

Meet the Social Influencers across markets

Our research team has gathered some of the most inspiring Social Influencers contacts from each market. Take a look below:

Eager to learn more about authentic partnerships? Read our previous article, and learn about how to foster authentic and uplifting partnerships with LGBTQIA+ influencers and activists. Access the article HERE.

Image credits: Copenhagen Fashion Week/Bryndis Thorsteinsdottir – GANNI SS24.

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Packing your bags and escaping from that busy city lifestyle to a summer or country house is one of the most exciting summertime pleasures. Waking up to a bright sky and bird sounds, in a house amongst a field of wildflowers is a uniquely happy feeling. But it is more than just an aesthetic, summer & country houses have a culture of their own. In 2020, hashtags such as #cottagecore and #countryliving saw a 153% jump, and are now counting more than 600 million views on TikTok and 8 million posts on Instagram. Living in “fast-paced societies” makes us long for simplicity, and summer & country living have been an attractive way to revert back to slow living. Though they have a common purpose, summer & country homes have distinctive aesthetics and cultural aspects that differ across countries.

Picture this: a rustic country house surrounded by olive trees in the French Provence, a British cottage with its garden table covered in blossom, a sunny colored Danish summer house beside a vast white sand beach. But how can brands best use these cultural and aesthetic differences whilst still playing on the rising “escapism” and “country living” trend? VOCAST gathered insights from four different markets, to help you navigate through the summer & country homes trend.

Denmark: Summer House Hygge

With more than 200,000 summer houses across the country, summer houses are an integral part of the Danish lifestyle and come in many shapes and sizes. From cottages in gardens to modern houses in the dunes – whichever the type, Danish hygge is guaranteed. It is common for Danes to have a “second home” they can escape to during sunny weekends. In fact, from July 2021 to August 2021 there were more than 4 million overnight stays in Danish summer houses. Danes have summer houses all over the country, and often near the coast by the Danish Riviera, Bornholm, the West Coast, and Northern Jutland.

The traditional summer house style is described as romantic with “hygge” being at the center of the home – meaning that going to a summerhouse is about getting comfortable and being together around a fireplace during chilly evenings. Classic summer houses are usually one-story buildings made out of wood, with white windows – surrounded by a garden or dunes, as well as bikes. Since summer houses in Denmark are often considered “second homes”, the furniture, as well as the dishes and glassware, are often vintage and the furniture often gets passed on from generation to generation, rendering the interior very mixed when it comes to styles, with both vintage and new furniture. The interior is often simple with romantic pastel tones and light floral prints, as there needs to be much daylight and naturalness – and most importantly because Danish summer houses are about being casual and not wanting to “show off”.

France: Sophisticated Rural Living

From seaside houses by the cliffs in Normandy to rural country houses amongst lavender fields in Provence – France has a lot to offer when it comes to summer getaways. The charming countryside of Provence and the Côte d’Azur are amongst the most popular holiday regions in France, with a rise of 50% more summerhouse bookings in these regions in 2021. Summers in the South of France represents a true lifestyle – an afternoon of pétanque with friends, enjoying gourmet delicacies surrounded by the sounds of cicadas, and the most essential part; summer houses, which play an important role in the sophisticated “southern lifestyle”. One can quickly notice how French country houses represent a whole culture and a rising trend in itself – with blogs, magazines, and social media accounts being fully dedicated to French country living.

French country living is about slowing down, spending time with loved ones over long lunches and dinners, and letting nature “do its job”. Most French country houses are rural and made out of old stones, it is, therefore, essential to have a sober interior with furniture made out of marble and ceramic. Since French country houses are a family affair, much energy is put into finding the right interior furniture that does not disrupt the authenticity of the house and that has great value, families like to invest in valuable design pieces that will increase the authenticity of the house. The terrace is also an essential part of the house, it is the place where we reunite for breakfast or read a book and relax, many French country homes will have a large terrace either by the pool or with a view of the garden. Making it essential to have comfortable outdoor furniture, such as wooden lounge chairs and a long dining table.

The UK: Cottage Core and Rural Fantasy

Preceding the lockdown, a new lifestyle trend became increasingly present on all social media channels; cottage core. This is a lifestyle and aesthetic that has been attached to the English countryside, especially for encompassing the ideals of countryside living. British country living is a rising trend; it represents an authentic way of living far away from fast-paced cities and embraces naturalness which spells out coziness and rural life.

In the UK, there is no “summer house culture” rather, Brits go away on trips “to the country”. This means staying in sweet countryside cottages surrounded by nature, having long walks in your rubber boots, and going for picnics. With romanticism and nostalgia being at the core of English countryside life, British cottages have a cozy and inviting interior – such as pastel-colored furniture, natural indoor elements such as dried and fresh flowers (especially if they have been plucked from the garden), and wooden furniture such as wicker baskets. One of the main decorative elements of a British cottage is charming floral prints on the bed linen, rugs, and curtains. Floral prints enhance the old-fashioned, yet charming, side of the British cottage core aesthetic. Also, essential to this aesthetic is a dose of “historical inspiration” where tableware and teapots showing off “grandma vibes” fit fully within the British cottage core aesthetic. 

The US: Beach Houses and Mountainside Cabins

Due to people having to work remotely and wanting to escape the daily hustle of urban areas, the vacation markets in the US have seen a real “boom” with many seeking secondary homes by the lakefront or even the mountains – the US has a large diversity when it comes to landscapes and charming spots, anyone can find a home that fits within their lifestyle interests whether it to be skiing, hiking or simply to relax at the beach.

The mountains in North Carolina and the beaches in Florida are amongst the top locations for holiday homes in the US. Although being in the same country, a vacation in a cabin by the mountain or in a beach house are highly different holiday experiences, that entail very distinctive cultural aspects and aesthetics. Cabin culture is highly popular and entails holidays by the mountains, located in remote areas where winter activities can be practiced such as skiing. Cabins have cozy interior aesthetics, such as vintage wooden furniture and lots of plushy pillows and blankets. In contrast, beach houses are more light and airy, with light wood and colors. Beach houses also reflect a more Scandinavian aesthetic and minimalist furniture is prioritized to create space and let the ocean breeze ventilate into the home. 

Meet the summer & country living contacts

Facts & Figures

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