In May 2018, Rihanna, a successful businessperson and singer, teamed up with TechStyle Fashion Group to create the gender and size-inclusive lingerie label Savage X Fenty. This fashion brand aims to provide a wide range of sizes and colours that are not typically available in the fashion industry. This lingerie line follows the success of the Fenty make-up brand, which had earned a lot of traction online due to Rihanna's involvement. Rihanna stated that brands statement was to “celebrates fearlessness, confidence and inclusivity”. It delivered $600m of sales in 2019 in its 4th years of business, Savage X Fenty has become a thriving enterprise. It is currently worth over $3 billion and remains a top competitor in the lingerie industry.



(Tapping community and diversity can be a brand’s superpower | WARC, no date)

In 2021, the brand launched a capsule collection aimed at the LGBTQ+ community called Savage x Pride. In line with Savage X Fenty’s brand ethos, the collection is sized inclusively, with bras available in 30A-42H, and other garments available in sizes XS–3X. A key component of Savage x Fenty’s innovative marketing strategy was its collaboration with LGBTQ+ producers, performers, and musicians to publicise its collections. Savage x Fenty were keen to demonstrate they were genuinely invested in its audience—rather than capitalising on its movement by committing to LGBTQ charities. Proceeds from Savage X Pride supported five organisations focused on LGBTQ well-being, including GLAAD, the Audre Lorde Project, The Caribbean Equality Project, INC., Trans Latin@ Coalition, and the Trans Wellness Center.
(MARKETING STRATEGY - Issuu, no date)

Rihanna's Savage x Pride Campaign strategy for Pride Month focused on celebrity power. A large number of celebrities from all corners of the community were brought in to help promote the brand.The "Savage X Pride" ad campaign comprised of Drag Race's Plastique Tiara, Fire Island's Tomás Matos, Honey Balenciaga, Nikki Garza, Shaheem Anderson, Xoài Phan, Lilli Johnson, and Armiel Chandler, to name but a few (Savage X Fenty Goes Vibrant With Second Pride Collection, no date), it is the brands focus on non traditional media channels that sees it connect with its diverse consumer base. The Savage X Fenty places a great emphasis on diversity and allocates a major portion of its funds for marketing purposes to influencers on social media sites for creating publicity content that goes viral.(The success of Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty using social media, no date)

With the Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) Theory, developed by E.M. Rogers in 1962, we can see that Savage x Fenty are hiring innovators (LGBTQ+ celebrities) to attract early adopters through social media and non-traditional channels. This well-known theory works well for Savage x Fenty and allows there product and message to filter to the next stages of early majority adoption and beyond. The theory goes on to talk about the five main factors that influence adoption of innovation. With Savage x Fenty (Savage x Pride) there are a number of competitors in this space with similar products but it is 'Compatibility' or the consistent innovation with the values of the potential adopters that Rihanna's team are focused on and reinforcing with every campaign.(Diffusion of Innovation Theory, no date)

Diffusion of Innovations Model