Social media plays an essential role in fashion marketing, from finding the right target audience and building relationships with consumers to creating a visual identity that connects with them. But there is much more to social media strategy than taking cute pictures and videos.
Claire Brodsky, founder of CB Design & Creative, a social media agency that helps brands develop their visual identity and create content for their digital platforms, gives insight into what truly goes on behind the scenes when working with brands.
At 18 years old, Claire Brodsky headed to Elon University unsure of exactly what she wanted to pursue. However, she had a gut feeling that New York was where she eventually wanted to be. As someone who had always been drawn to creativity and the arts, Brodsky took a Photoshop class where she learned graphic design and how to create collages. The skills came naturally to her, ultimately leading her to major in graphic design.
Her entrepreneurial spirit, however, started long before college. As a child, Brodsky dreamed of opening her own pizza shop, which she called “The Dancing Pizza.” Even at a young age, she knew she wanted to eventually build something of her own.
In 2019, she became an editorial intern at Betches Media. In the role, Brodsky was able to write while also learning more about publishing and the media industry.
Image via @clairebrodsky on Instagram
At the time, TikTok was still an up-and-coming platform and wasn’t seen as a normal place for brands and companies to be. Posting on TikTok could even feel a little silly. But the staff at Betches knew they needed to create a TikTok, and that became Brodsky’s first step into social media and the world she would eventually build her career around.
The Power of Visual Storytelling
In the world of social media and algorithms, visual storytelling is how brands hone in on their target audience and create a world that consumers want to be a part of. But conveying that through a screen can be challenging.
Brodsky has built her career in digital and graphic design, working with brands like Cosmopolitan and Coach. While both are fashion brands, she explains that the two have very different approaches to their visual identities.
At Cosmopolitan, Brodsky had more freedom to experiment with digital design. She was able to have fun with her work, push creative boundaries, and incorporate her own style. Coach, on the other hand, had a much stricter brand identity that designers had to follow. For Brodsky, this was more challenging because her personal design style is fun and playful, often incorporating collages.
Although working within Coach’s strict guidelines was an adjustment, it taught Brodsky an important lesson about designing for a brand. It’s about understanding the brand behind the design and creating something that speaks to the audience you’re trying to reach.
Building CB Design & Creative
With all this knowledge of brand storytelling and conveying that through a screen, Brodsky took those skills and used them to build her own social media agency.
During her time at Betches Media, Brodsky began freelancing and taking on different projects. Some were for little to no pay, but they gave her the opportunity to gain experience and build her portfolio. One of her first social media management projects was running the Instagram page for Caroline Vazzana, a New York-based fashion writer, editor, and stylist. The project became Brodsky’s first experience managing someone’s social media.
After landing a freelance opportunity with Cosmopolitan, Brodsky moved to New York City. As she continued taking on different projects, she began building connections that led to even more opportunities.
One of those connections came through Vazzana, who introduced Brodsky to designer Cynthia Rowley. Brodsky worked on a two-week project for the brand, giving her even more experience within the fashion industry.
By 2024, Brodsky had built a growing list of clients and projects. With the experience, connections, and confidence she had gained from freelancing, she decided to take the leap and officially launch CB Design & Creative.
The Creative Process Behind Brand Content
CB Design & Creative specializes in content creation, from filming brand events and photoshoots to creating different forms of content for social media. When working with a client, Brodsky makes it a priority to get to know the brand, understand its vision, and figure out what the client wants to communicate. From there, she develops ideas through visual references, collages, and mood boards, often using Pinterest to show clients what she envisions for the shoot.
Once the ideas are approved, Brodsky moves into the content creation process. She comes prepared on the day of the shoot with all of her equipment and works quickly to edit the content, often delivering it to clients within a few days.
For someone looking to enter the social media industry, understanding the creative process behind the final post is just as important as knowing how to create the content itself. Brodsky’s work shows that social media isn’t simply about picking up a camera and filming. It starts with understanding the brand and turning its vision into something that can be communicated visually.
Learning From Rejection and Mistakes
Not every idea Brodsky presents to a client gets approved. Rejection is part of working in a creative industry, especially when working with brands that have a specific image and story they want to maintain. An idea may be creative, but that doesn’t always mean it fits the brand.
For Brodsky, learning how to handle rejection without taking it personally has been an important part of building her career. She also believes that mistakes are just as important to the process.
“You look up to these people on Instagram or LinkedIn who have these amazing roles, every single person has made mistakes and they probably are still making mistakes. And that’s how to learn, how to grow.”
Brodsky makes a point of learning from her own mistakes. She even has a notes page on her phone called “Business Learns,” where she keeps track of mistakes she’s made so she can learn from them and avoid making the same ones again.
When entering and pursuing the industry, it’s easy to look at people who are already established and feel like they have everything figured out. Brodsky’s approach is a reminder that mistakes don’t mean you’re failing, they’re part of learning how to build a career.
Knowing Your Audience
For brands struggling to gain a following or get traction on their videos, Brodsky believes the problem can sometimes come down to one thing: not knowing their target audience.
There is a lot of time and research that goes into creating successful social media content. Brands need to understand who they want to sell to, what that consumer looks like, and what they would actually be interested in seeing on their feed.
“People don’t realize when they are scrolling on social media how much thought and time has been involved in that one post.”
Career Advice
For those looking to strengthen their skills in social media, communications, or digital marketing, Brodsky emphasizes the importance of practicing how to create briefs. One way she recommends doing this is by creating your own hypothetical client and project, then developing a brief around it. Even without working with a real brand, practicing turning an idea into an organized plan is a way to hone in on that skill.
It’s also important of being quick and efficient in the industry. Something Brodsky has noticed when working with interns is that while they often have strong creative ideas, they can struggle with turning those ideas around quickly.
“Quality is of course the most important, and you can develop that quality over time. Being able to pull something together quickly is also important.”
For students looking to enter social media or digital marketing, Brodsky also recommends gaining experience through internships. But for those who don’t have experience yet, she believes there are still ways to show potential employers what they can do.
Her advice is to create projects that you are genuinely proud of and build a portfolio around your best work. For example, she suggests getting friends together, taking on the role of creative director, coming up with video concepts, and creating the content yourself. The project doesn’t have to be for a major brand to demonstrate your creativity.
While having recognizable names in a portfolio can help, Brodsky believes that creativity, effort, and a clear vision can be just as valuable. For someone looking to break into the industry, showing that you are willing to take an idea and turn it into something tangible can go a long way.
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