THERE is an iconic scene in the hit movie The Devil Wears Prada and has been used as the explanation behind Australian Wool Innovation's high-end marketing campaign.
The scene between fashion magazine editor, Miranda Priestly, and her unfashionable assistant Andrea Sachs highlights the control in which the fashion industry has on influencing trends.
"... it's sort of comical how you think that you've made a choice that exempts you from the fashion industry when, in fact, you're wearing the sweater that was selected for you by the people in this room from a pile of 'stuff'," Priestly says to Sachs.
The scene was depicted by AWI communications manager Marius Cuming when he was explaining the company's approach to marketing the fibre.
"Wool is now less than one per cent of the global textile trade and as a niche and rare natural fibre it must be marketed as such," Mr Cuming said.
The benefits of a successful marketing brand can have a profound impact on the producer and market which was evident in 2002 when Ugg boots came into trend and Australian wool producers were rewarded with inflated market prices for skins as global demand rocketed.
"Major companies like Target and Aldi have a wool price ceiling, and when prices reach a premium they drop out of the market," Mr Cuming said.
"Brands with price flexibility in their budget are who we want to target.
"Don't you want to work with partners who value your wool and are willing to pay more for it?"
This year, AWI's subsidiary The Woolmark Company has worked with major brands Sportscraft, Kookai and M.J. Bale and luxury brands Armani, Jigsaw and Paul Smith.
"AWI/Woolmark must work with companies that are willing to pay more for Australian wool," Mr Cuming said.
"There is no stockpile of wool anywhere in the world and all wool that is produced is being sold so why not increase demand to lift the price people are willing to pay for wool.
"Low margin, low cost partners may be interested when wool is cheap but will leave wool once the price increases and our work is wasted."
Compared to cotton's approach to marketing as "any man's fibre", Mr Cuming said by working with influential brands, retailers and fashion designers, wool was seen as the sustainable, versatile natural fibre it was and therefore worth paying more for.
"Influence filters down and not up, influence the best and the rest will follow," he said.
"Woolmark seeks to position wool at the pinnacle of the fashion industry by working with supply chain partners to develop and deliver creative marketing campaigns such as Campaign for Wool, Woolmark Gold in China, No Finer Feeling, International Woolmark Prize and Cool Wool."
He said, ultimately the objective of Woolmark's marketing was to increase demand for Australian wool.