The Role of Curatorial Marketing Strategies in Branding and

Enhancing Brand Influence: The Case of Fashion Brand Gentle

Monster

Yujia Lu

School of Foreign Languages, Shenzhen Technology University, Shenzhen, China

Keywords: Curatorial Marketing, Art Infusion Phenomenon, Brand as Sign, Brand Image, Brand Influence, Experiential

Marketing.

Abstract: With the rapid development of modern business, numerous innovative marketing strategies are used for

branding and brand management, so finding suitable and effective marketing strategies to make brands stand

out has become an issue of great concern to many companies. And Gentle Monster, as a famous fashion brand,

which has become renowned and performed year-on-year brilliant business because of its marketing strategy,

has not yet been profoundly researched and studied, especially in terms of the role of this curatorial marketing

strategy on branding and brand influence. This study adopts a mixed research methodology, including a

detailed analysis of the fashion brand Gentle Monster and a questionnaire survey of 204 consumers, to

demonstrate the positive effects of "curatorial marketing" on branding and brand influence. The results of the

study show that the curatorial marketing strategy with a very artistic design has a positive effect on enhancing

brand impact. In addition, brands (especially fashion brands) can benefit from incorporating more artistic

elements into their marketing campaigns for better brand performance. Gentle Monster can provide an

excellent case study for fashion brands to learn from, and the findings of the study can also provide insights

and inspiration for other industries.

1 INTRODUCTION

In today's world, well-known brands are often not

confined to a single traditional marketing strategy but

seek many more innovative strategies, such as co-

branding, to increase brand awareness and further

promote consumerism (Murtas et al., 2022). Schmitt

suggested that companies have transferred from the

traditional marketing way of promoting "features-

and-benefits" to the marketing way of creating

experiences for their customers in many industries

(Schmitt, 1999a). And according to him, experiential

marketing is all about taking the main features of a

product and turning them into activities that

customers can enjoy and that get their senses and

emotions involved (Schmitt, 1999b). Gentle Monster,

a Korean fashion eyewear brand, broke the traditional

framework of sales strategy and used a more

innovative curatorial marketing strategy. Gentle

Monster chose to take offline artistic shops as the

medium to convey the brand's unique perspective,

philosophy, and values to consumers, giving them a

unique experience and fully mobilizing their

emotions to stimulate consumption. This curatorial

marketing strategy is based on experiential marketing

and has a similar transmission path. This unique

marketing strategy creates a special experience for

their customers through specific artistic exhibitions

and builds their customers an unforgettable brand

image and enhancing brand influence through these

special experiences. Its highly artistic and disruptive

retail space has created a huge success for the brand.

It is worth noting that some brands, such as the

Chinese fragrance brand "document" have already

adopted a similar marketing strategy with some

success. Curatorial marketing is a marketing strategy

derived from experiential marketing that relies

particularly on offline spaces. One of the features of

curatorial marketing that distinguishes it from

experiential marketing strategies in general is the

artistic nature of its exhibitions. According to "Art

Infusion Phenomenon", the presence of art has a

positive effect on how consumers view products,

influencing their perception of the products (Hagtvedt

610

Lu, Y.

The Role of Curatorial Marketing Strategies in Branding and Enhancing Brand Inﬂuence: The Case of Fashion Brand Gentle Monster.

DOI: 10.5220/0013850800004719

Paper published under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

In Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on E-commerce and Modern Logistics (ICEML 2025), pages 610-615

ISBN: 978-989-758-775-7

& Patrick, 2008). At the same time, according to the

concept of "Brand as sign", a brand can influence the

consumers' perception of the product or convey the

values represented by the brand through symbolic

expression, thus motivating consumers to express

their own personality and identity by consuming the

brand (Baudrillard, 1998). Curatorial marketing

strategies often involve the design of highly artistic

installations and spaces in offline spaces, thus

activating the effect of Art Infusion Phenomenon and

symbolizing the brand.

There is relevant literature focusing on the study

of artist-brand collaboration cases, which mainly

investigates the impact of artist-brand collaboration

on consumer feedback and other related subjects

(Kim et al., 2018). And there have also been studies

focusing on artistic collaborations on consumer

response (Kim & Lee, 2014). In addition, other

researches focused on analyzing the impact of the

visual arts on consumers' product evaluations and

purchase intentions (Kim & Lee, 2012). The way of

branding through marketing has been analyzed more

as well, for example, Chrysochou has analyzed how

the marketing elements can build a proper brand

image (Chrysochou, 2010). Some research has

pointed out that a proper brand image strategy is

extremely important in terms of the failure or success

of that brand in nowadays competitive business

environment (Lee et al., 2000).

However, much of the existing literature applies

experiential marketing to analyses of tourism

development, or other industries such as theme parks

(Tsaur et al., 2007). Curatorial marketing, as a more

innovative marketing strategy based on experiential

marketing, has not been deeply studied. And in terms

of the combination of in-depth art cooperation and

curatorial management, there are few in-depth

analyses to explore how this kind of cooperation can

inject unique art culture and high-end atmosphere into

the brand, especially how curatorial marketing can

differentiate itself from the previous simple artist

cooperation and other strategies to enhance the brand

influence in a powerful and non-monotonous way. At

the same time, Gentle Monster, as a typical example

of the application of curatorial marketing strategies,

has not yet been deeply researched because of its

uniqueness and innovation, as well as its good

performance in branding and enhancing brand

influence.

This study aims to demonstrate the role of

curatorial marketing strategies in branding and

enhancing brand influence, taking the fashion

accessory brand Gentle Monster as an example. In

this study, a case study of the Gentle Monster brand

was conducted through the Brand 3-Perspective

Analysis Model from the three angles of Brand

Strategy, Product, and Audience Experience, along

with the questionnaire data analysis to demonstrate

the positive effects of curatorial marketing strategies

on brand image and brand influence. Depending on

the context, executives can apply this particular type

of curatorial marketing to increase their brand impact

(especially in the fashion industry) or be inspired to

discover other ways in which art and branding can

work together to achieve branding and brand loyalty

goals.

2 METHOD

2.1 Case Analysis

Founded in South Korea in 2011, Gentle Monster is a

brand that primarily designs and produces trendy

eyewear, taking the world by storm with its high-end,

edgy, and innovative brand image. Gentle Monster is

now present in 30 countries with 22 flagship shops,

and its sales network covers over 200 distribution

channels and 10 online sales platforms. In 2024,

Gentle Monster's annual sales are expected to reach

approximately $570 million, while operating profit is

expected to rise by 54.7%. Gentle Monster has

performed well since its inception, and the brand's

strength is remarkable. The case study will use the

Brand 3-Perspective Analysis Model to analyze the

Gentle Monster brand in terms of brand strategy,

product, and audience experience.

2.1.1 Brand Strategy

In terms of brand strategy, firstly, Gentle Monster

identified the gap in the Asian eyewear market by

investigating the market demand and positioned the

product as "For Asians By Asians". This positioning

helped Gentle Monster to successfully open up the

Asian eyewear market first, and laid a valid

foundation for the subsequent opening up of the

global market. Secondly, according to the "Brand as

sign" theory, Gentle Monster strongly symbolizes the

brand through curatorial marketing. With the motto

of "Innovative High-end Experimentation", Gentle

Monster is differentiated from traditional marketing

strategies by focusing on providing consumers with

fresh experiences through innovative visual arts. The

combination of artistic and innovative shop design

with boldly designed products leaves a deep

impression and inspires strong emotional resonance

in customers. Eyewear is no longer an ordinary tool

The Role of Curatorial Marketing Strategies in Branding and Enhancing Brand Inﬂuence: The Case of Fashion Brand Gentle Monster

611

for correcting vision, but a fashionable expression of

artistry and individuality. Each piece of eyewear

becomes a symbol of fashion forwardness,

empowered by the storytelling of the exhibition, and

the brand thus becomes a status symbol of fashion and

art. Meanwhile, Gentle Monster also often cooperates

with celebrities or artists, and the form of cooperation

mainly includes launching a collaborative range of

products and inviting them to the offline shops to take

photos and promote them. This approach ensures a

certain degree of exposure for the offline shops, and

at the same time, makes the brand's highly

fashionable and artistic image deeply rooted in

people's hearts, becoming synonymous with fashion

and quality.

2.1.2 Product

In terms of products, first of all, Gentle Monster's

initial product concept was to design glasses that suit

Asian face shapes and aesthetic characteristics. The

brand has gained an edge in the Asian market by

capitalizing on market demand while combining

differentiated product design with superior

manufacturing to win the recognition of consumers in

the Asian market. Secondly, Gentle Monster's

products are generally unique, with stylish and

distinctive designs that correspond to its artful offline

exhibitions. Thus, the concept that the shop conveys

is consistent with the concept that the product shows,

and aligned with the brand's philosophy. Finally, the

pricing of the Gentle Monster range is usually higher,

and Gentle Monster is positioned at the premium end

of the market, which matches the premium brand

image it creates through curatorial marketing-artistic,

and high-end presenting offline shops. Consumers are

willing to pay a higher price for the unique design and

brand experience, on the one hand, and the high price,

on the other hand, reinforces the premium brand

image.

2.1.3 Audience Experience

In terms of audience experience, it is worth noting

that Gentle Monster's success is mainly attributed to

the perfect manufacturing of the offline shop

audience experience, in which curatorial marketing

strategy plays an extremely important role. According

to "Art Infusion Phenomenon", The brand brings

together a large number of art installations and uses

unique display methods in the design of the shop

space, and these artistic elements make the shop not

only a sales place, but more like an art space, which

conveys the brand's unique aesthetics and cultural

connotations to the consumers, and shapes a high-end,

fashionable and creative brand image.

The all-around artistic experience makes

consumers more emotionally resonant, while

enhancing brand influence to a certain extent. Firstly,

through the planning of art exhibitions, the brand

perfectly combines its brand values with its offline

shops through immersive storytelling, transforming

brand values into perceptible scenarios by providing

them a progressive and innovative shop design, and

guiding customers from mere feelings to gradual

recognition in the process. Amplifying the customer's

visual touch through the entire conduction process

creates a rich, unique, and memorable experience for

the consumer. At this point, the process of brand

experience differentiation has been completed.

Secondly, Gentle Monster's products are usually

characterized by a strong sense of fashion, and most

customers who identify themselves as having a low

sense of fashion may not initially accept the brand's

products. However, by designing the offline shop into

a unique art exhibition space, Gentle Monster can

help customers change from passive acceptance to

active participation in the immersive drama. Thus,

every time they step into a Gentle Monster shop, they

will be touched deeply. In this process, the customer

realizes both self-identity and brand identity.

2.2 Data Analysis

In this study, 204 valid responses were collected

through an online questionnaire in 2025. The age

range of the participants was 16 years and above.

78.92 percent of the respondents were concentrated in

the age group of 16-34 years, and 21.08 percent of the

respondents were concentrated in the age group of 35

years and above. In terms of occupation, about 35 per

cent of the respondents were from the student

community, about 51 per cent were office workers,

while the remaining about 12 per cent of the

respondents were freelancers. This study collects data

through self-administered questionnaires and focuses

on analyzing consumer feedback on Gentle Monster's

curatorial marketing strategy.

The questionnaire is based on a survey of

feedback from those who have visited the exhibition,

as well as a survey of perceptions of "curatorial

marketing strategy" and "integration of art and

branding" from all respondents, including those who

have not visited the exhibition. Based on the

respondents who have visited the exhibition, the

survey breaks down the "feedback on marketing

strategy" into two dimensions: "interest in or

fondness for the brand" and "interest in or

engagement with the brand". The survey also

investigated which features were most important or

ICEML 2025 - International Conference on E-commerce and Modern Logistics

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attracted their attention during their visit to Gentle

Monster's offline shop exhibitions. Based on the total

number of respondents, the survey breaks down the

"brand-art integration impact" into "brand perception

impact", "brand loyalty impact" and "brand

engagement impact". "Expectations for future

campaigns", and in-depth research into respondents'

views on "the best way to integrate branding and art".

The questionnaire consisted of 11 closed-ended

multiple-choice questions, three of which were yes/no

dichotomous options (e.g., "Have you developed a

deeper interest or fondness for the Gentle Monster

because of the art exhibitions in its offline shops?"),

and two were 3-point Likert-scale items. Gentle

Monster because of the art exhibitions in its offline

shops?"), and 2 questions on 3-point Likert-scale

items. The questionnaire was designed using

Conditional Branching, based on the respondents'

answers to Adaptive route follow-up questions. For

example, if the respondent chooses 'No' to question

Q2 ('Have you ever visited Gentle Monster shops or

other fashion exhibitions organized by Gentle

Monster?'), then Q3-Q5 (questions related to

feedback on art exhibitions in offline shops) will be

skipped, and the respondent will go directly to Q6

(How do you visit Gentle Monster stores?). Go

directly to Q6 (How do you think the integration of

branding and art affects consumers' brand perception?

(Multiple-Choice Question)). The question-skipping

logic was implemented through Qualtrics to ensure

that only respondents who had visited the exhibition

answered questions about their experience of visiting

the Gentle Monster, reducing the number of invalid

responses.

Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics to

calculate the frequency and percentage of answers to

each question. For example, the answer "Yes" stands

for "Support".

3 RESULTS

Figure 1. Deeper Interest or Fondness.

As shown in Figure 1, of the 106 respondents who

visited a Gentle Monster offline store, about 93% of

the respondents supported the idea that visiting an

offline art fair made them more interested in Gentle

Monster or develop a greater fondness for the brand.

Figure 2. Attention or engagement growth.

And at the same level, as shown in Figure 2,

nearly 83% of respondents would increase their

interest or engagement with the brand after visiting its

offline artistic space.

Combining the above two sets of data, the positive

effect of Gentle Monster's offline art exhibitions on

enhancing the brand's influence can be proved to

some extent.

Figure 3. Feeling about different aspects of the experience.

At the same time, as shown in Figure 3, when

visiting Gentle Monster's offline exhibitions,

respondents generally found the spatial design

immersion and the fusion of art installations and

products to be the two aspects that appealed to them

the most as well as the best experience, with the

appeal of store art installations being the most

important in this regard. The appeal of store art

installation was also recognized as the third most

appealing aspect.

The Role of Curatorial Marketing Strategies in Branding and Enhancing Brand Inﬂuence: The Case of Fashion Brand Gentle Monster

613

Figure 4. Integration of branding and art and consumers'

brand perception.

As shown in Figure 4, among all respondents

(including those who have not visited Gentle

Monster's offline exhibitions), "Increase brand

uniqueness" and "Enhance brand appeal" were the

two most recognized aspects of consumers'

perception of branding as influenced by the fusion of

art and branding. And the number of respondents

recognizing the impact of these two aspects is almost

the same, at around 73%. Even though "Enhance the

high-end status of the brand" and "Increase the

cultural content of the brand" do not have the same

much impact, the number of respondents who

recognize these two aspects is almost the same, at

around 73%. And even though "Increase the cultural

content of the brand" did not receive as much support

as the first two, it was still supported by about 50 per

cent of the respondents.

In a further question, around 70% of respondents

would like to see more art-integrated activities in

future marketing strategies for brands, especially

fashion brands.

It is worth noting that even though Gentle

Monster's curatorial marketing strategy was widely

recognized by respondents, when finally asked about

the best way to merge branding and art in their minds,

the most favored option was "Limited edition

products with artists", while Gentle Monster's

"Curatorial Store Design" had almost 10% fewer

supporters than the previous strategy.

In the case studies and data analysis, this study

delves into consumers' perceptions and attitudes

towards the Gentle Monster brand's curatorial

marketing. Considering the findings of the case study

and data analysis, the initial hypothesis of this study,

"the positive effects of curatorial marketing strategies

on brand image and brand influence", can be

supported.

4 DISCUSSION

4.1 Brand Symbolization Through

Offline Space Experience

Gentle Monster has silently communicated its brand

philosophy to its customers through an offline shop

design that immerses and refreshes them. It is worth

noting that this kind of communication makes

customers actively feel remembered rather than

passively accepted, which usually leaves a deep

impression in their minds. In this way, the artistic

fashion, high quality and avant-garde conveyed by

the shops become the main symbols of the brand, and

customers will naturally have the idea of owning the

identity and labels by purchasing the products after

accepting the brand concept, thus the brand

symbolization has been completed and recognized by

the consumers.

4.2

Space, Product, and Brand

Personality Harmonization

If the design of a product is mediocre, it may be

difficult to stimulate spending, even if it does create a

lasting impression on the customer. However, if the

product design is in accordance with the brand's

conceptual style through art exhibitions, then

consumption will be stimulated. Gentle Monster's

product design is not only beautiful and unique, but

also has a high price tag that matches its high-end

fashion environment. As a result, the products sold by

the brand are in line with the feeling of the space and

the brand personality, and consumers will be more

willing to buy and complete the "subscription" of

their own identities of art, quality, and avant-garde.

The brand sells products that are consistent with the

feeling of the space and the brand's personality.

5 CONCLUSION

Marketing strategy is usually a very important part of

a brand; a good marketing strategy can help a brand

to open up the market, while an inappropriate

marketing strategy may cause the brand to fall into

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trouble. Gentle Monster's innovative marketing

strategy, tailored to the brand's product category and

based on the brand's personality, was a perfect fit for

the product and also maximized the effectiveness of

the strategy to make the brand a global phenomenon.

But at the same time, due to specific limitations or

other reasons, such as offline shops are usually

concentrated in first-tier cities, curatorial marketing

strategy may be more limited than some more

common strategies such as limited edition products

with artists and so on, and cannot be used as an all-

round and universal marketing strategy by brands.

While other fashion brands can take Gentle

Monster as an excellent marketing example to learn

from, other industries, such as home furnishing

brands, can also explore other excellent strategies that

are unique and innovative from the success of Gentle

Monster's curatorial marketing.

There are some limitations in this study, such as

the small amount of data in terms of questionnaire

data. Future research could focus on how this unique

marketing strategy can be applied to other types of

brands and the specific conditions that need to be met

for this strategy to be successful.

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