Communication Strategies of SHEEP

1. Introduction: the brand and its positioning
2. Communication channels
3. Theoretical optics
4. Applying theories and how they work: the case of SHEEP Harajuku
5. Conclusion and recommendations
6. List of literature and sources of images

SHEEP Harajuku is a multi-brand select shop located on the first floor of the iconic Laforet Harajuku shopping complex in Tokyo. Unlike a classic single-brand label, SHEEP does not produce its own clothing line as its main product; instead, it acts as a curator, bringing together Japanese and international young designers (MIKIOSAKABE, Jenny Fax, yusho kobayashi, Five year old, hisakanao, KIDILL, NON TOKYO, BODYSONG. and others) and forming a unified showcase for so-called «emerging,» experimental fashion.

The brand’s positioning is built around the idea of discovering and promoting new design talent («発掘と発信» — «discovery and broadcasting»). SHEEP presents itself not simply as a store, but as an entry point into the current Tokyo alternative fashion scene — a space where punk, kawaii aesthetics, doll-like decorativeness, gothic and street style all mix together. The brand’s visual symbol is a sheep, which appears in the logo, social media design and packaging, creating a recognisable, slightly ironic and «soft» image that contrasts with the more aggressive aesthetics of many of the featured designers.

The target audience of SHEEP Harajuku is mainly young people (roughly 16–30 years old) interested in Japanese alternative fashion, K-pop and J-fashion culture, visitors to the Harajuku district, and followers of the global fashion scene on social media. A significant part of the audience consists of foreign tourists and fans of Japanese fashion outside Japan, as confirmed by the brand profile’s claim of worldwide shipping («SHIP WORLDWIDE»).

The audience therefore splits into two overlapping groups: local visitors to Laforet Harajuku, who come for the offline experience and exclusive finds, and an international online audience that follows the brand through Instagram, TikTok and the online store, treating SHEEP as a «window» into Tokyo street fashion.

SHEEP Harajuku builds its communication primarily in the digital environment, complemented by a strong offline presence. The brand does not use traditional TV or radio advertising — its public image is shaped through social media, its own e-commerce website, and a physical presence in well-known retail locations.

The website sheep-shop.jp serves both as an online store and as a media outlet: the «News» section («ニュース») regularly publishes announcements of pop-up events (Osaka, Fukuoka, Umeda, etc.), turning the site into a PR communication tool rather than just a sales platform. A separate project, @zine_art_by_sheep — a printed zine dedicated to art and visual culture — extends the brand’s image beyond retail toward publishing and curatorial activity.

2. offline events as a media agenda — regular pop-ups in major shopping centres (PARCO, LUCUA, Hankyu Umeda) in different Japanese cities function as regional PR campaigns that extend the brand’s reach beyond Tokyo;

3. a direct sales channel via DM — the brand accepts orders for items not listed in the online store through Instagram direct messages, creating the effect of a «closed club» and personalised service, which increases audience loyalty.

Two interrelated theories from the course were chosen to analyse SHEEP Harajuku’s communication: Group Communication Theory (Defining Group Communication) and Symbolic Convergence Theory (E. Bormann).

Group Communication Theory describes how people come together in groups based on shared interests, values and a similar worldview, and how such groups develop their own norms, language and channels of interaction. This theory was chosen because SHEEP Harajuku does not, at its core, sell «clothing for everyone» — it serves a fairly narrow yet international community of people drawn to a specific segment of Japanese alternative fashion. The brand’s behaviour (DM sales, curated selection, pop-ups only in certain locations) is a direct consequence of orienting itself toward a tight-knit reference group rather than a mass market.

Symbolic Convergence Theory complements the first: according to Bormann, stable groups form around shared images, stories and «fantasy themes» that are repeated over and over and eventually combine into a common symbolic reality (a «rhetorical vision»). This theory was chosen because SHEEP has a stable and easily recognisable symbolic world — the image of the sheep, the Harajuku aesthetic, and a recurring circle of designers and their «stories» (for example, the constant participation of yusho kobayashi and MIKIOSAKABE in every pop-up) — which makes the audience perceive SHEEP not merely as a point of sale, but as part of a shared cultural story that it is interesting to be «included» in.

The combination of these two theories makes it possible to look at SHEEP from two angles at once: as a structure (who this audience is and why it is cohesive) and as a process (which symbols and recurring narratives sustain and transmit that cohesion to the outside world through communication channels).

The group as a reference community. From the perspective of Group Communication Theory, SHEEP Harajuku functions as an «assembly point» for a community united not by geography but by aesthetics. Followers of the brand from Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka and abroad are not a single social group in the usual sense, but they share a common code: an interest in a specific layer of Japanese designer fashion (punk-kawaii, gothic lolita, avant-garde streetwear). SHEEP’s communication reinforces this code through a recurring set of designer names — the audience learns to «recognise its own» by which brands appear on SHEEP’s page, forming an internal system of reference points that only insiders fully understand.

Exclusivity as a mechanism of group identity. Selling items that are not listed in the online store through direct messages is a classic example of a group creating internal «rules of access.» Those who know that they need to message the account gain access to a product unavailable to the «ordinary» website visitor. This creates a hierarchy within the audience (regular customers vs. casual visitors) and strengthens the sense of belonging to a community of brand «insiders» — exactly as Group Communication Theory describes the formation of in-group norms and language.

Pop-ups as group rituals. Regular pop-up events in different Japanese cities are not merely a sales expansion but a re-enactment of a group ritual: the same set of designers (MIKIOSAKABE, Jenny Fax, yusho kobayashi, hisakanao) «travels» from city to city, and an audience already familiar with this lineup from Tokyo can encounter «its own» community in Osaka or Fukuoka. This is a literal, physical embodiment of a group united by a shared visual language, consistent with the theory’s core claim that a group exists wherever there are shared symbols and practices, not merely a shared physical space.

The sheep as a central symbol of convergence. Through the lens of Symbolic Convergence Theory, the sheep image in the logo and profile design can be read as the brand’s key «rhetorical artifact.» It is a simple, friendly, slightly comic sign that contrasts with the often radical, sometimes dark aesthetics of the featured designers (gothic, punk, deconstruction). This contrast works as a unifying metaphor: SHEEP as a «shepherd» gathering scattered, bright and unusual «sheep» — independent designers — into a single flock/community. Followers who repeatedly see this symbol alongside collections of very different styles gradually associate the sheep symbol itself with the idea of «discovering something new and unusual,» regardless of the specific designer involved.

Recurring narratives («fantasy themes») as the «fabric» of communication. According to Bormann, symbolic convergence is built on the repeated retelling of small narrative scripts. For SHEEP, such scripts include: a pop-up announcement → a lookbook from a specific designer → a post from the pop-up itself showing queues and atmosphere → a thank-you post after closing. This cycle repeats in nearly every city and season with almost the same structure, but with new protagonists (new collections, new faces). As a result, the loyal audience develops a «shared memory» of the brand — it recognises SHEEP’s communication rhythm and anticipates the next cycle, creating an effect of seriality and ongoing «continuation of the story» that is characteristic of convergent symbolic worlds.

The zine as an extension of the symbolic world. The @zine_art_by_sheep project takes symbolic convergence beyond commerce: a printed publication about art allows the audience to engage with the «SHEEP universe» not as a shop, but as a cultural medium. This reinforces the brand’s rhetorical vision — SHEEP is not just selling things but is part of a broader creative ecosystem of Harajuku, one that is interesting to be involved in at different levels (as a buyer, a reader, a pop-up visitor, or a follower).

Taken together, both theories show that the communicative strength of SHEEP Harajuku is built not on individual advertising messages but on a stable, repeating structure (the same designers, the same announcement formats, the same sheep symbol), which turns a scattered international audience into a community with a shared symbolic language — exactly as described by Group Communication Theory and Symbolic Convergence Theory.

The communication strategy of SHEEP Harajuku is generally effective for its core objective — maintaining the status of a «place for discovering new names» in Japanese alternative fashion. Strengths: a stable visual identity, active offline expansion through pop-ups beyond Tokyo, formation of a loyal community via exclusive DM sales, and a regular publishing rhythm on Instagram.

Weaknesses become visible when comparing activity across channels: Instagram is significantly more developed than TikTok and YouTube, even though these platforms now drive the main influx of new, younger audiences outside Japan. Most textual content and descriptions remain in Japanese, which limits engagement with an international audience despite the claimed worldwide shipping. The website functions primarily as a news feed and store, but makes little use of storytelling — for example, stories of specific designers or the «life» of each collaboration are hardly developed into separate content.

Recommendations: 1// Develop TikTok as an independent channel, not a duplicate of Instagram: short formats such as «a day at SHEEP, ” backstage dressing sessions, and buyers’ reactions to exclusive finds — this naturally extends the brand’s existing aesthetic and attracts a younger, international audience.

2// Add an English (and possibly Korean/Chinese) layer of communication — duplicate captions for key posts and pop-up news, since a significant portion of the audience follows the brand from abroad and is interested in shipping.

3//Transform the zine into a regular media project with digital presence — for example, a separate account or a section on the website with content previews and designer interviews, strengthening SHEEP’s image as a cultural curator, not only a seller.

4//Consider a light personalization of positioning for the new target audience — collaborations with influencers outside Japan (order unboxings delivered via worldwide shipping), which transfers SHEEP’s symbolic world from the physical space of Laforet into the global digital field without losing its curatorial identity.