Victoria’s Secret has had its fair share of backlash and controversy, from its brand direction and lack of inclusivity, to its hiatus from the iconic shows, to 2023's boring digital return, and more. The digital release of the documentary-style "Victoria's Secret: The Tour '23" was criticized for its underwhelming presentation that lacked the fantastical spectacle fans and customers were expecting. The forced diversity was considered a step forward towards inclusivity in the brand, but ultimately not enough.

This year promised a bigger and better comeback with an in-person, more traditional-style 2025 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, which took place on October 15. It brought full-glam with pink, sparkles, elaborate wings, and nostalgia for the style the brand is known for while reinventing the fantasy in the way their customers begged for. Although there are still some criticisms of the show's looks not being grand enough, Victoria's Secret overall delivered on the demands from the previous show, proving that it is entirely possible to be extravagantly feminine while celebrating all women- you don't have to compromise on glamour to rise into the modern zeitgeist and to make every woman feel special.

I asked our PR and growth experts: Seeking to uncover some of Victoria’s secrets for myself, I asked our PR experts: How is Victoria's Secret restoring public support for the brand? What are some of the PR tactics Victoria's Secret does well and not so well? What PR tactics can smaller brands learn from Victoria’s Secret?

Here are the experts' insights.

• Listen to your audience and know your demographics
• A fail to organically grow with the changes in the buying identity
• From image control to authentic connection
• Transparency and humility are much more powerful than a rebrand
• Build your values into the system

Listen to your audience and know your demographics

Emily Reynolds, Owner at R Public Relations

"At long last, Victoria’s Secret is channeling inclusivity and representation, which has helped it restore its reputation. The fashion show showcased bodies of all shapes and sizes, and it also spotlighted an up-and-coming artist. The less for smaller brands is to listen to your audience and know your demographics. If you’re marketing to a group that isn’t your typical buyer, your reputation can be damaged."

A fail to organically grow with the changes in the buying identity

Jon Morgan, Co-Founder at Venture Smarter

"At Venture Smarter, we aim to help founders who face challenging brand pivots because their core narrative becomes disconnected with their buyers market. Victoria’s Secret is attempting to regain buyer support through a fundamental shift in brand strategy from aspirational fantasy to relatable inclusivity. A complete “reboot” of its messaging and visual position is what is now necessary to regain a buyer demographic that values authenticity over old beauty measures. The core strategy of the company is to tack on a calculated repositioning of its brand equity in order to align itself with modern consumer values…essentially a survival shift to recover lost brand equity.

The main tactic they employ is a high visibility diversity in the models and brand ambassadors and they paint a good picture with the visual image. But the effort serves many times like a mandated corporate decision versus a genuine cultural change. My team sees this as one proper step of insufficiency in which the “what” is taken care of, but the “why” is hollow. The deep well of history of this brand breeds skepticism so the PR effort for inclusivity comes off to many as reactive and opportunist. They are achieving the result of image change but losing the battle of proof of change in buyer ethos.

Herein exist many lessons for smaller brands which need to adopt a proactive approach to the building up of their brands. One important key is to build in the feedback of buyers and the evolving social values into the very fabric of the company DNA from the very start. A startup has the agility to build a community of touch into the program and let it organically grow with regard to the changes in the buying identity, thereby keeping the need of not facing a painful and expensive public makeover. It is better for founders to build a resilient brand identity in their own name rather than face an expensive PR blow up to fix a deteriorating narrative."

From image control to authentic connection

Liam Derbyshire, CEO & Founder at Influize

"Victoria's Secret is learning that being honest is the first step to getting better. It's now less important for the company to be perfect and more important for it to make its image more human by showing real people. I've seen that brands connect with their fans more quickly when they own up to their mistakes and learn from them. Their comeback show was a good step towards being more open and nostalgic, but it was still just on the surface. Smaller brands should remember that consistent values, not marketing moments, are what lead to real progress."

Transparency and humility are much more powerful than a rebrand

Busy Bee Fashion & Art Studio Team

"Victoria’s Secret is trying to rebuild trust by returning to what it does best—spectacle—but in a way that feels self-aware. This year’s show wasn’t just about lingerie; it was a statement of reentry. The brand understands that public forgiveness often begins when you give people something familiar to root for again, then slowly rewrite the story behind it.

What’s working: the pivot back to live events. After years of digital fatigue, audiences want to feel fashion again, not scroll through it. That move alone makes people nostalgic and softens criticism.

What’s still off: the authenticity gap. Representation and inclusivity can’t just be casted; they need to be felt in the company’s structure and creative choices. Until that happens, the storytelling will feel rehearsed.

Smaller brands can take note—transparency and humility are much more powerful than a rebrand. Admit what changed, show what you’ve learned, and let your community see the process!"

Build your values into the system

Ameer Draidy, PR Expert at Circular Design

"Victoria’s Secret wants to swap an old fantasy for a new reality. They are shedding the definition that made them what they were for a generation, “the unattainable angel” concept, and trying on something more inclusive. The main weapon here is the image. The 2025 show and also recent campaigns feature a wider array of body types, races, and identities, including famous plus-size and transgender models.

Showing, not just telling, they are seeking to win back support. But peruse comments on TikTok or Instagram Reels about the new show, and you’ll see the public is divided. It’s a move that many critics are happy to see, but at the same time doubt how genuine the change is, seeing it more as a corporate play rather than one of belief or conviction. They are trying to return to a culture that has already rejected them.

What they still do exceptionally well is create a spectacle. The return of the traditional fashion show, even with its changes, generated a massive media storm. They know how to command a news cycle and get everyone talking, for good or bad. That ability to create a "moment" is a powerful PR tool that keeps them relevant.

What they are not very good at is projecting authenticity. This is their biggest challenge. Having spent decades hyping a single, narrow standard of beauty, their abrupt swerve feels jarring, to many, opportunistic. You can see that feeling echoed everywhere on Reddit forums, where users lament comparing their work to labels like Aerie or Savage X Fenty, which wove inclusivity into their DNA from day one. Victoria’s Secret is attempting to bolt on a fresh identity, and that usually reads as hollow.

Two huge takeaways for smaller brands here:

Build your values into the system, don’t paint them on later. Your brand should have roots within the same inclusive, sustainable, or whatever it is that you stand for, locale, and be built around a perspective. It’s so much stronger and more credible than running after cultural trends long past when they were actually ancient. Authenticity is the best thing you’ve got, and it's why Victoria’s Secret is spending a fortune right now to try to get it back.

Own the story, even on a small scale. You don't need a billion-dollar TV special to make an impact. Victoria's Secret creates events that force a conversation. A small brand can do this by launching a product with a powerful founder story, publishing bold original research, or creating a unique community event. Create a moment that is undeniably yours."

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