Analysis of Murmurizm brand communication

«Murmurizm» is not just a vibrant casual clothing brand, it is a major socio-cultural phenomenon whose philosophy is built on radical openness, accessibility, and empathy. Founded in 2015 and having survived a severe crisis, the brand completely shifted its concept and today functions as a large-scale social project. By abandoning faceless factory production in favour of the manual labor of grandmothers (the «Vnukunuk» project), women in difficult life situations, and residents of psycho-neurological boarding schools, the brand has established the concept of a «soulful economy»

Murmurizm fundamentally breaks down the corporate distance (the fourth wall) between the producer and the buyer. They position themselves as maximally open, inclusive, and friendly «kids from the neighborhood.» This is emphasized at all levels of communication, starting from the brand’s name (derived from the Russian word for a cat’s «purr,» which is associated with coziness) down to their specific vocabulary.

In the texts on their website and social media, the brand deliberately avoids a dry marketing tone, universally employing warm and informal markers: «sending hugs», «our grannies,» and «made with love.» They insist on a soulful and tender attitude toward every client and artisan, placing their bet on sincerity—which is currently one of society’s primary demands.

Special attention should be paid to how the brand interacts with youth trends and Generation Z’s visual code. Murmurizm doesn’t just sell warm clothes; it sells meanings and cultural codes, masterfully playing with zoomer memes and internet slang.

A striking example of this integration into youth pop culture is the release of sweaters featuring ironic inscriptions, such as «Red Flag» (a popular internet term denoting warning signs in a person’s behavior), «Люблю» («Love»), or exaggeratedly naive patterns. Such a strategy allows the audience to use the brand’s clothing as a tool for self-irony and non-verbal communication, which aligns perfectly with the psychological need for personal identity formation.

— Instagram* functions as the brand’s aesthetic portfolio. This is where Murmurizm works most actively with modern visual trends, Y2K aesthetics, and youth pop culture. Through highly stylised photoshoots, short engaging Reels, and influencer tags, the brand showcases its items.

— VK is utilised for long-form storytelling. Here, the brand publishes in-depth articles, detailed histories of the «Vnukunuk» project, and deeply emotional biographies of individual artisans. The VK platform serves as a digital archive of the brand’s social mission, providing the rational and emotional foundation that justifies the product’s value.

— Telegram acts as the primary megaphone for the brand’s unpolished, day-to-day voice. Here, the founders use voice messages, share raw, unretouched behind-the-scenes photos, and use natural Gen Z internet slang. Furthermore, Telegram serves as an instant feedback loop: through interactive polls and open comment sections, the brand can rapidly test ideas for new drops, ask for advice, and resolve conflicts in real-time, making subscribers feel like active stakeholders in the company.

The website is not merely a digital catalog, it is an educational tool. The User Experience (UX) and microcopy (button texts, pop-ups) are designed to reflect the brand’s warm tone. Importantly, the website actively educates the consumer about «slow fashion.» By explicitly stating the lead times («creation takes 10 to 60 days»), the site resets consumer expectations, explaining that true manual labor cannot be rushed. It anchors the emotional impulses generated on social media with rational transparency about pricing, logistics, and social impact.

The physical showroom is positioned as a «safe space» rather than a traditional retail store. By welcoming pets (100% dog-friendly) and hosting regular knitting masterclasses, the brand utilizes experiential marketing. When consumers try knitting themselves, they gain a physical, tactile appreciation for the immense labor required to make a single sweater. This offline space blurs the lines between producer, artisan, and consumer, transforming a simple commercial transaction into a shared cultural and communal experience.

Murmurizm entirely rejects classic, sterilized corporate PR (press releases, formal apologies, corporate speak). Instead, they employ what can be termed «Anti-PR» — a strategy built on absolute vulnerability. If there is a production delay because an elderly artisan fell ill, or if the brand faces a financial shortfall, the founders openly write about it. Admitting weaknesses and apologising for delays highlights the authenticity of their handmade process; it proves to the buyer that their sweater is being made by a real, living person, turning a logistical flaw into a marketing strength.

Murmurizm frequently collaborates with massive corporate giants and cultural institutions (Art. Lebedev Studio, Yandex Market, FC Dynamo, Levi’s, GARAGE). For the large corporations, partnering with Murmurizm humanises their brand, injecting much-needed warmth, «soulfulness,» and social responsibility into their corporate image. For Murmurizm, these collaborations provide access to entirely new demographic pools (such as football fans or tech enthusiasts), proving that their philosophy of kindness and inclusivity can successfully integrate into any sphere of modern life.

The integration of charity into the business model is Murmurizm’s core driver. However, their PR strategy carefully avoids «pity marketing.» They do not sell clothes by making the audience feel guilty. Instead, they focus on empowerment and aesthetics. The product must first appeal to Gen Z on a purely visual and trendy level (e.g., ironic meme-sweaters). The social mission (helping vulnerable groups) acts as the decisive ethical bonus.

This strategy resolves the modern consumer’s internal conflict: it allows young people to buy trendy, cool items while simultaneously feeling that they are making a positive, ethical contribution to society.

— Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM): Developed by Petty and Cacioppo, this theory explains the cognitive processes of persuasion. It states that communication can take either a central route (through deep, rational analysis of arguments, requiring high cognitive effort) or a peripheral route (through superficial, emotional, and visual cues, utilising mental shortcuts or heuristics). The route taken depends on the audience’s motivation and ability to process the information.

— Uses and Gratifications Theory: A paradigm formulated by Katz, Blumler, and Gurevitch that rejects the idea of a «passive audience.» Instead of asking «What do media do to people?», it asks «What do people do with media?» It examines which specific internal needs (emotional, social, cognitive, and identity-related) motivate people to actively choose a particular medium or interact with a brand.

The brand employs both routes of persuasion, engaging both highly involved and casual users.

1. Work with the peripheral route (visual persuasion):

When working with the peripheral route, Murmurizm targets an audience with low motivation to read lengthy texts, such as someone simply scrolling through an Instagram* feed. For these users, the soft pastel and pink color palettes of the website, «100% dog-friendly» badges, photographs of smiling grandmother artisans at their knitting needles, and Gen Z models wearing oversized sweaters in sunny environments act as powerful heuristic cues.

These visual elements bypass critical filtering and instantly trigger positive psychological associations of warmth, care, nostalgia, and safety. Consequently, the consumer develops an affinity for the brand without deep analysis, relying solely on an emotional response to these «cute» and «cozy» stimuli.

2. Work with the central route (rational persuasion):

However, when a consumer’s motivation increases, for example, when they are about to spend a significant amount of money on a handmade sweater, they shift to the central route of persuasion and begin processing information carefully. According to ELM, attitudes formed through the central route are highly resistant to counter-persuasion, effectively turning these educated buyers into fiercely loyal brand advocates. To cater to this rational and ethical persuasion, the brand provides clear, logical arguments regarding production transparency and social significance.

This is evident in the «About Us» tab on the website, which details the operational algorithm («In 10-60 days you receive a unique order… we match you with an artisan»). It is also reflected in long-form posts detailing the economic breakdown of where the money goes, and in textual deep-dives into social issues on their Telegram channel. Through these channels, the user rationally understands that their money directly supports vulnerable individuals.

The exceptionally high engagement across Murmurizm’s accounts can be explained by how effectively the brand satisfies fundamental psychological and social needs:

1. Need for social integration and interaction (Social Needs):

The audience uses the brand’s digital platforms as a digital campfire, a community space to feel a sense of unity with individuals who share similar moral values. This is clearly reflected in the warm discussions found in the comments sections, with users writing messages like «Way to go!» and «Wishing health to your artisans' hands!», as well as in the active debates under Telegram posts. The brand administrators further cultivate this connection by replying with personal anecdotes and heart emojis. Ultimately, the brand’s offline knitting masterclasses serve to translate this digital gratification into tangible, physical community building.

2. Need for personal identity formation (Identity Needs):

Because clothing is inherently communicative, customers use Murmurizm items to non-verbally signal their personal value system to society. The brand provides them with the aesthetic tools to visually declare: «I am a conscious, ethical, self-ironic, and empathetic person.»

This need for identity expression is prominently satisfied and showcased through the heavy volume of User-Generated Content (UGC) in the «tagged» section on Instagram, and the reposts of customer reviews in the Telegram channel, where buyers proudly show off their sweaters.

3. Need for Affective Comfort (Emotional Needs):

In a high-stress, fast-paced modern environment, users actively seek out content that reduces anxiety. By focusing its narrative and aesthetics on grandmothers, pets, and «hugs,» Murmurizm provides a safe, comforting media bubble. This consistent, warm messaging successfully fulfills the audience’s deep need for emotional relief and escapism.

— Product Personalisation (strengthening the central route): It is recommended to add a physical or virtual (via QR code) card to each sold item, featuring a portrait and a brief story of the specific artisan who crafted it. This will reinforce the narrative and make the purchase highly personalised.

— Implementation of Dialogic Theory: The brand can enhance two-way symmetrical communication with its audience. For instance, holding open votes (using interactive polls in Telegram and VK) to choose a new yarn color, a phrase for a print, or the next social fund to receive a portion of the proceeds. This will cement the audience’s status as co-creators of the brand.

Based on the conducted analysis, Murmurizm’s communication strategy is highly effective and operates on an advanced level of corporate empathy. The brand has successfully transcended a purely commercial narrative, creating a powerful synergy between aesthetic products and deep social meaning. By balancing peripheral visual cues (nostalgia, memes, pastel aesthetics) with central ethical argumentation (radical transparency, fair compensation), their PR promotion feels entirely organic and sincere. Furthermore, their adept use of Telegram acts as a crucial tool for solidifying trust with their core audience.

*Meta is banned in Russian Federation