Fashion Consumer Behaviour
According to Gregory Stone, clothing is instrumental in expressing one's identity:
"One's identity is established when others place him as a social object by assigning him the same words of identity that he appropriates for himself or announces. It is in the coincidence of placements and announcements that identity becomes a meaning go the self."
Self-image (self-perception)
- Based on observations of own behaviour - What do I think of myself? Ideal self-image (how we like to see ourselves?) - Social self-image (social comparison) - Ideal social self-image)
What is involvement?
A person's perceived relevance of an object is based on his or her inherent needs, values, and interests - Naden, 2013
Body image
A person's perceptions, thoughts and feelings about his or her body. Body image has an effect in the way the individual dresses. It can lead to feeling poor about one's body, resulting in body dissatisfaction.
Strategies to increase fashion consciousness
Advertising, Brand-customer engagement (interaction), Celebrity endorsement, Loyalty program and Personalisation/customisation
Consumer Decision Making Journey
Awareness, Consideration, Purchase, Retention, Advocacy
Immodesty Theory
Clothes have been worn to draw attention to certain parts of the body. Sex appeal is not solely what fashion is about, but women's sexuality and dress throughout the ages have been inexplicably intertwined.
Challenges of using the self concept
Complex and multifaceted - which self dimension to target at which context? Malleable - not static, one's definition of the self may change as he or she progresses through the lifestyle. Culture-dependent - individualist v collectivist
Social Self
Concept of self as reflected in social interactions with others
Rudd/Lennon model of Body Aesthetics
Creating a visual appearance is more complex than one would think. The act of dressing appears to be simply putting on clothes, but underneath this straight - forward behaviour lay a constellation of variable that influence our dress selections. - cultural, social and psychological variables influence the aesthetic creation.
Non-routine appearance management behaviour
Engaged in less frequently and carry some degree of risker pain, such as tattooing, liposuction, anorexia, bulimia, or chronic dieting.
Fashion Consciousness
Fashion consciousness is defined as the degree of a person's involvement in incorporating up-to-date fashion style into his/her fashion clothing. It affects purchase decision and consumption behaviour.
Practical Implications of Fashion-conscious consumers
Fashion involved consumers drive the adoption and diffusion process and are important for marketing managers in fashion for understanding and encouraging fashion involvement or consciousness among consumer has many benefits e.g. They are less price sensitive.
Self-esteem
Feelings of self worth. Consumers' decisions are regularly made within the context of enhancing or protecting self-esteem, in recognition of the value of the self. Therefore, the pursuit of self-esteem is recognised by marketing managers as one of the most important motivational drivers of consumer behaviour and decision making.
Routine appearance management behaviour
Frequent procedures that carry little to no health risk, such as ironing clothing, wearing make-up and exercise.
More on the Protection Theory
It can also be seen from the psychological perspective, using fashion as protection from evil or as a religious reminder.
Implications of the changing consumer decision journeys
Marketers have to use diverse techniques to capture consumer attention at the different stages. Abundance of information/easier product comparisons. Social comparison Importance of social proof (follow the herd) Importance of authority (follow the leader)
Private Self
Our introspective of the "secret" self, may not be communicated explicitly, but come a dress rehearsal for public presentation,
Real Self
Our more realistic appraisal of the qualities we have
Adornment Theory
Perhaps the most universal function of clothing and accessories is adornment, personal decoration and aesthetic expression. Adornment shows status and identity and also raises one's self-esteem. Adornment is achieved through clothing and accessories (external adornment) or through making permanent changes to the body (bodily adornment)
Theories of Motivation for Fashion
Protect, Modesty, Immodesty and Adornment
What factors influence consumer behaviour?
Psychological, personal, social, buyers' responses, cultural, environemental influences, marketing programs
Multiple Selves
Real self, ideal self, self, social self, and private self
Components of the self-concept
Self as structure; Self as process: different selves' in different contexts and/or in different periods and a symbolic interactionist view
Fanatic Consumers
Some people are so involved in an activity that they can be termed fanatic consumers. The forces that drive people to purchase and use products are generally straight-forward, however, as hard-core triathletes demonstrate, even the consumption of an everyday product may also be related to wide-ranging beliefs regarding what is appropriate or desirable. In some instances, these emotional responses can cause a deep commitment to the product.
Protection Theory
Some theorists feel that clothing first used to protect us from the elements. Clothing functions as a barrier between the body and the environment e.g. the sun, wind, rain, and cold. Some wear clothing or accessories as amulets to bring good luck or protection from harmful spiritual powers (psychological protection).
Involvement can occur for:
Specific fashion product/service i.e. different products arise different levels of involvement OR for a whole category. It had been argued that while there are individual differences in levels of involvement with a given product(s), with a relatively homogenous population, the rank order of involvement with an array of products are expected to e reasonably constant.
Self Concept
The beliefs a person holds about his or her qualities and how he or she evaluates these qualities (Solomon and Rabolt, 2009). Through the purchase and use of products, consumers define, maintain and enhance their self-concept.
Image Congruence Hypothesis
The image congruence hypothesis states that consumers tend to select products and stores that correspond to their self concept. The consumer is aiming to achieve a consistent self image.
More on Adornment Theory
The theory that clothing begins in the desire to attract attention, or secure prominence, not necessarily of a direct sexual sort. The primitive clothing on this theory on conspicuous ornamentation.
Ideal Self
The way we would like to be
Fashion-conscious consumers
They pay more attention to their external appearance and are preoccupied with how they consume. They have been found to be innovative and self-confident; influential trendsetters. Those consumers absorb the images and fashion styles in advertising, and are willing to spend money on clothing which will enhance their self-confidence and make them feel, look and smell good.
What happens when people are dissatisfied about their body?
They take measures to change them, called appearance management behaviour.
Survey of Triathletes
This survey found intense commitment to the sport resulted in a highly modified daily schedule, unwillingness to stop training even if injured, and a substantial financial commitment for travel to races, specialised clothing etc - the last being most relevant to marketers.
More on Modesty Theory
This theory is familiar from the Mesopotamian legend of the Garden of Eden and Eve's seduction of the serpent holds that clothing was originally donned to conceal genitals, shams, immodesty or smoother several emotion.
Modesty Theory
This theory suggests that people wear clothing to conceal private parts of their bodies. Moralists believe that one's innate feelings of guilt and shame from being naked led to finding ways to clothe the body. Modesty is not universal e.g. modesty in muslim cultures is dictated i.e. the chador and the hiqab.
More on Immodesty Theory
This theory, popularised by Westermarck and Havelock Ellis, maintains that the intent and purpose of clothing in the beginning was salacious designed to attract attention to sexual organs and function and in general to make the wearer a greater object of sexual interest.
Clothing is...
a method of announcement of one's identity. It can validate and help establish this identity.
