Matching Items (18)
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- All Subjects: Fashion
- Creators: Department of Marketing
Description
Valued as a $28 billion industry in 2021, the second-hand clothing industry, or thrifting industry, has been exploding (2020 Fashion Resale Market and Trend Report, 2020). This has been aided by a myriad of technological advancements, social movements, and economic factors. The goal of this thesis is to uncover consumer behaviors leading to this growth across behavioral, emotional, perceptual, and belief factors. Additionally, this thesis aims to provide strategic implications for marketing professionals, create recommendations for brands to successfully enter this industry and target consumers. In this study, a Qualtrics survey was distributed to students at Arizona State University. The results were analyzed through Microsoft Excel. The results showed that in order to be successful in this industry, brands should: emphasize sustainability in marketing, increase brand awareness, highlight feelings of pride in products, uniqueness, and affordability, mitigate feelings of poverty, low quality, and lack of variety, understand the perceptual differences in shopping versus thrifting, and take advantage of branded fashion.
ContributorsRoach, Brianna (Author) / Eaton, John (Thesis director) / Bush, Leslie (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor)
Created2023-05
Description
According to Fashion Theory: The Journal of Dress, Body & Culture, fashion is defined as "the cultural construction of the embodied identity." (Steele 2012). Fashion is a complex subject that utilizes media to instill understanding and the significance of its products to consumers through advertisement. It is highly influential on consumers' behaviors and self-image. In this thesis, I provide the historical context of the fashion industry’s media channels that have shaped the perspective and importance of youthful physical features leading to a youth-centric market. It also examines the current practices and representation in media. The insights from this research provide an understanding of how ageism is prevalent in various forms of media and identifies the implications of the perception of older consumers.
ContributorsYousaf, Guzel (Author) / Guest, Aaron (Thesis director) / Sewell, Dennita (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Art (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor)
Created2022-05
Description
This thesis focuses on the increasing emphasis on sustainability within the fashion industry and how brands, specifically H&M, can increase their market share through updating their in-store retail strategy. Seven common retail strategies are analyzed and recommendations in each area are made to enhance H&M’s emphasis on sustainability. To support these potential recommendations, two focus groups were conducted to evaluate some potential in-store marketing elements. Upon the conclusion of the focus group research, participant’s thoughts were taken into consideration to revise the recommended retail strategies. Overall, by implementing the recommended retail marketing strategies, H&M can incorporate their Conscious line more fully within their stores and promote their new sustainable focus to further their brand in the future.
ContributorsFoley, Jacqueline (Author) / Riker, Elise (Thesis director) / Schlacter, John (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor)
Created2022-12
Description
This exploration will delve into the intricate state of the fashion industry, examining how economic and social shifts during the pandemic era gave rise to unprecedented outcomes. From the highs of pre-pandemic opulence to the lows of economic uncertainties, the scrutiny will focus on the industry's metamorphosis. The post-pandemic fashion landscape is characterized not only by the aftermath of a global health crisis but also by the omnipresence of technology and the transformative influence of social media and consumers. Furthermore, the navigation will extend through the rise of TikTok and the vintage fashion revival, exploring its roots in consumerism, sustainability, and a collective consumer base. It is important to note COVID-19 as both a challenge to fashion and the mark of a new era. Through this exploration, the aim is to uncover not only the industry's response to adversity but also the beginning of a transformation that reflects a new era for fashion.
ContributorsPitti, Sanjana (Author) / Lee, Sanghak (Thesis director) / Feinberg, Cece (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Art (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor)
Created2024-05
Description
As I stare at my closet overflowing with a variety of beloved and colorful garments, I
think about how big of an impact just one of those pieces made in the world before it ended up
in my possession. A tiny spaghetti-strap tank top – bought from my local Goodwill for two dollars, originally purchased at H&M for eight – reminds me that although this square foot of
material might seem minute, it and the thousands of replicas manufactured along with it still
add to the carbon footprint of the fashion industry. Plain and simple – fashion comes at a cost,
whether fashionistas like to be privy to that truth or not. This truth launched an exploration of
my own fashion sense and work to uncover ways to make a difference, birthing ‘K’.
My intention stemmed from my love for clothes, a love rooted in some of my earliest
memories of my mothers’ fashion sense. I found it interesting that for her, and for myself, every
occasion seemed to call for a certain type of dress; occasions like school, church, vacations,
musicals, and nights out on the town to name a few. Not everyone abided by the rules of fashion
that seemed to be so important to me at a young age - no white pants after Labor Day kinds of
things – but, for me, these unspoken rules of dress carried true. Now, as an adult balancing
school, work, and social activity, I like to observe how my peers, coworkers, and friends present
their own sense of style.
After getting a job at a local resale store called Buffalo Exchange, the concept of fast
fashion and the ensuing lack of sustainability fueling it became a concern of interest. Thinking
about the styles of those around me, each completely unique to the wearer but similar in regard
to the individual pieces, struck me that people today are uninformed about the consequences of
their shopping habits. In reality, every consumer partakes in the fashion market in some sense,
meaning that every person feeds into the growing issues associated with fast fashion and similar
business, or join the conversation about sustainable fashion.
Taking my love for resale, a love birthed from ethical sourcing and the giddiness of
finding a good treasure after a big hunt, and partnering my creative skillset for fashion design, I
took on a big project to see for myself what people’s perceptions about resale are and how I
could be a part of the conversation. I began this line thinking about how my unique style always
seems to amass compliments from people liking just how different my items are. I figured that
taking my keen eye for aesthetics and using that to make resale items more desirable, I’d be able
to tap into a market that hardly acknowledges its own existence.
think about how big of an impact just one of those pieces made in the world before it ended up
in my possession. A tiny spaghetti-strap tank top – bought from my local Goodwill for two dollars, originally purchased at H&M for eight – reminds me that although this square foot of
material might seem minute, it and the thousands of replicas manufactured along with it still
add to the carbon footprint of the fashion industry. Plain and simple – fashion comes at a cost,
whether fashionistas like to be privy to that truth or not. This truth launched an exploration of
my own fashion sense and work to uncover ways to make a difference, birthing ‘K’.
My intention stemmed from my love for clothes, a love rooted in some of my earliest
memories of my mothers’ fashion sense. I found it interesting that for her, and for myself, every
occasion seemed to call for a certain type of dress; occasions like school, church, vacations,
musicals, and nights out on the town to name a few. Not everyone abided by the rules of fashion
that seemed to be so important to me at a young age - no white pants after Labor Day kinds of
things – but, for me, these unspoken rules of dress carried true. Now, as an adult balancing
school, work, and social activity, I like to observe how my peers, coworkers, and friends present
their own sense of style.
After getting a job at a local resale store called Buffalo Exchange, the concept of fast
fashion and the ensuing lack of sustainability fueling it became a concern of interest. Thinking
about the styles of those around me, each completely unique to the wearer but similar in regard
to the individual pieces, struck me that people today are uninformed about the consequences of
their shopping habits. In reality, every consumer partakes in the fashion market in some sense,
meaning that every person feeds into the growing issues associated with fast fashion and similar
business, or join the conversation about sustainable fashion.
Taking my love for resale, a love birthed from ethical sourcing and the giddiness of
finding a good treasure after a big hunt, and partnering my creative skillset for fashion design, I
took on a big project to see for myself what people’s perceptions about resale are and how I
could be a part of the conversation. I began this line thinking about how my unique style always
seems to amass compliments from people liking just how different my items are. I figured that
taking my keen eye for aesthetics and using that to make resale items more desirable, I’d be able
to tap into a market that hardly acknowledges its own existence.
ContributorsMickelsen, Karsten Raye (Author) / Gray, Nancy (Thesis director) / Lisjak, Monika (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
The goal of this research study is to examine the nature and effects of social media marketing and the role it has played towards driving Gen Z into the luxury fashion industry. In addition, qualitative exploration focused on uncovering the reason behind why this market chooses to purchase luxury products and investigated the relationship between social media influencers, luxury brands, and their consumers.
Through 12 qualitative research interviews, five key insights were suggested from the results of the study: people buy luxury to fit in or stand out in social groups, social media marketing portrays a false reality, social media has contributed to the rise of Gen Z consumers in luxury fashion, social media has normalized owning luxury products, and social media has caused lowered self esteem and social pressure amongst Gen Z. These insights can be explained through a triangular framework, making up a marketing ecosystem involving the brand, the social media influencer, and the consumer. These three roles work together to buy and sell goods from one another. If one of the players fails to do their role, the relationships fall apart.
Given phones and apps are highly personal items often only used by one individual, understanding and comparing the ads and images one user is exposed to versus another can be very tricky. Recently, the Federal Trade Commission has increased regulations over native advertisements when viewers became unable to decipher ad from reality. Gen Z’s may inadvertently compare themselves to influencers, ultimately causing lowered self esteem when they cannot possess or achieve the lifestyle of these individuals. These insights are important to help understand how to negate the negative effects of social media marketing and propel companies to be more transparent in their marketing initiatives to reduce social pressure and poor mental health amongst Gen Z. Luxury brands could utilize more explicit differentiators on paid advertisements compared to editorial material to make audiences more knowledgeable of the type of content they are viewing. In addition, society should change the way people perceive online content and have more open discussions surrounding the ethics of native advertising and decipection social media posts may cause. The way young users interact and process social media posts is very complex. Investigating this topic is important to prevent the possible underlying repercussions of social media and help marketers best cater toward this market in an open, ethical fashion.
This study concludes with managerial applications and directions for further research. Businesses should prepare to face increasing guidelines regarding native advertising. These guidelines may include requirements to have explicit markings on branded content and binding contracts with social media influencers. To work around these restrictions, the future of luxury fashion indicates that direct to consumer strategies are on the rise. Video livestream retail and social commerce are already taking the Chinese market by storm and it's only a matter of time before American brands will be forced to adapt to keep up with changing trends in the marketplace. DTC brands benefit from having a direct channel to the consumer without interpretation or the need for intermediaries. Given this research primarily focuses on the links between the brand to influencer and influencer to consumer, future exploration could focus on the channel between the brand and consumer through direct selling. Going forward, brands may prefer to interact with their customers directly, without the use of an influencer, to help establish a close relationship with their audience through a seamless customer journey.
ContributorsElton, Eila (Author) / Ostrom, Amy (Thesis director) / Gray, Nancy (Committee member) / Bush, Leslie (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / The Design School (Contributor)
Created2022-05
Description
This paper describes the process of starting a sustainable fashion business, Happy Lola Collective, with the goal of saving all clothes from ever ending up in a landfill. The Business Model Canvas was used to flesh out the original business idea, treated as a series of hypotheses which were then tested over the next nine months. Our results were broken down and used to plan future changes for Happy Lola.
ContributorsO'Connor, Erin (Author) / Byrne, Jared (Thesis director) / Giles, Charles (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Department of Management and Entrepreneurship (Contributor)
Created2022-12
Description
Social media has not always been a traditional form of business strategy for the fashion industry, therefore a study on the role of social media on user engagement for different tiers of fashion brands was conducted. A combination of multiple regression models, ANOVA analysis, and hashtag analysis was done to understand various aspects of the research question. Tests were run against different post types to gain deeper insights on engagement levels and statistical significance. Post frequency and correlation analysis was conducted to understand how followers respond to the content. Overall, reels and carousel media were the most successful in increasing and maintaining user engagement. Prada has the most inactive users and ineffective social media strategies to increase engagement. While they have a high following they are unable to sustain engagement levels through their posts. Whereas, Teddy Fresh, despite being a smaller brand has been successful in maintaining engagement levels through their niche target market. Lastly, SKIMS has the fastest growth rate and has been able to increase following through their high frequency post schedule. For each of the brands, this information can be used to further strategize the marketing content. Social media is dynamic and therefore the approach for curating content will differ; being able to understand which types of posts are doing well is helpful for the brands as they can continue to run analysis when needed.
ContributorsJasti, Viveka (Author) / Le, Devonne (Co-author) / Sopha, Matt (Thesis director) / Sirugudi, Kumar (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor)
Created2023-05