Fashion Marketing Persuasive Essay Example

socializing methods and values. Fashion has become a topic of study in various disciplines like anthropology, sociology, and history as it helps in understanding society. It has also gained interest from the media and general public due to its perception as glamorous, novel, and intertwined with consumption. Fashion plays a role in shaping an individual's identity through appearance and acts as a language through which society communicates its habits, practices, and culture (Capet's & Cello, 2006). Additionally, fashion encompasses continuous changes influenced by society, study, and reflection on collections.
Throughout history, various transformations in social structure and organization have occurred, including historical movements, wars, revolutions, and advancements in technology and art. These movements demonstrate the importance of studying human research environment.

Clothing plays a crucial role in representing fashion concepts across different fields such as music and art. It symbolizes change and goes beyond surface appearances. Clothing contributes to our well-being by both creating an illusion and addressing our insecurities and confidence.

According to Thrashes et al.(2008), fashion is temporary, with new trends emerging as old ones are rejected and previously unattractive styles impatiently adopted. This contradicts the belief that the latest fashion is a definitive solution for appearance issues. However, Duncan Anza Tones (2008) argues that fashion is a harmonious interconnected entity closely tied to social structure, shaping class distinctions. Fashion helps reconcile the conflict between individual desire for personal affirmation and the need for social acceptance. It serves as a language that translates itself into artistic expression. The aesthetic elements of fashion are vital in defining its character within a specific moment in time.

Furthermore, fashion reflects society's values and is driven by consumption, change, and the

desire for individuality – unlike traditional societies governed solely by habit.The text highlights the various dimensions of garments, including respectability, sexual appeal, economic and social value, individualistic expression, political symbolism, religious ritual, and pleasure. Women place importance on fashion as a means of defining their identity. Fashion marketing addresses critical questions such as product line creation for different seasons, identifying target market segments, determining production volume and pricing strategies, understanding consumer needs and preferences, selecting distribution channels, and organizing sales. Overall, fashion marketing plays a crucial role in all aspects of fashion - creation , production , distribution , communication , promotion , centralization , planning , and control . However, due to the dynamic nature of the industry it must adapt to different markets. The focus is on consumers' dressing habits and meeting their needs with timely production as fashion cycles become shorter (Arraign 2005).In order to effectively target and approach the consumer market, companies must conduct in-depth research on consumer needs, segmentation, positioning, design preferences, colors, quality requirements, pricing considerations, distribution channels, as well as develop comprehensive marketing strategies and policies. Consumer buying behavior is influenced by a range of factors outlined in literature including an organization's corporate values. These influencing factors consist of perceived information quantity and quality, cultural and environmental influences, societal communication factors, physiological aspects such as physical protection and commodity considerations; socio-cultural elements encompassing family dynamics, friendships networks at work or socially that influence trends; varying brand and garment preferences across different cultural backgrounds.The purchasing decisions of consumers are impacted by personal factors such as age, life cycle stage, occupation, economic level, lifestyle, and personality. These factors determine the

specific needs of consumers based on their marital status, age, and life cycle stage. For example, children require clothing that is appropriate for their age and physical development. Young individuals tend to follow fashion trends set by their peers while older individuals prefer more durable options and are less demanding when it comes to clothing choices. However, in recent years, the older population has become recognized as a target market. Occupation also plays a role in garment purchasing decisions with executives opting for formal attire and unqualified workers choosing practical options. The financial capacity of individuals significantly influences the purchasing process as higher income allows for greater acquisition power and garment consumption. In summary, demographic factors including age, monthly income, living place, marital status, and professional situation all influence an individual's brand and store choices. Additionally, the consumer's way of life affects their buying behavior as certain garments are associated with specific lifestyles. Therefore, the fashion industry must increasingly focus on lifestyle trends in order to cater to these preferences. Personality is another personal factor that influences purchasing decisions.
Each consumer possesses a distinct personality encompassing traits such as self-confidence, self-identity, sociability, and independence. These characteristics shape an individual's personality and impact their purchasing process. Consumers may select a product based on trust, sympathy, or a personal connection with the designer. Moreover, consumer attraction and interest in a particular fashion item can also influence their decision (Mediaevalist, 1990). Psychological factors further affect buying choices regardless of price. In some cases, higher costs heighten the buyer's self-assurance leading them to opt for more expensive alternatives over cheaper ones. Among several considerations, understanding psychological aspects is crucial for

companies; however, many lack professionals capable of comprehending these factors accurately. Rational factors grounded in logical thinking, decision-making processes, and reasoning abilities are highly visible in consumer behavior (Chary and Elliot, 2003; Hand and Wearers, 1994). Multiple factors impact purchasing decisions at both individual and collective levels including brand preference where specific designers or companies hold influence. Additionally, quality holds significant importance to consumers when making purchases (Chary and Elliot 2003; Hand and Wearers 1994). The design of garments also plays a pivotal role in motivating consumers towards fashion consumption.Consumers are placing more importance on the aesthetic appearance of garments, including their overall look and line. These factors, along with others, influence purchasing decisions as they impact the value, style, and quality of the product (Hong et al., 2002; Weeklies and Searching, 2001). Comfort is also a key attribute that consumers desire to meet their specific needs. Additionally, consumers consider how useful a garment will be in terms of its ability to be easily combined with other items in their wardrobes. Durability and ease of care are also taken into consideration.

Fashion followers prioritize novelty when choosing clothing. Each season they seek out innovation in their wardrobe choices. Price plays a significant role in consumer appeal as individuals often perceive a better product to have a more favorable price. Achieving consumer acceptance requires finding a balance between value and price that meets the consumer's expectations. The age group of 15- to 25-year-olds is particularly influenced by factors such as styling, brand, price, place of production, and fiber content when making buying decisions.May-Plume (2006) and Peppier et al. (2009) both identified a range of evaluative criteria used

by consumers when assessing apparel products. These criteria include brand/label, price, color/pattern, style/design/uniqueness, fabrication, fashionability, appearance/attractiveness, care, construction, durability, flushing quality, and comfort.

Peppier et al. (2009) also studied the influence of advertising on consumer behavior in relation to these attributes for garment evaluation. They distinguished between concrete attributes (product features) and abstract attributes (attitude-based), as well as intrinsic (hedonistic) and extrinsic factors such as aesthetics, price, brand perception fun factor style/color coordination country of origin entertainment value fabric/fiber evaluation appearance approval from others need fashionability and wardrobe coordination.

The text emphasizes that consumers consider various factors when making purchasing decisions including price store environment product quality and service. The influence of store environment on consumer choice and purchasing decisions is discussed based on research by Pauline and Stilted(2003). It is also noted that marketing communications have a significant impact on consumer evaluations of products suggesting that advertising plays a crucial role in shaping consumer attitudes.

The text mentions different communication channels commonly used in fashion advertising such as fashion magazines newspapers outdoor advertising television ads sales promotions radio internet pop-upsThe text emphasizes that emotional factors drive fashion buying, as consumers desire to be fashionable and stay up-to-date with trends. ATA (2008) states that the purchase of fashion clothes is not only driven by necessity but also by the desire for a pleasurable experience. The modern consumer seeks new stimuli and sensations, influencing their consumption choices based on personal preferences. The buying process involves recognizing a need, searching for options, evaluating alternatives, and making a purchase decision. McNally and Cornerstone (1999) suggest that needs can be triggered by internal factors like hunger or personal interests, or external factors

like advertisements or recommendations from others. Various researchers recognize the Mascot motivation theory (Kettle and Keller, 2005; McNally and Cornerstone, 1999; De rower 2009; Gullible-Roy, 2008) as valuable in understanding consumer buying behavior. Understanding the psychological factors underlying consumer behavior is crucial for marketing professionals to effectively meet consumer preferences. According to Kettle and Keller (2005), comprehending how various products align with consumer plans, objectives, and lifestyles is essential using the Mascot theory.This theory is crucial for comprehending the factors that drive behavior and motivate individuals to act. It helps us understand the initial stage of purchasing behavior, which involves recognizing a need. Understanding consumer buying behavior in fashion is vital for meeting their demands and satisfying them in an innovative and original way, as Arraign (2005) states. Whether it's haute-couture, pr©t-a-porter, or mass-market products, companies must always prioritize consumer satisfaction. The approaches towards consumer buying behavior include selecting, securing, using, and disposing of products and services that meet their needs. Marketing strategies heavily rely on knowledge of consumer behavior, as Anderson et al.(2005) highlight. This is because the marketing concept asserts that firms exist to satisfy customer needs, as mentioned by Winner (2000). To successfully fulfill these needs, companies must thoroughly understand their customers. Therefore, marketing strategies need to incorporate knowledge of consumer behavior in all aspects of a strategic marketing plan, as emphasized by Solomon (2002). The field of consumer behavior in marketing recognizes the complexity and contradictions in human behavior. Scholars and professionals acknowledge that consumer behavior is essential for successful marketing. Consumer behavior provides the framework for market segmentationThe field has seen debates between positivistic and interpretive researchers, resulting in an

interdisciplinary science. Consumer behavior incorporates various fields such as psychology, culture, genetics, and anthropology. Psychology is particularly relevant as it encompasses emotions, beliefs, and attitudes. Marketing research on emotions has developed three approaches: categories, dimensions, and cognitive appraisals. The categories approach groups emotions based on examples and analyzes their impact on consumption behavior. The dimensions approach distinguishes emotions based on valence and arousal levels to understand their effect on consumer behavior. The cognitive appraisals approach focuses on evaluating situations to elicit specific emotions. This approach explains how different emotions can lead to varied behavioral responses despite similar valence and arousal levels. Understanding consumers' emotional responses in the marketplace requires considering the cognitive approach. Baggage et al argue that the cognitive appraisals approach provides a more comprehensive explanation of consumers' behavioral responses to emotions compared to other methods. Unconscious or implicit beliefs and attitudes should also be considered as they influence consumer behavior. Furthermore, people's memories of past consumer experiences shape their preferences and aversion towards products.
Implicit memory plays a significant role in processing and storing information. The vast input from our surrounding environment is registered in our implicit memory as we go through life. Countless experiences throughout our lives are stored in our memory system and can be instantly accessed to develop intuitive 'feelings' about what we should or shouldn't do. However, most of these associations that drive intuition are in the unconscious part of our brain. They are automatically brought into play and not consciously aware to us. We usually can't explain the basis of our intuitions.

Due to this, consumers often make brand choices intuitively without being able to explain why they made that

choice. Fishbone's attitudinal model, widely used in marketing, provides a useful way for researchers to examine factors that explain consumer purchasing intention and adoption. According to this model, behavior is mainly determined by intention, but other factors like attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control are also related to a set of salient beliefs about the autobiographer.

However, Fishbone's model only covers the adoption level and does not include other important factors that explain and predict consumer continuance behavior, such as repurchase.The expectation-confirmation model, introduced by Oliver in 1980, is a commonly employed model within consumer behavior studies. Its main focus lies on post-purchase behavior, particularly consumer satisfaction and repeat purchase. The central idea revolves around the concept of satisfaction, which is influenced by the disparity between expectations and perceived performance.