Consumer Behavior Towards Fashion Marketing Essay

1.0 Introduction

The title of research is “consumer behavior towards fashion”. Basically, Fashion is an art form. Most people are utilizing clothing to show or hide something about them. In general, people use fashion to express them, to show as an extension of personality. People also can use fashion to disguise their actual self which the ways of people observe them is different compare to the perception of their own. Fashion statements can be made with clothes, accessories, shoes, hair, makeup, and cell phone (Nellis, 1999).

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In this research, the more focus about the fashion is clothing. Through the Maslow’s theory of the hierarchy of needs, the first need is physiological needs such as food, clothes and dwellings (Salleh and Hamat, 2003). It has seen that clothes is important to the people because it is a basic need that desire by the people. As we know, people unable to living if they without the basic need which is clothing. There are many reasons about why people need clothes such as to protect from changes of weather in cold, rain or snow, to enhance appearance, to express emotions and religious.

Mostly, the fashion of clothes for the research is a focus on certain brand. Three brands are suggested: Padini, Giordano, and DKNY. Padini Concept Store is multi-brands stores, which provide customers with time-saving and never get bored with so many things into the shop (http://www.padini.com). Giordano’s concept focuses on the idea that as cool as well. (www.wikipedia.com). DKNY concept product line includes outerwear, casual tailored items, sportswear, jeans and shoes (Nygaard, 2005).

1.1 Background to the Research

In these recent years, fashion clothes industry as known as apparel industry in Malaysia has a high competition within the industry. This is because apparel industry in Malaysia is in monopolistic competition structure. Thus, the industry is very competitive within the different brands. In Malaysian, there are many brands such as Padini, Voir, G&H, Soda, Giordano, DKNY, Polo, and etc.

Furthermore, the apparel industry has dropped in the Malaysia economic during year 2008. In 2008, sales of the textiles’ segment increased by 4.5% to RM4.6 billion from RM4.5 billion in 2007, whereas sales in the apparel segment decreased by 9% to RM2.8 billion from RM3.1 billion. Besides, during the economic slowdown in the year of 2008, which resulted in reduced consumer purchasing power in the USA , the continuing increases in the costs of doing business due to higher prices of fuel, raw materials, utility charges and freight charges, also affect the business drop in sales.

Table 1.1: Sales of Textiles and Apparel Products

Source: Department of Statistic, Malaysia

The apparel industry has played an important role in our economics. Malaysian economic can go further better if apparel industry can increase consumer purchasing behavior towards fashion clothes. During the economic slowdown, it is really tough to increase consumer purchasing behavior so that the relevant industry must more understand the consumer’s needs and wants in order to increase consumer purchasing behavior.

What is fashion? Fashion is the style and describes the popular clothing style. Many fashions are popular in many cultures at any given time. Important is the idea that the course of design and fashion will change more rapidly. The term “fashion” is frequently used in a positive sense and negative sense (www.wikipedia.com).

Table 1.2: Fashion of Positive and Negative Sense

Sources: developed for this study (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fashion)

In order to understand the research of consumer behavior towards fashion, this research comes out some independent variables, which are brand awareness, self-concept, and product quality might influence fashion adoption. Fashion adoption is based on certain brands, which are Padini, Giordano, and DKNY.

Brand awareness is about the name of the brand does not exist in the consumer’s mind when the consumers are not aware of the brand. Besides, brand awareness might affect the consumer purchasing behavior because a consumer might purchase the brand which they are well known. In other words, consumer might purchase the brand that they can recall and recognition (Waters, 2009). For example, consumer would not have any purchase behavior or intention towards the brand if they do not know about the brand.

Furthermore, the self-concept is relevance with the image that leads them to the specific purchase behavior and different people will have a different self-concept (Health and Scott, 1998). For example, people purchase and consume the products because the particular product is reflecting their own image. Self-concept might influence consumer purchasing behavior because different people might desire different things.

In addition, some consumers might prefer high quality products. Therefore, consumers might have been purchasing behavior towards fashion if they perceived high quality product equal to fashion clothes. In other words, they might purchase fashion clothes if they prefer the high quality products. Different consumers will desire different product quality so that product quality might play an important role to this research.

1.2 Research Problem

Since the apparel industry is the sales drop for the last year (2008) so that I would like to conduct this research, which is consumer behavior towards fashion. Thus, Malaysian economic growth if the relevant industries have understood consumer’s needs and wants. In this research, it will show how the different consumer behavior influence fashion adoption. In other words, this means what the factors to affect fashion clothes purchasing behavior. In order to find out the factors might affect fashion adoption, so that this research is come out some independent variables to know whether the relevant factors will really influence fashion adoption or not. The target population for this research is Multimedia University student because the research is to understand the University student behavior towards fashion. Private University student is seen like not poor so that I believe that this target population is playing an important role for this apparel industry.

Therefore, the problem statement of this research is to examine the factors that cause fashion clothes adoption. Consumer behavior is seen like play an important role in this study because it might influence the fashion adoption. Therefore, fashion industry will not understand the consumer’s need and want if they don’t understand consumer’s behavior towards fashion.

The problem addressed in this research is:

Does the brand awareness affect fashion adoption?

In view of many brands of fashion clothes, I suggest to conduct a simple survey to ask what the top in mind of consumer about the brand name. However, I choose the most famous brand name which provides frequency by the consumer. Therefore, I can design the survey instrument in the most effective way because it has seen that brand awareness will affect consumer purchasing behavior. For example, the consumer will only buy the product which the brand in their mind.

Would the self-concept of consumer towards the fashion adoption?

Different self-concept would like to prefer different things so that I would like to observe usually what kind of brand which the customers prefer. Furthermore, it will also can know that why they prefer particular brand. They might prefer to particular brand is because of their perception towards the brand.

Do consumers perceive high qualities of product would like to fashion adoption?

In view of many fashion clothes are consuming by the consumers, I would like to have a simple question to ask consumers, whether they prefer certain brand is because they are the quality products oriented. Therefore, I will more understand about consumer’s attitude.

1.3 Objectives of Research

The main objective of this study is to determine how the brand awareness, self-concept, and product quality will give the impacts on consumer behavior towards fashion. Nevertheless, there are several objectives to complement the main objective which is included:

• To examine the relationship between brand awareness and fashion adoption.
• To analyze the significant between self-concept and fashion adoption.
• To determine the relationship between product quality and fashion adoption.
• To identify all the independent variables will contribute to the adoption of fashion.

1.4 Justification for the Research

According to O’Cass (2004), materialism, age, and gender are the variables might affect the consumer behavior towards fashion clothing. This materialism is relevant with fashion clothing because it allows the accomplishment of values. Normally, consumers prefer something that based on their age. Besides, gender will affect fashion clothing because as the research women are more prefer to purchase fashion clothes (O’Cass, 2004). Therefore, I conduct this research by using different independent variables, which are brand awareness, self-concept, and product quality because I believe that there are the factors might influence the fashion adoption.

Furthermore, according to Evan (1989), the research is more about self-concept, and fashion branding (brand awareness). The factors which discussed by the researcher are affecting fashion adoption. Therefore, gap between product quality and fashion adoption were studied in the particular research.

In addition, from a study done by Hogg, et al (1998), the purpose of the study was to investigate the perception and evaluation of branded clothing among young consumers in the 7-10 age groups. Therefore, I would like to conduct this research of consumer behavior towards fashion among the university students in the 18-25 age groups. This is because the different age group might have the different results.

Besides, Birtwistle (1998) found that the product quality is playing an important role in the purchasing behavior towards clothes. Therefore, in this research of consumer behavior towards fashion also talk about whether product quality will influence fashion clothes but there is also will focus two more independent variable which never done by this researcher which is brand awareness and self-concept.

1.5 Methodology

After the research problem and objective have been set, therefore it provide a direction in order to understand why and how I will conduct the research of consumer behavior towards fashion. Besides, questionnaires-based survey was selected. This is because fashion adoption would allow the researcher to explore a significant number of issues. The procedure of how the sample is collected is the questionnaire is designed with questions. For the moment, the population is targeted and the sample size is chosen. A survey is conducted to collect the data from the sample. This survey is conducted through hand distribution method.

Data collection methods that are used include two categories which are primary data collection and secondary data collection. For secondary data collection, it is accumulated mostly through online information databases. Online databases that have been accessed are Emerald Insight, and other internet sources. Moreover, secondary data tends to provide framework in completing the research. While under primary data collection, survey is used to obtain needed data. As compared to other data collection methods, survey method allows the collection of huge amount of data in an economical manner.

Next, is the data analysis consists of descriptive analysis, hypothesis testing, reliability analysis and multiple regression analysis. Descriptive research is undertaken to design answer to question of who, what, where, when, and how. There are two types of descriptive studies which is cross-sectional studies and longitudinal studies (Burns and Bush, 2008). Hypothesis testing is a statistical procedure used to “support” (accept) or “not support” (reject) the hypothesis based on sample is the only source of current information about the population (Burns and Bush, 2008).

Reliability estimates were determined for the scales based on Cronbach’s coefficient alpha. Cronbach’s coefficient alpha is one of the most used reliability statistics to test the reliability of each variable (Sekaran, 2005). Multiple regression is an expansion of bivariate regression analysis and there is more than one independent variables is used in the regression equation (Burns and Bush, 2008).

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1.6 Outline of the Project Report

Chapter 1: Introduction

This chapter presents the introduction of the research topic which is consumer behavior towards fashion. Background of research had been described which are focus on background of industry and narrow down to research problem. Furthermore, research problem, objective of research, justification for the research, methodology, outline of the project report, delimitation of scope and chapter summary are stated in this chapter.

Chapter 2: Literature Review

In this chapter, the literature review is focus on the consumer behavior towards fashion. Besides, provides an extensive review of international journals, reports, and articles from online and offline resources. All the reviews in this chapter are related to the problem of the research that will guide to build the conceptual foundation and hypothesis of the study.

Chapter 3: Research Methodology

This chapter describes the methods used in conducting this research in detail. Besides, it presents the development of the research framework which proposed the relationship between dependent variables and independent variables. Furthermore, describe for the sampling design and data analysis. Next, is the data analysis consists of descriptive analysis, hypothesis testing, reliability analysis and multiple regression analysis.

1.7 Delimitations of scope

This study will be focusing on fashion clothes for the certain brands as known as apparel industry and the consumer behavior as well. This study scope is limited to students in a private university which is Multimedia University between the age group of 18 to 25, on their behavior towards fashion. Nowadays, fashion clothes had become a necessity among university students and assumption is made that 50 percent of the students would like to fashion adoption. This study will provide the student’s perception on fashion clothes, which will be useful for fashion clothes improvement.

1.8 Chapter Summary

In an overall, this chapter presented the introduction of the research topic which is consumer behavior towards fashion in details. At this chapter, it is all about a background of the research, research problem, objective of research, justification for the research, methodology, outline of the project report, and delimitation of scope. It is because we have to understand the concept of this research before we proceed to the next chapter. First of all, is mentioning why I want to start this research, the purpose of the research, what the problem of the research, what kind of the method I use to analyze, and which scope prefers for the research? I have clearly identified each of the titles in chapter 1. Thus, all the titles had been identified and will proceed to next chapter, which will describe the independent and dependent variables in detail.

2.0 Introduction

In Chapter 1, I have discussed the important issues which related to fashioning adoption. All the issues that mentioned in the chapter 1 are important contributors to the research. As a result, to more understand these issues, an examination of literature on the related study was carried out. As now that, literature review provides the theoretical basis for the development of the research framework of this study, which will be discussing in the next chapter which is Chapter 3. This chapter consists of the four variables which are brand awareness, self-concept, product quality, and fashion adoption.

2.1 Brand Awareness

Friedmann (2000) described a brand is not sales or is not a method to cheap customers. A brand has the meaning to the customers, organization, and employees. Brand is an emotional link between the company and customer. It is something what people are purchase when they are purchasing the company product. The most important part of brand’s identity is when the promises are made by the company to the customers. An excellent of brand awareness is done when the company is scheming expansion in advertising, promotion, public relations and sales function. Brand awareness can build consistency and repetition. For example, people bought brands that they are known and trust (Friedmann, 2002).

From the researcher of Waters (2009), brand awareness refers to the ability of a customer to recognize and recall a name of brand, image or other mark link with the particular brand. Brand awareness is seen very important because it is an ability to reinforce the value of market in the most competitive market when the retailers able to maintain and build brand awareness (Waters, 2009). Brand awareness is something like the memory that saved in the customer’s mind. Customers are easily to recall the name of the brand when the memory is saved. Brand awareness is important to promoting products because it will usually get more sales compare to competitors if the company’s products maintain the highest brand awareness.

Brad (2009) explains brand awareness is one of the most important drivers of strong brands. As past research has shown brand awareness to have a high correlation with purchase behavior. Top-of-mind brand awareness for the product or service category is most correlated with other relevant behaviors. Brand awareness is important because no people willing to purchase the product if no one ever heard the company or the product (Brad, 2009). Generally, consumer has less knowledge about the brand after they purchased the product so that the company should build up brand awareness in order to encourage repeat purchase.

As Evan (1989) States, the consumer usually has tiny knowledge of which the manufacturer was when clothes is purchased. Therefore, retailers can develop store image dimensions to build up customer’s loyalty in order to encourage repeat purchase (Evan, 1989). Usually, customers would like to purchase the product that they know about the brand. This is how the brand awareness uses to influence the consumer’s decision. Since the brand is stored in the consumer’s mind so that the consumers would like to consume the brand of the product for their whole life.

Moreover, according to the Esch, et al (2006) was assuming that brand knowledge such as brand awareness and image will be an affect consumer response to the brand. The consumer’s respond to the brand will divide into two different conditions, which are current behavior and intended future behavior. Current behavior can refer to the purchase of the brand which they are consuming and future behavior refers to the consumer’s purchase intention to the brand in the future (Esch et al, 2006). Brand knowledge is seen will affect consumer’s decision making, whether they want to purchase the brand because people would not like to purchase the brand that they are without the knowledge of the brand.

Furthermore, Esch, et al (2006) expects brand satisfaction and brand trust required brand knowledge, which is brand awareness and image. However, there is no point if the consumer already stores the brand in memory (Esch st al, 2006). The satisfaction and trust of the consumers are the outcome which the consumer had been consumed the product of the brand. For example, people would feel satisfaction or dissatisfaction after they bought the certain brand. On the other side, the trust is built when the brand is fulfilling the promises. For example, the brand is mention that the material of the clothes is 100% in cotton and as the truth the clothes is 100% in cotton so that the trust is built in this kind of condition. As important here, brand knowledge has to consider first before an outcome of the brand satisfaction and trust. This is because the consumer would not feel anything if they are not aware of the brand.

Additionally, the researcher of Esch et al, (2006) finding brand awareness will affect brand image and brand knowledge, which are brand awareness and image will affect the current consumer purchase behavior. However, brand image will influence consumer’s repeat purchase (Esch et al, 2006). In this researcher, was found that brand awareness played a main role in the brand knowledge because it will affect brand image. The image of the brand does not exist when the consumers are not aware of the brand. For example, people unable to come out the image of the brand in mind if they are not aware of the brand. Furthermore, brand awareness will affect the current consumer purchase behavior. This is because people only will purchase the brand which they are well known. In other words, consumer will purchase the brand that they can recall and recognition. For example, consumer would not have any purchase behavior or intention towards the brand which they do not know.

In this brand awareness research, three brands are suggested: Padini, Giordano, and DKNY. These brands are made in Malaysia. Padini Concept Store as known as “one-stop-shopping”. All the brands in just one store and the shopping option are set to create a fashion revolution. The brands are Padini, Seed, Vincci, PDI, Padini Authentics, P & Co, Miki Kids & Miki Maternity. The Padini store contains wide choices from all the brands. Multi-brands store provide shoppers to create a personalized look with time-saving and never get bored with so many things to shop for in just one store (http://www.padini.com). Giordano’s concept focuses on the idea that as cool as well. The brand approach innovative and modern black, white and grey monochromes in a variety of styles. Giordano has its own manufacturing division where many of its own clothing styles are produced. Giordano also makes basic and practical men’s, women’s, and children’s T-shirts and trousers, especially denims (www.wikipedia.com). DKNY concept was initiated in 1998, and the line includes outerwear, casual tailored items, sportswear, jeans and shoes (Nygaard, 2005).

In sum, brand awareness is about whether a consumer ability to recognition or recall towards the certain brand. It depends how the company to implement the strategy to build brand awareness. Brand awareness is a good strategy to build before the company launch the product. For example, P1Wimax can create the brand awareness when they start to promote the services. Nowadays, a lot of people know about the brand which is P1wimax. Through the secondary data, brand awareness is one of the factors to influence consumer purchase intention.

2.2 Self-concept

According to the Allen (2000), self-concept is how we see and feel about our own. We will buy and consume those products that reflect our image in order to let other people see what image we prefer. There are four basic dimensions to the self-concept such as an actual self-concept, ideal self-concept, private self-concept, and social self-concept (Allen, 2000). These self-concepts are reasons of consumers to consume the products. Actual self-concept is a perception which how they see themselves. For example, I am a Multimedia University student. This is my perception and how I describe to others. There are many marketers target segments by the different roles in consumer daily lives. For example, Toyota’s minivans promote the products by using the slogan “It’s all about your family” (Allen, 2000). Parents realize the self-concept and would like to purchase because of concern their children’s safety.

Ideal self-concept is a perception of how they prefer to be. Many consumers purchase and consume the products because they think they are closer to their ideal self-concept (Allen, 2000). Private self-concept is a perception of how you act. Marketers use these product images to relate to their self-concept. For example, Starkist Tuna is a product as “Dedicated to Living Well and Eating Well”. Consumers would like to purchase and consume Starkist Tuna if they feel they are health conscious. People will say that people are healthy when that people are consuming the product (Allen, 2000).

Social self-concept is a perception of how people see ourselves that we are preferred to. Normally, young people want other people accept their appearance so that marketers are marketing clothing brands among young generation (Allen, 2000). Extended self is a perception of us through our possessions. Possessions are important aspects that we have. Usually, possessions are things that belong to us, or things that we have received through work hard (Allen, 2000).

Furthermore, Goldsmith et al, (1999) explains the self-concept mentioned the people hold toward theirs manner. The self-concept based on their self-respect or the human value. It’s also includes self-image, or the perception of the people about what they are like. Marketers can easily to estimate the decision about the consumers select products and brands to suit or match their image because the self-concept in the common sense of self-image (Goldsmith et al, 1999). Different people have their own different self-concept. The people only will do something that the people willing to do because this is him or her own attitudes. It’s correlation with self-image because the different self-concept has their different self-image.

In addition, Self-concept is a combination of the physical and mental and clothes are wearing for functional reason or emotional enhancement (Evan, 1989). Physical is something that the other people can be observed which another mean is appearance. Generally, some people dress nicely or with the functional of warmth because they want to show their appearance or in the cold season. But, some people might not mind of their appearance so that they will dress simply. Emotional enhancement is to increase the people feeling. For example, people will feel happy if the people wearing the colorful clothes.

Moreover, as Goldsmith et al, (1999) research, the results show that female fashion innovators have a unique self-image (Goldsmith et al, 1999). Certainly, different people have their different self-image. For the moment, people will desire the different needs with the different self-concept. For example, student will desire a simple style when they were in school but after 3 or 5 years when they are graduated, they would like to desire a formal style when they are working. The people’s self-concept might change by the time to time or with the different condition. This is how the self-image which correlation with self-concept will influence consumers to adopt the fashion.

Additionally, Health and Scott (1998) say that, the study of self-concept is relevance with the image of individuals that lead them to the specific purchase behavior patterns. For example, consumers may purchase a particular product because they want the particular product to enhance or change their own self-image. Besides, marketers easily to build up effective manner to various target markets with different self-concepts if marketers have an understanding of the self-concept is influencing on purchasing behavior (Health and Scott, 1998).

In conclusion, the self-concept is the concept about what we desire for ourselves and different people will have the different self-concept. For example, people purchase and consume the products because the particular product is reflecting our own image. The certain image is depended how we desire or how we would like to let other people observe. Through the data obtain, the self-concept is affecting purchasing behavior because different people prefer different brand.

2.3 Product quality

According to Sebastianelli and Tamimi (2002) research, the relationship of how firm defines quality and product quality dimensions are important to its competitive strategy. Product quality consists of eight dimensions: performance, features, reliability, conformance, durability, serviceability, aesthetics, and perceived quality. Besides, definition of quality contains five approaches: transcendent, product-based, user-based, manufacturing-based, and value-based.

Table 2.1 Garvin‘s Eight Dimensions of Product Quality

Source: Garvin, D. “Competing on the Eight Dimensions of Quality.” Harvard Business Review 65(6), 1987, 101-109.

In the table 2.1, there is the different role for the eight dimensions. Normally, a customer or a firm is unable to achieve the product which contains of eight dimensions of product quality. For example, a customer purchase the clothes because of perceived quality, means the customer is requesting the brand name or image so that the customer might not consider of th