Search Results (22)

Driven by the increasing awareness of environmental protection and the demand for personalized fashion, China’s second-hand clothing market is developing rapidly. Chinese consumers have begun to accept second-hand clothing, and online platforms such as Xianyu and Zhier have promoted the widespread trading of second-hand clothing. This study explored the key factors influencing customer satisfaction in China’s sustainable second-hand clothing market. Using a mixed research approach, factors such as pricing strategy, product quality, brand image, customer service, market environment and promotions were identified. The conclusion of grounded theory is that price, product quality, brand reputation, customer service quality, economic environment and platform promotions have a strong impact on customer satisfaction. The Kano model highlights the sensitivity of customer service quality, economic environment and promotions in improving satisfaction. Price is crucial, confirming the price sensitivity of customers. Brand reputation and product quality significantly increase satisfaction. Customer satisfaction significantly affects the amount of sustainable recycling. This study improves the theoretical framework and research hypotheses, provides valuable insights for future research and practical applications and contributes to the sustainable development of the second-hand clothing market. Full article

This research study explores the representation of men in fashion advertising and investigates whether societal and fashion evolution has contributed to a departure from traditional stereotypes. The research methodology comprised three phases: content analysis, surveys, and in-depth interviews with an expert panel, examining how men’s clothing has been communicated in fashion over a span of 50 years, with a focus on three renowned brands: Lacoste, Burberry, and Hugo Boss. The findings reveal a notable shift in fashion advertising targeting men, characterized by increased racial diversity among models and a more diverse depiction of attitudes and poses. However, homosexual or bisexual couples remain largely unrepresented. The study highlights the influence of advertising on shaping the image of the “new man”, evident through the diminishing gender boundaries in clothing and accessories and the persistent struggle to break free from stereotypes. The study underscores the significance of ongoing efforts to promote diversity and inclusivity in fashion advertising. Full article

In recent efforts, instead of the conventional co-branding marketing approach, many fashion brands have tried to break through the original image by applying a crossover alliance method, and have achieved good results in practice. However, whether this kind of alliance can effectively enhance consumers’ online brand engagement is still a key question to be addressed. Using the S-O-R model, the paper introduces two mediating variables, novelty perception and hedonic perception, to explore the potential mechanism of brand image differences and product type differences on consumers’ online brand engagement under the background of a crossover alliance of fashion brands. This study shows that (1) brand image differences and product type differences positively affect consumers’ novelty perceptions and hedonic perceptions, and (2) such positive perceptions facilitate online brand engagement of consumers. Full article

This study uses innovation resistance theory (IRT) to investigate why consumers are hesitant to purchase zero-waste products. Most of the existing IRT application studies have been conducted on innovation resistance to technology or devices. This study focuses on consumer innovation resistance to zero-waste products, extending the theoretical application of IRT to the field of sustainability research. We further broaden this theory by exploring the moderating role of perceived environmental responsibility (PER). Data were collected from 400 consumers through an online survey. To verify the hypothesis, structural equation modeling (SEM) was carried out using AMOS software, and the moderating effect was verified using SPSS Process Macro Model 1. The results of the study suggest that usage, value, risk and tradition barriers significantly affect the adoption of zero-waste products. Furthermore, consumer PER shows antagonistic interactions with the barriers (usage, value, risk and tradition) and zero-waste product purchase intentions; as consumer PER increases, the impacts of the barriers on zero-waste product purchase intentions also increase. These results are expected to provide a theoretical framework for future IRT research and to enable fashion brands to implement effective zero-waste practices and to manage government and corporate barriers (image, usage, value, risk and tradition) with respect to zero-waste products, thereby reaping greater profits. Full article

Due to environmental concerns, an increasing number of Chinese consumers have begun to resist fast fashion, promoting cheap and lower quality materials with a short lifetime. A shift from a linear economic model to a circular fashion has become an urgent issue for the industry. To examine how brand stereotype affects consumers’ purchasing intention toward upcycled fabric clothing, this study adopted a grounded theory approach to develop the dimensions of brand stereotypes, including product, manufacturing process, service, and communication. Furthermore, a theoretical model was constructed incorporating brand stereotypes, brand green trust, fashion consciousness, and green consciousness. Results from structural equation model analysis indicated that (1) each dimension of brand stereotypes had a significantly positive impact on behavior intention, and especially product and service image have the most influence; (2) brand green trust mediated the relationship between brand stereotypes and buying intention, and (3) green consciousness positively moderated the relationship between brand stereotype and trust, whereas brand warmth in communication and trust was moderated negatively by fashion consciousness. The findings offer implications for the implementation of the green branding strategy, brand positioning, and cultivating consumers’ green awareness to improve market acceptance of upcycled fabric clothing. Full article

In view of the current lack of fashion brand competitiveness and innovation in China, this paper puts forward the concept of fashion brand image value creation and analyzes it from five dimensions: fashion brand image design, image publicity, brand aesthetics, brand charm, and brand function. This paper explores the relationship between fashion brand image value creation, customer participation behavior, experience value perception, intention, trust, and loyalty based on consumer value co-creation and experience value perception theories. On this basis, the structural equation model is used to test the research hypothesis empirically. An online survey questionnaire was subsequently developed and conducted to verify validity and reliability by statistical analysis. The results show that the value creation of fashion brand image will positively impact brand loyalty. Customer participation behavior and experience value perception play an intermediary and chain intermediary role, and customer participation willingness and fashion brand trust play a regulatory role. This study provides new ideas and references for the value creation of fashion brand image and provides quantitative scientific data for fashion enterprises to grasp the direction of brand image value creation and implement brand construction and marketing strategies. Full article

Growing awareness of the fashion industry’s negative impact on people and the environment has led to considerable growth of the sustainable fashion market. At the same time, Black Friday purchases increase annually as the sales event develops into a global phenomenon. As sustainable fashion brands are choosing to participate in the event, many communicate their offers via the social media platform Instagram. To gain a competitive advantage and maintain their sustainable corporate images, some brands use greenwashing and/or bluewashing strategies. The first part of this study explores which strategies were employed in Instagram content posted by sustainable brands, using quantitative and qualitative content analysis. We propose a research-based model of nine greenwashing/bluewashing strategies. The second part of the study examines predictive factors for consumer evaluations of Black Friday ads by sustainable brands, using an online survey and a stepwise multiple regression analysis. Findings show that consumers’ critical attitude towards Black Friday and high ad skepticism predict positive evaluations while sustainable purchase behavior predicts negative evaluations. These insights suggest that ‘sustainable’ Black Friday campaigns may appeal to consumers who show a general concern for the environment and issues of social sustainability, but not to those who exhibit actual sustainable behavior. Full article

Numerous brands utilize social media to capture consumers’ interests while promoting their sustainability goals. To understand how sustainable fashion brands communicate with their consumers, this study explored the visual and textual information sustainable fashion brands post on social media. Data were collected from sustainable fashion brands’ social media pages, and a total of 1525 images and captions and 140,735 comments were analyzed. By employing color theory and the theory of speech acts, HSV color analysis and the SVM classification model were used to extract information. The results showed that the images and captions posted by all three brands were consistent with their brand identities and sustainability goals. We also found that there were significant differences among the three brands when comparing posts employing expressive and assertive acts with posts using directive and assertive acts. These results indicate that social media users are more likely to leave comments when they read posts containing expressive and directive acts. These findings will allow fashion social media marketers to select appealing images and colors to engage consumers as well as to choose appropriate speech acts to deliver information to achieve their sustainability goals. Full article

Brand image has been a crucial clue to making subjective judgment for consumers to determine the brand, which is critical to making a purchase decision. The influence mechanism from apparel brand images on consumers’ purchase intention was explored for theoretical and positive analysis based on the self-congruity theory. This research first constructed a hypothetical model of apparel brand images influencing consumers’ purchase intention with self-congruity and perceived quality as mediators, in which a questionnaire was designed and conducted to test the theoretical model. The research shows that apparel brand image and perceived quality can significantly influence consumers’ purchase intention. The consumer purchase intention is directly related to clothing brand image provided self-consistency and perceived quality play an intermediary with the regulatory effect of self-motivation and brand familiarity. A positive attitude toward apparel brand image will stimulate consumers to build cognitive clues and associations between the consumers and the brand and strengthen cognitive consistency with the apparel brand’s spirit. The research results are beneficial to textile fashion and clothing enterprises to improve brand building and marketing. Full article

This study investigates how the endorsements of Internet celebrities (ICs) may drive consumer trust in their marketing campaigns, and subsequently affect impulse buying in relation to luxury fashion brands. Drawing on the framework of persuasion with a particular emphasis on the role of receivers, this study identifies five main characteristics, namely, the popularity of ICs, identification, IC adoration, social distance, and the perceived fit that may contribute to promoting impulse buying. A survey was conducted with 585 followers of IC in China. The findings reveal that trust is an essential factor that affects impulse buying. Identification and perceived fit both significantly contribute to increasing impulse buying through trust. Alternatively, large social distance may impair the relationship between trust and impulse buying. We conclude with implications for marketers that luxury fashion brands should seek cooperation not only with the most popular, but also with the most relevant ICs. An IC with a humble and relatable image can earn consumers’ trust and lead to an enhanced endorsement effect. Full article

This study aimed to use quantitative methods and deep learning techniques to report sportive fashion trends. We collected sportive fashion images from fashion collections of the past decades and utilized the multi-label graph convolutional network (ML-GCN) model to detect and explore hybrid styles. Based on the literature review, we proposed a theoretical framework to investigate sportive fashion trends. The ML-GCN was designed to classify five style categories, “street,” “retro,” “sexy,” “modern,” and “sporty,” and the predictive probabilities of the five styles of fashion images were extracted. We statistically validated the hybrid style results derived from the ML-GCN model and suggested an application method of deep learning-based trend reports in the fashion industry. This study reported sportive fashion by hybrid style dependency, forecasting, and brand clustering. We visualized the predicted probability for a hybrid style to a three-dimensional scale expected to help designers and researchers in the field of fashion to achieve digital design innovation cooperating with deep learning techniques. Full article

This research proposes a framework for the fashion brand community to explore public participation behaviors triggered by brand information and to understand the importance of key image cues and brand positioning. In addition, it reviews different participation responses (likes, comments, and shares) to build systematic image and theme modules that detail planning requirements for community information. The sample includes luxury fashion brands (Chanel, Hermès, and Louis Vuitton) and fast fashion brands (Adidas, Nike, and Zara). Using a web crawler, a total of 21,670 posts made from 2011 to 2019 are obtained. A fashion brand image model is constructed to determine key image cues in posts by each brand. Drawing on the findings of the ensemble analysis, this research divides cues used by the six major fashion brands into two modules, image cue module and image and theme cue module, to understand participation responses in the form of likes, comments, and shares. The results of the systematic image and theme module serve as a critical reference for admins exploring the characteristics of public participation for each brand and the main factors motivating public participation. Full article

We propose that assortative matching, a well-established paradigm in other industry sectors and academic disciplines, can underpin the concept of destination matching. This provides a new foundation to integrate research concepts and terminology in destination marketing and destination choice. We argue that the commercial tourism industry already applies destination matching approaches, with three historical phases. Initially, matching of tourists and destinations relied on the tacit expertise of specialist agents. This still applies in specialist subsectors. For generalist travel and accommodation, human agents were partially replaced by online travel agents, OTAs, which are customised algorithms operating only in the travel sector. These still exist, but their share price trends suggest decreasing significance. Currently, automated assortative algorithms use multiple sources of digital data to push appealing offers to potential purchasers, across all retail sectors. Digital marketing strategies for tourism products, enterprises, and destinations are now just one category of generalised product–purchaser matching, using entirely automated algorithms. Researchers do not have access to proprietary algorithms, but we can identify which components they incorporate by analysing their underlying patents. We propose that theories of destination marketing and choice need to reflect these recent and rapid real-world changes via deliberate analysis of destination matching. Full article

From an interdisciplinary theoretical perspective, this study uncovers how and to what extent building supply chain relations impacts supply chain transparency in an industrial context characterized by mistrust, complexity and privacy. By conducting a case study involving a multinational fashion group and an influential NGO, this study investigates how a fashion group forms supply chain relations that eventually influence their transparency performance. The fashion group under investigation initially started disclosing information about their supply chain actions in order to ensure legitimacy and protect the brand image. Nevertheless, the group started sharing more information about their supply chains, changing the perspective from a legitimacy driven reactive approach toward an ethics driven proactive approach. Particularly, supplier engagement, commitment and leadership appear to be antecedents to supply chain transparency. The study also reveals the novel influence of NGOs on supply chain transparency. Fashion Revolution has been substantial to drive fashion companies to obtain and disclose information about their supply chains. Supply chain visibility and stronger partnerships are required to overcome problems relating to supply chain complexity on the way toward transparency. Results suggest that supply chain engagement is fundamental for supply chain transparency, and that NGOs play a pivotal role to enhance transparency through knowledge sharing and awareness increasing. The results provide numerous implications that can help industrial practice and research improve the status quo. Full article

Recently, traditional cultural resources (TCRs) have become a core part of enterprise clothing branding strategies. Such clothes, expressed in traditional culture, are widely accepted and recognized by audiences. Unfortunately, industry has leveraged these brands poorly and created ones that lack sign-cognition of TCRs. This has resulted in products reflecting shallow traditional cultural patterns (sign-form) rather than deeper adapted cultural expressions. The negative association resulting from this shallow and generic patterning in branding can be harmful for TCRs and damage the image of a brand in the minds of the people, thereby threatening the survival and long-term development of the brand. In order to solve this problem, this study divides the solution into three steps: (1) defining and understanding sign-meaning and sign-function in TCRs from the context of existing literature; (2) assessing, evaluating and breaking down sign-meanings, via in-depth interviews, into several sign-production sub-categories: (a) cultural attribution orientation; (b) knowledge perception orientation; and (c) stakeholders orientation; (3) Utilizing a typical brand development case study to demonstrate how these sign-meaning sub-categories can be help a brand better communicate with its audience. Firstly, it is noted that cultural attribution orientation: (a) expands the notion of brand culture; (b) promotes the movement of the design language of a brand from a dependent development into an independent development; and (c) connects the brand with potential audiences through a cultural gene transmission. Secondly, it is noted that knowledge perception orientation not only expands the foundation of expert groups but also provides TCRs-related to platforms of learning for audiences (e.g., to convey the brand’s social reputation of responsibility through educational communication). Thirdly, stakeholder orientations provide a foundation for brand integration with commercial resources and thus transform the brand to combine with social, commercial and industrial forms of collaboration. Beyond these three sub-categorizations, the study shows that sign-functions of TCRs can have an influence on cultural transformation, academic cohesion and social connection for clothing brands. This study provides a new perspective on TCRs with respect to sign-meaning and sign-function. TCRs can help clothing brands expand to reach audiences of traditional communication media, such as fashion shows. They can also help establish a more stable community mode of communication for non-commercial purposes. Full article