Question:

For a fashion marketing course

Study proposal:

Write a study proposal of not more than 600 words outlining the topic you would like to explore in final MA dissertation.

State briefly the rationale (reason for interest in topic), referring to critical ideas that may underpin your study. Set out clearly and concisely your aims and objectives. Briefly outline the proposed methodology. Please use academic citations/references

—study how marketing in Asia is done. Why Asia is being eaten up by big European brands in the fashion brands and how a Western marketing method could work or don’t work in Asia. and how social media now plays a big part for marketing around the world.

Response essay:

You are required to write an essay on the following:

“Today, a designer’s creativity expresses itself more than ever in the marketing rather than in the actual clothes…the focus has shifted away from designing, and if you have enough money and are good at marketing, you can create a strong brand” (p. 14).

To what extent do you agree with this statement? Please support your arguments (no more than 1000 words).

(use academic references as relevant).

 

Answer:

Study proposal and response essay

 

Contents

Study proposal 2

References. 5

Response essay. 6

References. 10

 

Study proposal

This study proposal relates to marketing in Asia. The rationale for the study arises from a new trend whereby crucial Asian markets continue to be eaten up by big European brands in the fashion industry. The hypothesis of this study is that the Western marketing method will not succeed in Asia. In the past, such efforts have been unsuccessful and will equally be unsuccessful in the future. This paper also examines the critical role that the social media now plays in marketing efforts around the world.

Today, global fashion labels pose a serious threat to Asian brands. As Asian countries continue to perform well economically, more people there have started responding to the urge to spend their growing disposable income on trendy fashion items (Dickson, 2004). This market dynamic has suddenly led to a rapid growth of the fashion industry across the continent. Unfortunately, owners of European brands have taken notice of this dynamic and have started flooding the Asian market with major European brands (Gao, 2009). This has threatened to kill local fashion brands (Gao, 2009).

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            One of the main reasons why European brands are rushing towards the East is because hard economic times have forced shoppers in Europe to cut discretionary spending. In contrast, a new form of retailing, referred to by some people as “fast fashion”, has emerged. It is normally viewed as the apparel industry’s equivalent of a fast-food café. These European brands are increasingly positioning themselves in up-market areas by opening their first stores in the central business districts of places like Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Beijing.

Some of the established Asian brands that are being hurt include Esprit, Bossini, and Giordano (Tai, 2007). Although many Asian shoppers are still interested in local luxury brands, they also tend to embrace the specialty stores that stock European brands. This is largely because of their better value and high inventory turnover. These brands mostly target the emerging middle class, which has fickle fashion tastes and more disposable income.

European brands are also rushing into Asia to take advantage of the high level of consumer confidence that exists there. This confidence has led to the emergence of a new business model whereby limited new designs are introduced every two weeks. This model imposes a limit on unwanted fashion brands on store shelves. This trend has become dominant in China. Similarly, the growth of the apparel industry, particularly in the Asia-Pacific, continues to unfold at an alarming rate. Market forecasts show that it is just a matter of time before it surpasses Western Europe’s fashion industry in terms of size (Tai, 2007).

However, concerns have been raised regarding the long-term viability of the Western marketing model in Asia (Tai, 2007. This study hypothesizes that that this model can never survive in the Asian fashion market. For most of European fashion brands in Asia, some of the most cited reasons for failure include government protectionism, price-sensitive clients, and corruption. However, in most cases, failure is primarily attributed to the mistakes of the brands themselves. A case in point is failure by European brands to localize their business strategies to suit local conditions.

Nevertheless, things have changed a lot today with the introduction of social media as a marketing tool. This study will assess the role that the social media plays in the operations of both European and Asian fashion brands, particularly the emergence of “fast fashion”. In terms of methodology, the study will adopt a qualitative research method. In this method, data will be obtained from journals, newspapers, books, company reports, product reviews, and financial analyses. On the basis of the analysis and interpretation of this data, conclusions will be made.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

Dickson, M 2004, ‘Chinese consumer market segments for foreign apparel products’, Journal of Consumer Marketing, vol. 21, no. 5, pp. 301 – 317.

Gao, L 2009, ‘Potential niche markets for luxury fashion goods in China’, Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, vol 13, no. 4, pp. 514-526

Tai, S 2007, ‘Advertising in Asia: Localize or Regionalize?’ International Journal of Advertising, vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 48–61.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Response essay

According to Agins (1999), marketing has forever changed the clothing and fashion design business. This is because the creativity of today’s designer is expressed more than ever before through marketing rather than through actual clothes. In other words, focus is no longer on designing; any person with enough money and is good at marketing can easily create a very strong brand (Agins, 1999). In this response essay, the objective is to explain the main reasons for agreeing with Agins’ statement. Focus is on the various ways in which marketing has changed the clothing business forever.

Agins (1999) gives the example of a time when French designers used to define fashion and the standards were so high that only the elite could afford designer clothes. Agins (1999) observes that today things have changed forever because designers only take cues from mainstream consumers. This is just one of the components of a changing trend where creativity is focused more on mass-marketing clothes than on designing them. This trend is evident in virtually every aspect of the contemporary fashion industry including licensing, financing, manufacturing, and retailing.

A closer look at the fashion styles of the 1990s reveals that “big business” has irredeemably changed the fashion clothes that people wear today. Designers have settled for a new trend of selling the same clothes to the mass market, leading to the emergence of increasingly homogenized tastes. The designers have started to present themselves as “the brand”. They brand themselves instead of branding the clothes that they are attempting to market to the public. This has created a scenario where a lady goes shopping for a “Ralph” or a “Calvin” instead of a specific style of dress (Daria, 1990). In this example, the Calvin Klein brand has become a representation of severe urban minimalism while Ralph Lauren is associated with American conservatism (Daria, 1990).

This “big business” approach that focuses on marketing at the expense of design work and creativity has caused a lot of damage in the fashion industry. Too much focus on marketing tends to trigger conflict among fashion designers. This is because some marketers simply pick up on established designer clothes and start marketing them as their own brands. This triggers complaints from the craftsmen and craftswomen who created the designs in the first place. A good example of this rivalry is the conflict between Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger. This rivalry started when Tommy Hilfiger started selling clothes identical to those of Ralph Lauren. The only major difference was that the target market for Hilfiger’s clothes was black city kids.

To understand the triumph of marketing over fashion design, one needs to trace the origin of couture in France in the nineteenth century. One also needs to take into consideration the cultural, social, and business changes that have been occurring all along (Coleridge, 1988). Things have changed so much today to the extent where designers no longer have the room to follow through with their creative instincts. Consumers set all fashion rules and any retailer or designer who wants success must follow them.

Some of the fashion retailers that have in recent years been compelled to respond to the fashion needs of consumers include Marshall Field, Dillards, and Federated Department Stores. Some of the most affected designers include Ralph Lauren, Giorgio Armani, and Donna Karan. This change of trends in the fashion industry is largely a reflection of changes in consumer culture such as preference for casual wear, fickle fashion tastes, and the emergence of high consumption.

Agins (1999) rightly observes that the end of fashion has come. This is because fashion shows have been transformed into platforms for heated marketing. The media has in recent years been on the forefront in providing coverage of these proceedings. Observers too have been enthusiastic about playing their part not to lose out on the latest fashion designs. By focusing too much on media coverage and invitations to members of the public, the activity of the designer is being expressed not through actual clothes but through marketing activities. In the climax of these marketing campaigns, no one takes the time to evaluate the creative genius of various fashion designs. No comparisons are made to determine who the best fashion designer really is. In today’s context, the best designer is the one who launches the most successful marketing campaign. To create a strong brand, one needs to have enough money as well as excellent marketing  skills.

During fashion marketing activities, fashion designers focus on defining the unique identity of their brand and giving it a face of authentic integrity using image-building techniques and strategies. This means that without an excellent marketing strategy, the designer’s creativity will always be an effort in futility. A very creative designer who is unable to pay a hefty fee for a celebrity advertisement is unlikely to be recognized in the fashion market. In contrast, a less creative designer who can afford those fees can easily manage to create awareness, thereby creating a very strong fashion brand.

The first thing in the mind of today’s designer is mass-marketing and not the inherent success of the design (Agins, 1999). Market awareness has taken precedence over all other activities relating to the fashion industry. Designers are no longer interested in undertaking tests on designs of fabrics before implementing the success of such designs (Mirabella, 1994). In the early twentieth century, these preliminary tests were important because they dictated fashion trends in various cultures and social classes. Today, designers are only interested in cues provided by mainstream consumers. They direct their creativity towards mass-marketing at the expense of the work of designing clothes. To capture the consumers’ attention, the designers invoke certain factors, including ethnicity, social class, and a sense of belonging. In the days when fashion used to thrive, these factors would be used as a basis for testing various fashion designs before implementing their success.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

Agins, T 1999, The End of Fashion: How Marketing Changed the Clothing Business Forever, William Morrow & Company, New York.

Coleridge, N 1988, The fashion conspiracy, William Heinemann, London.

Daria, I (1990), The fashion cycle, Simon & Schuster, New York.

Mirabella, G 1994, In and out of vogue, Doubleday, New York.