The Importance of Identity and Self-concept for Marketers

The Importance of Identity and Self-concept for Marketers
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The Importance of Identity and Self-concept for Marketers
Introduction
Brand personality in the fashion industry fulfills a multi-dimensional and multi-faceted function in providing identity to companies while expediting effective communication. A human form or character helps in enhancing symbolic representation while expediting effective communication with consumers. The proliferation of high fashion brands into the local market has influenced marketers to assess the link between customers and their preferred brands. High-end fashion brands symbolize differentiation and quality based on the importance that customers place on specific brands. The clothing companies can formulate communication mechanisms based on self-concept to build a corporate brand while attracting customers. Equally, fashion companies have to consider their brand image in designing adverts to enhance customer loyalty. Clothing companies have to assess consumers' identities since they consume a product that aligns with their preferences. In the current era of intense competition in the fashion industry, branding in the fashion industry has emerged as a strategy to have a competitive edge over close rivals in the market. Consumer's identity and self-concept are vital considerations that organizations have to consider in formulating adverts for fashion products.
Body of Literature
Marketing executives ought to understand the processes that underlie consumer behavior as one of the critical areas of research to expedite business growth and productivity. According to Japutra and Molinillo (2019), understanding consumer behaviors is crucial in marketing strategy. Self-concept is an equally relevant aspect as a totality of an individual's feelings and thoughts. Therefore, the cognitive structure has a close connectedness to the behavior and emotions of consumers. Fashion marketers and consumer psychologists collaborate to study fashion innovativeness to explore fashion diffusion.
Fashion innovators are the main target customers in the apparel industry as the first buyers of clothing in the marketplace. As such, their reaction to fashion is a critical determinant of the success or failure of new brands. Although researchers examine the characteristics of fashion innovators, self-image has only received little attention. Apparel marketers seek to identify and appeal to fashion innovators with anticipation of expediting their business growth and expansion (Japutra & Molinillo, 2019). Research on characteristics of fashion innovators focuses on attitudes, social communication, lifestyles, and demographics as main variables of customers. Apparel marketers utilize the information in developing advertisements that fashion innovators can find persuasive.
Female fashion innovators are likely to be indulgent, colorful, fashion followers, and formal. Gonzalez-Jimenez (2017) argues that self-concept is a practical aspect in the apparel industry to understand customers' behavior. Self-concept includes self-image, self-esteem that are of interest to marketers since consumers prefer products that align with their attitudes. Self-concept is critical since self...