Digital Marketing: An Effective Tool of Fashion Marketing

Digital Marketing: An Effective Tool of Fashion Marketing

Shristi Purwara
aCentre of Fashion Design and Technology, University of Allahabad 10/3, Bank road, Teacher’s

colony, Allahabad -211002

ARTICLEINFO ABSTRACT
Keywords: Fashion allows us to dream; it can transport us from
Fashion, Digital, mundane to the glossy world of models, catwalks and
Marketing, Consumer fantasies. It is hardly surprising that fashion is so
behaviour seductive, when so much of the media focus centers on
the more glamorous aspects of the industry. Today
media players are covering very beautifully, every
aspect of the fashion world in many ways and provide
information to the customers. In fact, they use very
effectively digital media to increase awareness and
connections between brands, labels, and customers.
Fashion is a complex cultural phenomenon, but it is
also a global manufacturing and retail industries, the
scope of which is immense. So, industry extends for
those persons who are working in the world of styling,
art direction, photography, advertising, media and
digital marketing.
Fashion marketing is very important element of the
fashion industry, because it operates at every level of
the fashion system (Supply chain to product
development through to retail). Fashion is relevant to
business of couture, luxury label, designer level and
mass market. In present era, we all are apprised to
digital world. The role of digital marketing is very
important in fashion marketing. Fashion is a global
business with complex structure that operates on many
different levels to reach everyone from fashioners to
those who just purchase clothing as a necessity of
everyday life. Digital mode brings the whole worlds to
the customers’ doorstep in one click. Digital marketing
can be identified as form of direct marketing that
connects the buyer with the seller electronically
through interactive technologies such as email,
website, social networks, online forum as well as news
groups, television, mobile communications etc. The
principal objective of marketing is to raise awareness
information, persuade and encourage consumer
engagement with the brand. The ultimate aim is of
course to generate sales. So, this paper entitled
“Digital Marketing: An Effective Tool of
Fashion Marketing” is presents digital era and its
impact on fashion marketing.

Available on SSRN-Elsevier
992

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3318992

Digital Marketing: An Effective Tool of Fashion Marketing

Introduction, objective and Methodology

Fashion allows us to dream; it can transport us from mundane to the glossy world of
models, catwalks and fantasies. It is hardly surprising that fashion is so seductive, when
so much of the media focus centres on the more glamorous aspects of the industry.
Today media players are covering very beautifully, every aspect of the fashion world in
many ways and provide information to the customers. In fact, they use very effectively
digital media to increase awareness and connections between brands, labels, and
customers. Fashion is a complex cultural phenomenon, but it is also a global
manufacturing and retail industries, the scope of which is immense. So, industry
extends for those persons who are working in the world of styling, art direction,
photography, advertising, media and digital marketing.
Fashion marketing is very important element of the fashion industry, because it
operates at every level of the fashion system (Supply chain to product development
through to retail). Fashion is relevant to business of couture, luxury label, designer level
and mass market. In present era, we all are apprised to digital world. The role of digital
marketing is very important in fashion marketing. Fashion is a global business with
complex structure that operates on many different levels to reach everyone from
fashioners to those who just purchase clothing as a necessity of everyday life. Digital
mode brings the whole worlds to the customers’ doorstep in one click. The rising
penetration nature of the internet and various faster digital communication channels,
wider network and new devices and their connectivity with marketers made consumers
more informative and knowledge regarding the value they expected to return to the cost
they incurred. Digital marketing can be identified as form of direct marketing that
connects the buyer with the seller electronically through interactive technologies such as
email, website, social networks, online forum as well as news groups, television, mobile
communications etc. Digital and social media have made advertising and promotion
campaigns more interactive and participatory. The principal objectives of advertising
are to raise awareness information, persuade and encourage consumer engagement with
the brand. The ultimate aim is of course to generate sales.
Face book E-magazine
Twitter Google plus
Instagram Digital Marketing TV channels
You tube Tools Pinterest
Electronic Web sites links
Display
Table no. 1

Fashion is based on the psychology of consumers pursuing of change and new

expression. In other words, we can say that, fashion industry totally depends on
changing trends and maximum products are survived very short product life cycle. So in
this situation, digital marketing may be worked, as an excellent medium for attention,
interest, desire, awareness and action towards of particular product or brand. Studies

Available on SSRN-Elsevier
993

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3318992

Digital Marketing: An Effective Tool of Fashion Marketing

shows that, in 2015, in India recorded a growing number of 277.4 million internet users
and this figure is expected to grow to 411.1 million internet users in the end of 2018.
Fashion industry is a large and valuable industry of the world. Approx. 75% of internet
users reach fashion retail websites and apps through their digital devices (Mobile, PC
etc.). Even on search engine, every third searching is related to fashion products and
fashion brands and this trend continuously increases. So in the reference of above
discussion the main objective of this paper is: To know about digital marketing and its
impact on consumer behaviour with special reference to fashion marketing – The study
is based on secondary data like published books, magazine, articles, blogs, websites,
journals etc.
Consumer Behaviour and Features of Digital Marketing
Today we can feel easily that, digital marketing tools provide information’s frequently to
the consumer. These information’s bring changes in consumer’s buying behaviour.
Increasing internet accessibility, working schedule, status, and availability of internet
are main reasons of go online. The behaviour of consumer in digital era has changed,
they are easily access any information of the world just in time. Consumer’s buying
behaviour totally based on internal and external stimulus. Extensive availability of
information, today’s consumers became more knowledgeable and powerful as they are
capable of evaluating information and purchase the best option. In general, consumers
are use various digital tools for information and marketing purpose such as – Facebook,
Instagram, twitter, blogs, links, YouTube etc.
Digital marketing is also very close to fashion industry, because it promotes the speed
and convenience of clothing trades, buying patterns, payment pattern, updated
information and feedback after sale etc. Digital marketing also finds out easily fashion
audience, in all over world through advance technologies. Digital technology also
provides variety of media presentations such as text, voice, images, videos, graphs,
display etc. which are put on deep impression on the fashion consumers. Digital
marketing also builds long term good relationship between marketers and consumers,
in fact it also provides relevant communication between designers and consumers in
7/24 service mode. One another important point of digital marketing is that, it reduced
various cost (labour, printing, transport, delivery, rent etc.) in the comparison of
traditional business channels.
Features of Digital Marketing
 Promote speed and convenience for trade patterns and payment
pattern
 Easily find out consumers at global level
 Propaganda of the products
 Provide variety of presentation
 Build long term relations between seller and buyer
 Reduce costing – printing, labor, rent etc
 7/24 service
 Updated information
 Wide variety information regarding brand and product
 Access to global brands
Table no. 2
Available on SSRN-Elsevier
994

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3318992

Digital Marketing: An Effective Tool of Fashion Marketing

Impact of Digital Marketing on Fashion Industry

The digital era has changed the social trends, which resultant a direct effect on the
changing consumer behaviour. When it comes in the
fashion industry, consumers are find out new
experiences with purchasing product and services,
what actually they want. In fashion industry, digital
marketing culture identifying consumer’s preference
and gives importance. In
current world, consumers
are welcoming new
experience of products and
services with good quality
features. Fashion lovers had Image no. 1
always conscious about
fashion propaganda from past time. The first fashion website –
vogue.com introduced in 1990. After that WGSN, Net-a-Porter,
show studio.com etc. are came in digital fashion world. In 2009
fashion players started twitter on internet with business of
fashion in New York fashion week. Today, so many digital tools
are giving platform to the fashion products and brands.
Designer, Retailers and Marketers are used many digital modes
and channels for marketing purpose at national and global
level. India is a fast growing emerging Asian market. This
shows optimistic projection for the e-commerce industry. It
estimated that around 329.1 million people will prefer online
Image no. 2
shopping by 2020. This means about 70% of internet users in
India will have purchased online. BCG CCI Digital studied on preferred categories for
online shopping in 2016, showing in image no. 1 - it shows that consumer’s highest
preference - that is fashion products. Fashion industry broadly classified into four major
sections – Apparel, Footwear, Cosmetics and Accessories - where apparel section always
in highest demand. Image no.2 - shows different online demand of apparel sections So,
it is clearly showing that consumers first go online shopping for fashion products.
Digital marketing easily finds out fashion lovers in all over world through advance
technologies. Because digital technology provides variety of media presentations such as
text, voice, images, videos, graphs, display etc. which construct deep impression on the
fashion consumers. So, in present scenario, designer, fashion companies, retailer and
marketers are adopting many digital channels for build-up long relationship with
consumers. The fast fashion leader Spanish company ZARA always worked on this
approach “what they want and when they want” and according this they make marketing
strategy. Flexible supply chain and technology-driven approach gives great business
results. Fast fashion means fast fashion marketing and in this direction, ZARA has used
Available on SSRN-Elsevier
995

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3318992

Digital Marketing: An Effective Tool of Fashion Marketing

so many social media tools like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest and
LinkedIn. Today, in Facebook, ZARA has approx. 26.4 million followers, twitter has 1.3
million followers, on Instagram, ZARA has 24.3 million followers. ZARA’S social media
strategy is highly dependent on visual elements. Apart from this strategy, ZARA
consistently uses social media to talk to their customers. Fast fashion brand H&M has
also used digital media for effective marketing for its product and brands. Today, there
are more than 32 million followers of H&M on Facebook. Facebook provides efficient
communication between the brand and its customers effectively. H&M has also using
Twitter account for effective marketing of its brands and products. Today it has more
than 8.6 million followers on twitter account. H&M has also more than 650 videos on its
YouTube account. It is not just focus on marketing of products or brands also create
long term relationships with the customers through deeper engagement. On Instagram,
H&M has 22.9 million followers. Instagram acts as an effective platform for customer
and fan engagement. Pinterest is another great social media platform for the fashion
brands. There are several accounts associated with H&M on Pinterest like H&M for
men, H&M for kids, H&M home and H&M denim. H&M has more than six million
followers on Google Plus.

Social media has successfully proved its power

over several business domains. Even though
leading fashion designers of India have
realized how the different social media
networks, especially Facebook, Twitter,
Pinterest and YouTube can boost their brand
image. Manish Malhotra, leading fashion
designer of Indian Fashion Industry has
998,386 likes on his Facebook page, where he
periodically updates pictures of different Image no. 3
Bollywood celebrities in his latest creations.
Sabyasachi Mukherjee has about 300,935 likes on his Facebook page, where he regularly
shares pictures and albums of his latest collections. Anita Dongre has 17k followers on
twitters and 172,106 likes on her Facebook page. She continually keeps her fans updated
with her newest designed outfits and accessories through the social media
platforms. Leading fashion designers Ritu kumar, introduced boutique culture in India
with her brand name “label”, also more popular on Facebook. So we can see here,
India’s leading designers used various digital technologies for marketing and consumer
relationship.

Big Brands Flipkart and Amazon are also Using Digital Marketing Strategies. They
always update new products, new offers, discount on Facebook,
twitter, YouTube, Pinterest and google plus. Flipkart has also blog
pages. Flipkart has also much joint marketing campaign like Myntra
(online fashion portal). Amazon has also many followers on Twitter,
Image no. 4 Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest. Amazon always adopt innovative
Available on SSRN-Elsevier
996

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3318992

Digital Marketing: An Effective Tool of Fashion Marketing

digital campaign, intelligent customer acquisition and engagement strategies.

Well known clothing brand KVIC (Khadi & Village Industries Commission) has also
adopted many digital tools for branding. Apart from this, many top
garment companies like Raymond, Fabindia, Madura garments,
Grasim, Vardhman etc. are adopting digital marketing tools. Even
though many fashion retailers such as – Westside, Pantaloons, Max,
Fbb, reliance trends, ITC, also using digital marketing. Pantaloons use
media like TV, print, online etc. as part of its
marketing mix promotional strategy.
Westside are using high intensity marketing
Image no. 5
strategy through social Media like Facebook.
Reliance trends manage social media marketing through
email/mobile Marketing and digital campaigns. Thus we can
understand through above discussion, digital media has
become an important platform for fashion brands and products
Image no. 6 trying to get close to their target market.

Finding and Conclusion

After above discussion, it can be concluded that, the growth of internet users and
consumption ability of the users has giving a huge market space to be expanded. Digital
market breaks traditional business obstacles and gives a big attraction and influences on
consumer, enterprises and markets. Fashion industry, where product life cycle has
survive for very short time, digital marketing gives more opportunities to the designers
and retailers. In today’s digital culture, identifying customer’s needs and wants and then
satisfying to customers is not easy with traditional methods, especially in fashion field.
The behaviour of customer has changed. Now they can easily access any information of
the world with in time. Active presence of digital tools creates an emotional attachment
for the brand and products, which improve awareness, brand’s image and sale.

References
Tim Jackson and David Shaw (2009): Fashion Marketing, Palgrave Macmillan, New York
Harriet Posner (2015): Strategy, Branding and promotion, Laurence King Publishing, London
Sandy Black (2013): The Hand Book of Fashion Studies, Bloomsbury, New York
Leslie Davis Burn (2002): The Business of Fashion, Fairchild Publication
Chatrali Datar (2017): Digital Marketing for Fashion Industry
Rajesh Deenadayalan (2016): Latest Digital Marketing Trends in Fashion Industry
Udayangani Rathnayaka (2018): Role of Digital Marketing in Retail Fashion Industry
Pingping Meng (2012): Characteristics and Promotional Research on Fashion Clothing

Available on SSRN-Elsevier
997

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3318992