Elina Koivisto

International fashion trade shows as knowledge creation platforms for microenterprises

In this study, the organizational knowledge creation process of microenterprises exhibiting in trade shows is explored. Specifically, this article examines how knowledge processes are manifested through different trade show activities. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews and ethnographic observation at international B2B fashion trade shows. The study shows that knowledge is created through observing and interpreting the trade show environment and other actors within it. Moreover, knowledge processes are embedded in the informal social interaction that takes place at trade shows. In this way, the participants absorb and adopt industry-specific practices and routines through their physical proximity to other industry actors.

Brand Management of ‘New Luxury’: Case Saga Furs

Abstract This study addresses brand management in the context of raw material for the luxury fashion industry. The research is conducted in the form of a case study of Saga Furs, which is an auction company whose operations range from co-operation with-local fur breeders supplying the raw materialto marketing and sellingto globally prestigious fashion houses and clothing manufacturers. In this inquiry, changes in the stakeholder relations of Saga Furs Ltd are investigated and their implications for brand management are presented with regard to customer-based brand equity. In conclusion, this case study illustrates the benefits of branding in a controversial material industry and provides best practices for carrying out brand communications.

Building bridges between professionals – expectations and outcomes of participation in professional communities

This study illustrates the individual motivations and outcomes of professional community participation. The data for the study were collected using an online questionnaire, which was distributed among highly educated commercial professionals in various business areas. The questionnaire was composed of questions mapping attitudes and behaviors in professional communities. These data were analyzed using factor analysis and cluster analysis in order to define the underlying dimensions of professional communality and to form a typology of participants attending communal events and contributing to the knowledge of these communities. On the basis of factor analysis of the data, 11 factors influencing community participation emerged. These were: identification, employers attitude, social interaction ties, trust, altruism, knowledge power, time and effort, reciprocity, brand image versus identity, reputation and status, and knowledge self-efficacy. Furthermore, when applying cluster analysis to the data, four different participation profiles could be extracted based on these factors. These were named communal altruists, information brokers, strongly committed professionals, and social capital hoarders. These groups differ significantly due to their expectations of outcomes as well as their behaviors within professional communities.

International fashion trade shows as platforms for experiential branding

Abstract Branding has traditionally been a staple interest in fashion marketing research, although it has only been studied from the perspective of business-to-consumer markets. Recently, however, corporate branding has sparked the interest of industrial marketing scholars, who have demonstrated its potential benefits for companies, including a sustainable competitive advantage and increased customer loyalty. Based on interviews with representatives of 18 Scandinavian fashion companies that have attended trade shows, this article explores experiential marketing activities and their potential branding outcomes during international fashion trade shows. To this end, the study provides a new perspective on fashion branding by identifying the main experience providers in trade shows, and their contribution towards Customer-Based Brand Equity. In conclusion, the study contributes to the fashion marketing literature by providing a novel perspective on branding, and by demonstrating the use of experiential marketing in enhancing brand equity during international trade shows. Moreover, the emergent stream of literature on trade shows as experiential marketing is extended with an account from the exhibitor perspective. Finally, the studies of industrial branding are built on by illustrating the ways in which experiential marketing at trade shows can contribute to brand equity.