Ruoh-Nan Yan

Marketing eco-fashion: The influence of brand name and message explicitness

This study investigated the influence of two variables – brand name and message explicitness – on attitude toward advertisement and attitude toward brand, and further, explored the impact of attitude toward advertisement, attitude toward brand, and other variables on consumer purchase intention. A questionnaire with an experimental design component was administered to 343 college students. Results revealed that respondents formed positive attitudes toward apparel brand when the advertising message contained explicit information about environmentally friendly products. Attitude toward brand, subjective norm, attitude toward advertisement, eco-fashion involvement, and environmental commitment were strong predictors of intention to purchase an environmentally friendly apparel brand. Implications are that apparel marketers may build more positive attitudes toward brands by providing explicit information about environmentally friendly products in their marketing claims. This may be one way for marketers to attract college students who are interested in purchasing environmentally friendly products, but who are not fully committed to a green lifestyle. Further, marketers may be able to reach those who are less interested in purchasing environmentally friendly products by raising awareness and knowledge of the benefits associated with their products and brands, which may help to establish a sustainable market for eco-fashion.

An exploratory study of the decision processes of fast versus slow fashion consumers

Purpose – The purpose of the study is to explore the differences between fast fashion and slow fashion consumers in regards to their consumer decision process stages (i.e. purchase/consumption, post‐consumption evaluation, and divestment).Design/methodology/approach – Qualitative data were collected via focus groups and personal interviews. Participants were recruited through flyers that were posted at various locations, including a college campus, select retail stores, and www.craigslist.com The sample consisted of 38 participants, 22 fast fashion and 16 slow fashion. All participants were female, 18 years of age or older, with a mean age of 21.2 years.Findings – Three groups of themes emerged. The purchase/consumption themes were buyers’ remorse avoidance, utilitarianism, hedonism, and style/self‐image congruence. The post‐consumption evaluation themes included instant satisfaction vs continued satisfaction and consumer expectation confirmation. Finally, the divestment themes consisted of divestment fre...

The influence of gender, social cause, charitable support, and message appeal on Gen Y's responses to cause-related marketing

Abstract This study examined the influence of gender, type of social cause, amount of charitable support, and message appeal on Gen Y consumers attitudes and purchase intentions towards an apparel brand within the context of cause-related marketing. A questionnaire, with an experimental design component, was administered to a sample of 562 Gen Y college students. Results suggest that Gen Y consumers are more likely to form positive attitudes towards an apparel brand when the amount of the charitable support is clearly communicated. Gender did not influence attitude towards brand, but did predict purchase intentions. Attitude towards brand, subjective norm, evaluation of the advertisement, and involvement in social causes were strong predictors of purchase intentions. When developing CRM initiatives, marketers should consider Gen Ys involvement in a social cause (e.g. volunteerism) rather than their stated interest in the given cause, and they would be well advised to state precisely (in advertisements) the amount of monetary contribution made to charitable causes.

Socially Responsible Labeling: The Impact of Hang Tags on Consumers' Attitudes and Patronage Intentions Toward an Apparel Brand

This study examined consumers responses to apparel companies use of hang tags to emphasize their socially responsible (SR) business practices. Informed by the theory of reasoned action, this research explored the impact of environmentally-friendly production and fair labor messages upon consumers evaluations of hang tags as well as their attitudes and purchase intentions toward an apparel brand. Messages varied in content (eco-fashion vs. fair labor), explicitness (low vs. high), and third-party SR logo (absence vs. presence). Data were collected through an online survey of 764 adults. Findings suggest that apparel companies may benefit from using hang tags featuring explicit messages and logos to convey their SR business practices. The use of explicit messages and logos produced favorable evaluations of hang tags and positive attitudes toward the apparel brand, which predicted purchase intentions. Findings provide a basis for the development of policy regarding the regulation of information presented on hang tags.

The impact of advertising message strategy – fair labour v. sexual appeal – upon Gen Y consumers' intent to patronize an apparel retailer

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine Gen Y consumers responses to American Apparels use of two advertising message strategies – fair labour and sex appeal, using the theory of reasoned action to predict intent to patronize American Apparel and comparing the utility of the classic reasoned action model with an extended model that included variables external to the theory.Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire was administered to 425 consumers, who were randomly assigned to one of four advertisement exposure groups. Group 1 evaluated an American Apparel ad (Ad No. 1) that promoted fair labour practices. Groups 2, 3, and 4 evaluated Ad No. 1 as well as one of three additional ads that featured messages employing sex appeal of varied intensities.Findings – Participants attitudes toward American Apparel were more positive when they were exposed to the fair labour message, only, than when they were exposed to the fair labour message in conjunction with one of the three sex appeal messages...

The impact of message appeal and message source on Gen Y consumers' attitudes and purchase intentions toward American Apparel

A 3 × 2 experimental design was used to examine the impact of message appeal (fair labor, sex, or a combination of fair labor and sex) and message source (company advertisements or third-party publicity) upon Gen Y consumers (N = 258) intent to patronize the retailer, American Apparel. Results supported models of hierarchical effects of advertising on patronage intention as well as the inclusion of external variables in the theory of reasoned action. Findings revealed that Gen Y consumers attitudes toward ad, attitudes toward brand, and purchase intentions toward American Apparel varied by exposure to message appeal in advertisements viewed. Participants evaluations of source credibility, attitudes toward brand, and purchase intentions toward American Apparel were influenced by message source. Additionally, purchase intentions toward American Apparel were directly predicted by attitudes toward American Apparel and indirectly by perceptions of source credibility. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.

Exploring Gen Y Responses to an Apparel Brand’s Use of Cause-Related Marketing Does Message Matter When It Comes to Support for the Breast Cancer Cause?

This study explored Gen Y’s responses to cause-related marketing (CRM) in apparel advertising. Data were collected from 349 Gen Y consumers to examine the influence of CRM on attitudes and purchase intentions toward an apparel brand. Attitude toward the brand was predicted by awareness of the apparel brand, perception of CRM, evaluation of the advertisement, involvement in the breast cancer cause, and gender. The theory of reasoned action was used to predict Gen Y’s purchase intentions and the utility of the classic model was compared to that of an extended model that included variables external to the theory. In the classic model, purchase intention was predicted by attitude toward the brand and subjective norm. In the extended model, purchase intention was predicted by attitude toward the brand, subjective norm, awareness of the apparel brand, evaluation of the advertisement, and involvement in the breast cancer cause. A calculated F-ratio indicated that the extended model provided additional explanatory power.

College students’ responses to prosocial marketing claims on apparel hang tags

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore consumers’ responses to prosocial marketing claims presented on apparel hang tags. Guided by the theory of reasoned of action, this study examined the impact of varied prosocial claims (environment, labor, cancer charity) upon college students’ evaluations of hang tags used to promote university-branded apparel (i.e. t-shirts) as well as their attitudes and patronage intentions toward the apparel. Design/methodology/approach – An intercept survey approach, with an experimental design component, was used to administer a written questionnaire to 262 college students. The experimental design component required participants to examine a university-branded t-shirt and to read the information provided on the product hang tag attached to the t-shirt. Findings – In total, 60 percent of college students read apparel hang tags on a very frequent or frequent basis to gain information about brand name, care instructions, and fiber content. Further, college students ev...

Segmenting the teen girl apparel market: differences in fashion involvement, materialism and social responsibility

Purpose – The purpose of this work was to identify segments of the US teen girl market based on the importance that these consumers assign to various product attributes in the apparel purchase decision process and to characterize these consumer segments in relation to their engagement in fashion and social responsibility. Design/methodology/approach – An online survey was administered to 157 teen girls (14-18 years). The questionnaire included demographic items and measures of the importance of product attributes in the apparel purchase decision, fashion involvement, materialism, charitable/social cause involvement and past socially responsible apparel purchasing behavior. A two-step cluster analysis, employing Ward’s method and k-means clustering, was conducted on each participant’s factor scores on the four dimensions of the product attributes scale. Findings – Three clusters were identified: the Conventionalists (n = 50, 31.8 per cent), the Self-Satisfiers (n = 34, 21.7 per cent) and the Embracers (n =...

Second-hand clothing shopping among college students: the role of psychographic characteristics

Purpose – The study aims to examine whether and how second-hand clothing shoppers differ from non-shoppers on various psychographic variables, including environmentalism, perception of contamination, price sensitivity and perception of vintage clothing. Additionally, this study hopes to uncover whether and how the aforementioned psychographic variables help predict second-hand clothing shopping behaviour, specifically shopping frequency at second-hand clothing stores. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected through a survey method from 152 college students. Findings – Results showed that college students who shopped at second-hand clothing stores were more likely to be environmentally conscious, more sensitive to higher prices and more likely to wear used clothing to express a vintage look and to be “green”, and to perceive used clothing to be less contaminated, as compared to those who did not shop at second-hand clothing stores. This study concluded that, among college students, second-hand cl...