There is something so hypnotic and instinctual about the brands we chose to wear and express ourselves through. Wearing certain labels brings pride. These three concepts explore our brand choices based on how we feel, how we see ourselves, and our relationships with the people around us.
- Emotional Decision Making
Brands take clothes beyond their practical use as they play with our emotions, natural human drivers. This is a massive pool of academic study in this area.
A study by SMITH, an experiential commerce agency, identify eight emotional states that influence purchase decisions and illustrates the influence of emotional decision making perfectly in choosing fashion that goes beyond the practical realm. Some relevant shopping modes from the study that are useful to consider in fashion are outlined here.
States occurring most frequently include seeking validation (20%), which emphasises the opinions of others. So, for example, a brand with excellent social media conversation and a reputable status in the eyes of a consumers peers would be satisfactory to this target group and influence consumer behaviour.
A slightly less popular state was that of “I’m Special” group – an audience that craves exceptional shopping experience to. This also appeals to the exclusivity of some labels, be it made more exclusive by celebrity endorsement etc.
Lesser surveyed was the “Want Some Fun” group at 9%, an audience who shop more as a hobby than a practicality with a great passion.
In the fashion industry new products rarely have new features or benefits therefore brand strategies focus almost entirely on creating an emotional experience for the consumer, attaching a consumers individual meanings onto the brand.
2. Identity
Identity is an important psychological and social concept that relates to how we view and define ourselves and others. We use many elements of our lives, from physical characteristics (“I’m short”) to political views (“I’m liberal”) to construct our identities. Brands express us and
3. Social Identity
A component of persona identity, social identity brings the brand from self to community. Appealing to our most basic needs of belonging,
Tidy. 