Business Communication for the Fashion Industry - Delivering the Message! (Case Study Sample)

BUSINESS COMMUNICATION FOR THE FASHION INDUSTRY - DELIVERING THE MESSAGE! By (Name) The Name of the Class (Course) Professor (Tutor) The Name of the School (University) The City and State where it is located The Date Business Communication for the Fashion Industry - Delivering the Message! Obsession with fashion is one of the characteristics of today’s generation, Manlow (2011, p.93) observes that fashion has “increased in importance and extended its influence to all classes of people”. This means that fashion business is fast becoming one of the popular and lucrative businesses today. However, every profitable industry attracts many players, which creates intense competition within the industry. In response to this competition, there is need for players in the fashion business to embrace new technologies, especially to enhance marketing effectiveness. According to Xie (2017, p.155), fashion companies must embrace digital media technologies as there is a close between individuals’ fashion life and new media. What this means is that communication technologies have a huge impact on sustainability and success in the fashion industry. Competition is not the only force impacting on the fashion business; the constant technological developments being made in the contemporary era also have a huge effect. With the phenomenon of globalization, new knowledge, information and ideas are being generated almost every second. In other words, business organizations are required to stay innovative in order to be capable of responding swiftly to emerging opportunities (Dillon, 2012 p.16). Inasmuch as there are various media technologies available to firms, the Internet has become the most popular technology used by companies today. In specific reference to the fashion business, Dillon (2012, p.16) notes that the Internet greatly determines the promotion and selling of garments and other collections. Accordingly, the author reports that most designers as well as retailers in the industry now use the web to conduct their business. Consequently, consumers are enabled to buy clothes and other collections online. Fashion designers and retailers of apparel are also using the internet to communicate product designs to prospective customers. Social media and blogs have become popular tools for marketing by fashion companies. This indicates that communication and media technologies have an invaluable bearing on the fashion industry, both present and future. In the words of Ozuem and Azemi (2018, p. p.x), “the future of fast fashion is now being influenced by advanced technologies [such that] the growing role of online social media and networks in marketing has important implications for how consumers, channels, and companies interface”. This is to say that new technologies, especially social media, are of great value to fashion companies today. Significance of communication to the fashion business: a case study of ThirdLove ThirdLove is one among the leading lingerie retailers in the U.S. The for-profit company is based in San Francisco, California, and was founded in the year 2013 by David Spector and Heidi Zak. The mission of this fast-growing, innovative company is “to help every woman find her perfect fit by combining the best design and technology” (Crunchbase Inc., 2018). The company is made up of marketers, mobile and web engineers, designers, and operations experts. Together, these people have helped many women to find their favorite bras. One of the outstanding things about ThirdLove, and which distinguishes the firm from other players in the lingerie business, is its half cup bra sizes. According to Crunchbase Inc. (2018), ThirdLove has revolutionized the lingerie business by developing proprietary half cup bra sizes, which helps women in different parts of the world to find better-fitting bras. Precisely, the company has reinvented every element of its bras so that consumers experience maximum fit together with comfort. The company also allows buyers to try its bras before buying, something that is not common in the lingerie business. Because of this, ThirdLove has recorded substantial growth in recent years. For example, it is documented that between 2014 and 2015, the company grew by 400% (PR Newswire Association LLC, 2018 para.3). ThirdLove’s major competitors in the lingerie business are Journelle, Aerie, Adore Me, Agent Provocateur, Victoria’s Secret, and True, among many others. Besides stocking unique products and allowing buyers to test its bras for free, ThirdLove has created a name for itself through its marketing strategy. More precisely, the company’s adoption of new media technologies has played a very big part towards the company’s success within an intensely competitive industry. With a reputation of an e-commerce firm (Gross, 2018 para. 1), the company heavily relies on latest technology to deliver exceptional products customers. According to Decker (2016, para.2-3), Heidi Zak, one of the co-founders of ThirdLove, has a lot of experience in the use of technology for marketing. Zak describes herself as having a rich background in retail together with technology, which is why she possesses enviable expertise in the use of technology for the design of better products that give customers the best shopping experience. Owing to Zak’s expertise in , and mastery of technology, ThirdLove uses the Internet and smartphone technologies to maximize customer’s shopping experiences. The company has designed its own mobile application and a FitFinder page on its website that allow women to “find their perfect bra fit in under 10 minutes from the comfort and convenience of own home” (Decker, 2016 para.7). In Zak’s opinion, women find it awkward when they go to shop for lingerie and must fit the products they buy in a dressing room. This is the reason why ThirdLove developed patented technology to help shoppers find their perfect size of bra without having to visit the seller’s premises and fit the bras. Based on an interview with Zak, Vidi (2016, para.2) states that “an app is the best way to build loyalty and engage your most valuable customers”. This statement underscores the value of digital technologies to modern organizations, not only in the fashion industry but in all lines of business as well. ThirdLove’s decision to employ technology in its business was informed by trends in the market. Specifically, the company’s strategy is perfectly in line with demographic trends and consumer behavior. It is a well-known fact that the current generation of consumers is technologically savvy; most of the purchasing decisions are influenced by the media. To be more specific, today’s consumers heavily depend on the Internet and social media to decide what or not to buy. This, according to Vidi (2016, para.8), is the driving force behind ThirdLove’s investment in mobile. The company’s founders are aware of the fact that young people today want convenience more than anything, having been brought up “in a world where everything comes to them” (Vidi, 2016 para.9). In addition to this, many people today, regardless of their age, have become obsessed with the mobile phone. In fact, a significant number of people today love mobile apps due to the convenience together with privacy that these apps offer. Future trends in fashion media Based on the case study of ThirdLove, it is correct to say that players in the fashion industry must remain alert to the changes taking place in the business environment. Being a very competitive industry, and given the nature of fashion business, it is imperative for companies in this particular sector to master the art and technique of projecting changes in consumer behavior, tastes and preference. They also must stay innovative as a way of remaining relevant in an industry with many players. While it is certain that changes in the market affect every type of business, the fashion industry has been identified as “one of the businesses where frequent changes occur and social media is the most convenient and cheapest means to communicate” (Ahmad, Ashiq & Salman, 2015 p.1). This remark suggests that going forward, fashion companies must embrace and adopt social media technologies as the primary medium of marketing. By using social media technologies, fashion companies will create stronger and more lasting brand awareness (Ahmad et al., 2015 p.1). At the same time, these technologies wil...