Abstract
Young consumers’ choice of fashion and products that they buy is influenced by the society that they are living in; what the society perceives as fashionable influences their purchasing decision. Adolescents are willing to wear anything that boosts their esteem. If the society believes that a certain outfit is fashionable, the youth consumers are more likely to put on the outfit.
Leather and fur apparels have been in use for a long time in different societies. Fur products have been worn in occasions especially by people of high status in the society while leather has been used for making various products worn by the rich and the poor. The level of leather tanning determines the cost of leather products.
Marketers for these products in different markets targeting young consumers should understand the influence that the society have on the perception of the adolescents. This will assist them in making the right decision regarding price, product, promotion, and place of distribution. Use of fur and leather as raw materials has for long been challenged by animal right campaigners; nonetheless the materials are still being used in making various products.
Introduction
Societal issues influence the choice and selection of fashion in the general society. The same has influenced fur and leather goods; retailers of such products need to realize this to be able to plan and stock their businesses effectively; what to stock at one particular time is subject to the demands in the prevailing market conditions.
The influence to young consumers varies; there are some who are largely influenced and some who are not as much influenced. Fashion is never static but changes over time, space, and age. In the current economic situation, global issues, future trends and developments, having a responsive marketing strategy, will greatly assist in the operation of a company (Jack, 2001). This paper looks into how the society influences young consumers’ perception of fur and leather goods.
How the society impacts the consumers behaving towards evaluating purchasing, and using products
There is a close relation between people’s choice of apparel, human behaviour, and the society that a person is living in. The society influences how people perceive, choose, and make decisions on the kind of apparels that they are going to wear. People mind what they wear at a particular time and they feel good about it. Individuals have different values and choose what they will wear because of how they perceive themselves and how they feel about themselves.
Different generations have different fashion preference. Clothing is an important part in adolescence and is the first stage when the young adults start to create an own identity. As the body of the young adult start to experience changes, she/he also starts to be attracted to a certain dressing code; at one particular time and a certain generation, there is always a trend of fashion that this young adult sees as appreciated and good.
The choice of the fashion at one point in time is an individual choice but highly influenced by the society they are living in. There is a trend that they follow which surprisingly spreads fast in a wide range of people based on their age, race, gender, tradition, culture, religion, and social environment they are living in.
Teenagers acquire an appreciation and gain positive self esteem, which is developed from inside. One of the attributes that builds high self esteem is the kind of clothes that one is wearing. Fashion is part of teen character building and they have a tendency of wearing fittings and modern fashions.
The society plays a major role in determining the clothes and fashion that the young adult will wear. If the society associates a certain fashion with the youth, then a young adult is likely to put the fashion. On the other hand, if the society perceives a certain fashion as modern then young adults are likely to take the fashion (Gurvis, 2007).
Consumer attitudes concerning the use of animal products for clothing Social changes, social influences
- Leather
Leather and fur are both animal products; however there are different perceptions about the two apparels. Leather has for a long period been used as an apparel maker. In the year 2000, Yingjiao Xu conducted a research on factors influencing the choice of customers in making decision in buying leather products. He considered six variables which are;
- Attitude moulded towards products attribute, the attitude is an element of the society that someone has been brought up in
- Subjectivity towards a certain product purchase
- Traditional and cultural attitudes towards leather products
- Personality traits
- Price and quality factors
After the study, he observed that the kind of apparels that young people wear are largely influenced by the culture and social setting that he is living in. The study compared different living standards and societal conditions and observed that people of a certain area dress more or less the same.
Some cultures (e.g. the Muslims) have an acceptable mode of dressing which according to them is regarded as fashion. Youths are expected to wear certain clothes as a form of identity while after they have gotten married; they are expected to change accordingly. In the event of conflict of expectations between the society and the mode of dressing that a young adult has, there are set mechanisms to rectify the trend.
More specific in leather products, people of different classes have regarded leather as apparel for all seasons depending on what comes from the raw materials. Shoes are the most dominant products to be gotten from leather. Leather is tanned at different levels to come up with different products.
In most cases, pure leather goods are regarded as durable and are expensive. Though this is seen as so by the society, the youth have a slight different observation. As far as they want something that is classic and expensive, they as well do not like something that is going to last for ages; they want something that will change with the times. The perception that the product will last for a long period of time creates a negative attitude towards the purchase of such goods.
Other than the material used in manufacturing of apparels, there is also a perception based on the country of origin that such goods are coming from. Clothing appeals from Italy are considered to be of high quality though expensive. Shoes from the country are considered to be of high quality and durable.
With this perception young people are willing to buy products from this country. This trust is thought to have been built by strong branding name by the Italians on clothing and shoes. They are referred to as a “Cut of class”. Britain and Germany appeals are considered of quality though not as high as those from Italy. They are also less expensive (Gnoth, 2002).
Fur and Teenage Consumers
Traditionally, fur is known to be apparel for the rich and mostly won during certain occasions. It was/is regarded as apparel for the rich and thus wearing it for the right occasion offers a person great pleasure and esteem. The youth are willing to feel good of who they are. When attending occasions, they are willing to wear what is for the occasion.
There is a dress code for marriage, funeral ceremony, party, evenings among other social occasions. The apparel to wear and considered as fashionable or applicable for a certain occasion is determined/defined by a certain society. There have been campaigns against the use of fur products coming from animal rights campaigner’s people.
They are of the opinion that animals should not be killed for human clothing. Instead of these moves reducing the trend of use, the value of these products is getting even higher. The restriction had lead to reduced demand and thus the value of these products increase. High cost goods are considered fashionable and give a better feeling to adolescence. Their esteem is boosted and is more willing to use these products from the notion that they are expensive and thus a show of status.
Why teenage consumers make decisions to buy fur and leather goods and how the culture of society influences; celebrities/media/fashion brands
The media is a strong tool that influences the behaviour of human beings. The youth are spending a great deal watching television, internet, and radio. Technological improvement has brought different method of information dispensing in the world. One of the most notable information dispensers is television sets. With the increase in media freedom, the media has brought a number of issues which have impacted on the life of a people.
When an international or local television station brings a certain movie that has a hero at the end of the day; it will influence the belief of the person watching it. Youths are willing to copy the mode of life of the hero in a movie. In most cases, fur is used to symbolize heroism; this creates a perception that the product can be associated with success. This increases its demand from the young consumers. The way it is portrayed will make the person feature success to some attributes from the movie; this may be different from what culture demands.
Movies are made in such a way they have a message they are developing home. Some movies are meant to depict how portraying certain super national heroic aspects will be of benefit. There is the character that one admires at one point. Some of them are made to impress but alongside they develop a certain perception that glorify heroism. The perfectionist will make little effort to successes.
In these movies and television programs, fur is considered as luxury, glamour, and a show of status; when this is the case, the youth are willing to use these products. Action movies are in most cases developed in a way that the “master” or the “ninja” will outdo the local authorities like the police and can thus go ahead and commit crime and move unhurt.
There are others that the hero intelligence and wisdom is portrayed when he can forecast the future with a good level of precision. What the movie leaves in the mind of the viewers is that one can easily succeed in life by following unlawful means. The fact that the hero always is successful is planting a seed of deviant behaviour in the population. The general formation of the movie gives an impression of the attire for certain situations and activities (Juric & Worsley, 1998).
As much as perception is a person to person basis, Gladwell (2006) in his book “The Tipping Point” says that a move by one individual is likely to affect the larger population. Reinforced by the role played by opinion leaders in developing a perception, an experience/attitude developed by one person or a portion of the population is likely to affect the entire population.
As Gladwell (2006) observes, perception is also shaped by political, economic, or historical factors. After a perception has been developed, a stereotype emerges that may affect market of a product either positively or negatively.
Verlegh & Ittersum (2001) explains that there are two ways/models that perception towards a certain apparel/fashion can be looked at; halo models and summary construct model. In halo model people make a general perception of a certain product out of the little they are exposed to.
They necessarily need not to have a hand on experience of products made from the material but the speculation and little information that they have develop their attitude. One such country that has been favoured in the eyes of fur products from New Zealand consumers is Australia/Queensland. There is a general belief that the country is loyal to the queen and thus produces quality goods. Some of the good produced from the country include apples which are considered as clean and free from chemicals.
When consumers use summary construct model, they are guided by a certain experience that they have had and lasts in their memory for a long period of time. A prior hand-on experience is seen as the known point of view and from it a generalization is derived. For example there is a belief that products made from Italy are standard and have class. These beliefs can make someone buy these products without many considerations.
Fur and leather use (as raw material) for the manufacture of various apparels have been challenged by animal rights groups. They argue that when they are continuously used for making products, they lead to an increased danger to the animals. Despite this, they continue being used as raw materials (Johansson, 2002).
Are the consumers judgements of themselves and others related to lifestyle that is created by consumption activities
In marketing, there is an important factor that a marketer needs to know for success. In the case of fur and leather products, the target market is the youth. The social class that the product is targeted will influence the price of the products. Fur and leather products can be priced differently depending with the level of development and tanning made.
The price parameter can be approached from the actual product price or the possibility that the product can be divided into smaller parts, not necessarily cheap but the need for this is to enhance affordability. From a broader point of view the market can be divided into three sections; the high class, the middle class, and the lower class. The high class is not interested on how expensive the product is, but the point of interest is the utility that the product is going to give.
When they are buying things they are looking for something extra that can make them feel special and different. Highly tanned fur and leather products are ideal for these products. To target this group, the product should try to show how it is different from others, the price can be set high since the possibility is that the group will think that the higher the price the higher the utility. The middle class buy the common goods in the market.
When they are the target group, the price should be harmonized with the competitor’s prices. When the target is the lower class, price is the determinant of the market, the lower the price the better. The products can be packed in smaller quantities at “lower prices”. Understanding of the market segment is thus crucial. The market segment that the marketer want to target will influence the distribution that he is going to use (Anctil, 2008).
Fur and leather can be used to make a wide range of products from shoes, bags, wallets, jackets among others. These products target different class of people. Depending on the market segment in question, the place that these products are likely to be found influences the success.
Where the customer is more likely to be found should be the place that the goods are availed. If the target customers are people who value recognition, most of them are the high class, they are more likely to be found in the shopping malls and “designer” shops. The products should be displayed on these stalls.
The possibility that these kind of client will be in the back street shops is unlikely and thus the products should not be there. The common market is also a place that they are unlikely to go. If the products are targeting the lower class, they should be distributed in super markets that are expected to be less expensive than the shopping malls. There are also some places that are regarded to be the high class estates.
These are found in the area that people of a certain class live. If the target is the low class the goods should be available in the local slum and suburb shops. The middle class are known to be looking for something extra at the same price. There will be no harm if the products are distributed in the competitors territory; efforts should be the way we display what we are offering extra (Sternquist, 1993).
Conclusion
Young consumers attitude, believes, and perception affects their decision on the fashion that they will wear at a particular time. The society has a great influence on the kind of products that they are going to wear. Fur and leather products have been in the social market arena for a long period of time.
The decision of the kind of appeal that young consumers wear is determined by the age, societal influence, and individual attitudes. There is a close relation between people’s choice of apparel, human behaviour, and the society that a person is living in. The society influences how people perceive, choose, and make decision on the kind of apparels that they are going to wear. A marketing manager should understand this to be able to make sound marketing decision of fur and leather products to young consumers.
Reference List
Al-Sulaiti, K.I., & Baker, M.J. (1998). Country of origin effects: a literature review. Marketing Intelligence and Planning, 16(3): 150-99.
Anctil, E. (2008). Marketing and Advertising the Intangible. ASHE Higher Education Report, 34(2), 31-47.
Gladwell, M. (2006). The Tipping Point. New York: Little, Brown.
Gnoth, J. (2002). Leveraging Export Brands through a Tourism Destination Brand. Journal of Brand Management, 9(4-5): 262-80.
Gurvis, S. (2007). Management Basics: A Practical Guide for Managers. London: Adams Media.
Jack, E. (2001). Management Communication: The Threat of Group Think. Corporate communications International Journal, 183-192.
Johansson, U. (2002). Food Retail Buying Processes – A Study of the UK, Italy and Sweden. International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management, 30(11/12): 575-86.
Juric, B., & Worsley, A. (1998). Consumers Attitudes towards Imported Food Products. Food Quality and Preference, 9(6): 431-41.
Sternquist, B. (1993). Gatekeepers of Consumer Choice: A Four Country Comparison of Retail Buyers. Paper Presented At Montreal International Symposium Of Retailing.
Verlegh, P. W.J., & Ittersum, K. V. (2001). The Origin of the Spices: The Impact of Geographic Product Origin on Consumer Decision Making. In Frewer, L, E Risvik, & H Schifferstein, editors, Food, People and Society. Berlin: Springer.