Dissertation page turner

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AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA WITHIN THE FASHION INDUSTRY AND THE EFFECT OF THE MILLENNIAL GENERATION

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KIRANDEEP DHAMI BA (HONS) FASHION BUSINESS AND PROMOTION 2017

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ABSTRACT In a digital age, the online world of social media has become increasingly popular with younger consumers such as millennials. The main focus of the study is to investigate and explore the extent of the effects of Social media and marketing on the Millennial generation and how they have been affected.

products seen on social media and having a certain image will allow them to be perceived by others to have an envious lifestyle. As a result, Millennials have adopted a distrusting, impatient attitude towards brands within the fashion industry due to the unrealistic imagery portrayed through marketing.

A fictious, materialistic and impatient culture has emerged amongst millennials due to the overwhelming nature of social media and marketing.

Millennials have become an egotistical generation pressured to use social media to portray an optimised image of themselves in order to gain reassurance from others.

An untrustworthy, impatient attitude has emerged resulting in new methods of marketing demanded by younger consumers, challenging brands to alter the way they use social media marketing. The desire for authenticity amongst Millennials and emerging consumer group Generation Z, has caused brands to rethink their marketing strategies to reflect a more authentic, real image.

The use of influencers within social media marketing has left a generation with an altered mind set. Consumers are led to believe that by purchasing

WORD COUNT - 6233 DIRECT QUOTES - 591

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

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I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who supported and helped me during this dissertation process, helping me gather insight into my chosen subject order.

University Tutors: Jayne Littlehales, Alison Rapsey for their guidance I would also like thank everyone who took part in my primary research questionnaires, focus groups and interviewees who helped me gather valuable information.

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ABSTRACT

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

CONTENTS

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LIST OF TABLES

LIST OF FIGURES

GLOSSARY

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INTRODUCTION

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

METHODOLOGY

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TABLE OF CONTENT CHAPTER 1: THE SOCIAL MEDIA MARKET 1.1: A History of Social Media 1.2: The Current Market 1.3 Current Trends & Key Drivers

CHAPTER 2: THE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON MILLENNIALS 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5

Who are the Millennials?

Social Media engagement The Negative effects of Social Media Filters The Rise of Realism

CHAPTER 3: MARKETING & MILLENNIALS

3.1 How Brands use Social Media as a Marketing tool 3.2: Missguided Case Study 3.3: Influencer Marketing & Millennials 3.4 Overconsumption & Spending habits 3.5: Bloggers

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CHAPTER 4: THE RISE OF A NEW CONSUMER 4.1: Who are Generation Z? 4.2: Marketing to Generation Z

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CONCLUSION

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RECOMMENDATIONS

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

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LIST OF REFERENCES

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APPENDIX

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LIST OF TABLES Table Table Table Table Table Table

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Annual Internet and Social media growth, 2016 Maslows Hierachy Marketing to Millennials Swot analysis of Missguided Positives and negatives of Influencer marketing Consumer spending by generation

LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1 - Girl having photo taken Figure 2 - Wardrobe inspiration Figure 3 - Girl in yellow jumper Figure 4 - Girl holding Starbucks Figure 5 - Iphone and grapefruit Figure 6 - Macbook and food Figure 7 - Blonde girl selfie Figure 8 - Photo of a lake Figure 9 - Girl with sunglasses Figure 10 - Macbook greyscale Figure 11 - Girl with blue jeans Figure 12 - Man with black jeans Figure 13 - Macbook green plant Figure 14 - Girl in hat with iphone Figure 15 - Earth logo Figure 16 - Earth Vector Figure 17 - Social media logo Figure 18 - Iphone logo Figure 19 - Girl in striped jumper Figure 20 - Scrabble “like” Figure 21 - Macbook on wood desk Figure 22 - Man wearing white top Figure 23 - The age of Re engagement book Figure 24 - Girl taking photo beach Figure 25 - Iphone “but first coffee” Figure 26 - Cream steering wheel Figure 27 - Girl in grey dress, selfie Figure 28 - Starbucks drink Figure 29 - Girl with brown hair

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Figure 30 - Notebook and pen Figure 31 - Instant camera and instant photos on rug Figure 32 - Silver watch Figure 33 - Girl in yellow coat Figure 34 - Maslows Hierachy Figure 35 - Girl with writing on face Figure 36 - Girl behind fence Figure 37 - Girl with butterfly filter Figure 38 - Girl with dog filter Figure 39 - Girl with pink flower filter Figure 40 - Girl with multi coloured flower filter Figure 41 - Loving yourself Figure 42 - Black white iphone Figure 43 - Black white multi screens Figure 44 - Arrows around logo Figure 45 - Social media logos Figure 46 - Genuine logo Figure 47 - Blog logo Figure 48 - Missguided logo Figure 49 - Girl in pink jumper Figure 50 - Girl in silver coat Figure 51 - Sarah Ashcrost pink jumper Figure 52 - Sarah Ashcroft white choker Figure 53 - Girl on street walking Figure 54 - Girl in skeleton t shirt

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Figure 55 Figure 56 Figure 57 Figure 58 Figure 59 Figure 60 Figure 61 Figure 62 Figure 63 Figure 64 Figure 65 Figure 66 Figure 67 Figure 68 Figure 69 Figure 70 Figure 71 Figure 72 Figure 73 Figure 74 Figure 75 Figure 76 Figure 77 Figure 78 Figure 79 Figure 80 Figure 81 Figure 82 Figure 83 Figure 84 Figure 85 Figure 86 Figure 87 clothing Figure 88 bra

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Girl in AC/DC top Purple popsicles Black furry shoes Girl in black Girl jumping into water Louis Vuitton bags Girl drinking outside Bed decor Girl in flower jumper Lights on road Finger tattoos Girl in red jumper Girl reading map Girl in black top Girl in grey addidas Boho inspired rings Eye with stars Girl on road Iphone instagram Girl in green coat Girl in pink fluffy coat Girl in grey fur coat Six Degrees logo MySpace logo Linkedin logo Facebook logo Youtube logo Reddit logo Twitter logo Soundcloud logo Instagram logo Snapchat logo Two women in sports

- Women in white sports

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Figure 89 - Ashley Graham coat XXVIII Figure 90 - Ashley Graham black and XXVIII white photo Figure 91 - Women in black coat XL Figure 92 - Women in blue dress XL Figure 93 - Man in black shorts XLII Figure 94 - Women in orange XLII

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GLOSSARY

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Consumer – A person who purchases goods and services for personal use (Oxford Dictionary, 2017).

Generation Z – Generation Z is the demographic following Millennials (Whatis, 2017).

Hash tag – A word or a phrase proceeded by a hash sign, # used on social media websites and applications (English Oxford Dictionary, 2017).

Key drivers – A key driver is something that has a major impact on the performance of something (Nab, 2017).

LS:N Global – L Styling Network.

Millennials – A person reaching young adulthood in the early 21st century (Dictionary, 2017).

Social Media platform – A social media platform is a web based technology that enables the development, deployment and management of social media services (Techopedia, 2017).

Social Media marketing – Social Media marketing are techniques used on social media websites to spread awareness of brands, products or services (Techopedia, 2017).

WGSN – Worth Global Style Network

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“Social media has had an undeniable impact on the fashion industry, and continues to evolve the way that all manner of fashion businesses operate�

(Rush, 2017)

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INTRODUCTION This dissertation will investigate the use of social media and marketing within the fashion industry and the effect on the millennial generation. It aims to explore the psychological and physical extents of these effects by investigating the emerging attitudes and mindset of the millennial consumer, exploring why this generation feel obligated and pressured by social media platforms.

Exploring the demand amongst consumers for realism within marketing and the fashion industry will show how this has been encouraged by the overwhelming, false nature of social media resulting in an impatient and materialistic culture emerging.

Collaborating with bloggers and individuals within the fashion industry will allow wider opinions into the true nature of social media, the use of social media by fashion brands and how brands are reacting to consumers need for authenticity and realism.

Interest into the subject area originated from a personal desire to highlight the issues millennials face concerning the pressures of social media and the importance of spreading the message that Social Media Is Not Real Life (Lindsey,2015).

Younger consumer groups such as Millennials are the most influenced and affected by social media leading to an increase in mental health issues such as loss of confidence and anxiety issues.

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AIMS & OBJECTIVES AIMS To explore how the fashion industry, social media and influencer marketing has fueled a culture of impatience, materialism and consumerism within the millennial generation resulting in a change of their self-perception and mind set.

OBJECTIVES • To define the social media market, current trends and how brands use social media as a marketing tool.

• To identify and analyse the millennial consumer.

• To investigate the extent of the effects of social media on the millennial generation.

• To explore how marketing techniques have fuelled consumerism and materialism within younger generations.

• To explore how brands can incorporate authenticity into future marketing strategies to future consumer groups.

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METHODOLOGY A variety of primary and secondary methods have been used throughout to ensure a balance of quantitative and qualitative data was used when exploring the extent of the effects of social media and marketing on the millennial generation.

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SECONDARY RESEARCH Market Reports - Market reports from Mintel were used to gather statistical data to generate an overview and background of topics like social media and consumer behaviour. Social and Media networks (2017) was particularly insightful as this allowed data collection on the social media market, size and leaders. The data collected showed insight into the millennial consumer including their social media habits and preferences.

Websites/news articles - Websites such as Business of Fashion, Forbes and the Independent provided professional opinions into the topic.

Trend Forecasting websites - Websites such as WGSN and LS:N were used to gain a professional viewpoint from industry experts to explore current trends and consumer behaviour. LS:N provided valuable insight and knowledge into the Millennial generation and Generation Z as a tribe while WGSN was used to establish current trends.

Existing surveys - Surveys from Statista, an online market research website, were used to establish quantitative data concerning the size of the market and consumers activity within the social media market.

Books - Books such as The why of the buy, Why we buy and Emotionally Durable Design provided insight into consumers buying habits and the psychological reasons behind purchasing.

The Social media marketing book delivered background information about the current market and how brands use social media as a marketing tool to engage consumers. Marketing Fashion provided insight into the how fashion brands use branding and marketing to engage with their consumer, allowing a wide scope of information on the background of marketing.

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PRIMARY RESEARCH Questionnaire An online, anonymous survey was distributed using Facebook to identify attitudes towards the effects of social media and marketing on consumers.

The survey consisted of 10 structured questions investigating the effects of social media on consumers and their preferred choice of social media.

Focus Groups A focus group was conducted face to face consisting of structure based questions towards 4 female millennial individuals aged 19–23 with an interest in the fashion industry. The aim of the focus group was to gather opinions and knowledge of the first-hand effects of social media and marketing. 5 structured questions were asked with answers recorded lasting approximately 30 minutes.

Limitations • The participants of the survey were primarily female, 66%, suggesting that having more male participants could have provided a different viewpoint towards the subject area.

Limitations

• The use of an online questionnaire provided limitations as only internet based individuals were able to answer the questionnaire as the survey was not paper based.

• The online survey meant that the data collected was from all age ranges, however as the topic area was focused on millennials, the data gathered applied to all age demographics.

• Due to time restrictions, only one focus group was conducted. A second focus group would have provided more insight into the topic area, with discussion based questions rather than structured.

• This would have prompted a discussion between participants that was lacking within a structured focus group, potentially leading to new opinions.

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Interviews Participants asked provided qualitative data allowing knowledge on the subject area to be collected from industry based individuals within marketing and social media job roles. As a key factor of the study was the extent of social media effects and marketing on the millennial generation, all participants were asked this question.

Social media manager/blogger Dion Fanthom provided industry knowledge on the effects of social media on younger generations and how marketing techniques had encouraged this. This participant was also able to provide insights into the use of bloggers as part of marketing strategies.

To gain more knowledge into the extent of the effects, Instagram influencer Rachelle Holland provided valuable insights into the pressure consumers face on social media and the effects image based platforms like Instagram have on millennials.

Limitations • Interviews were asked via email and social media due to time limitations of the interviewees. However, a face to face approach would have allowed a potential discussion to develop within the interview and facial expressions to be observed. • As all interviewees were from social media and marketing job roles, an interview with a psychologist or lecturer would have allowed a professional opinion on the topic area to be gathered.

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The Social Media market 1.1. A History of Social Media 1.2. The Current market 1.3. Current trends & Key Drivers

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1.1 A HISTORY OF SOCIAL MEDIA According to Ekundayo (2017), social media is defined as a term used to describe platforms that bring individuals together for the exchange of information.

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“Therefore, social media is delivering a reinforcement every time a person logs on�

(Dr Shannon M. Rauch, 2015).

Internet users are expected to increase to 3.02 billion users by 2021, suggesting that the high user engagement of social media makes it one of the most popular online activities (Statista, 2017).

When looking at the effects of social media and marketing on the millennial generation, it is important to consider the history and market size. Social media was first officially established in 1997 when platform Six Degrees was created, enabling users to establish a profile and connect with other users (Plymae, 2012).

Since 1997, there are hundreds of social media platforms which have 2.46 billion social media users to date and is estimated to reach 2.77 billion by 2019 (Statista, 2017). A further analysis and history of the social media market can be seen in appendix A.

Psychologist Dr. Shannon M. Rauch suggests that the main reason social media is used is self-distraction and boredom, which has now developed into a habit and addiction more common in younger consumers like millennials (Whiteman, H. 2015).

This suggests that consumer groups such as millennials form a habit by using social media consistently to receive positive attention in the form of comments and likes. This has formed a habit that is reinforced daily. As a part of their daily lives and routine social media is harder to quit, inevitably causing an addiction.

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Number of UK adults

52.2 million

Number of UK adults online

45.9 million (88%)

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Number of UK adults who use Social Media

Number of UK adults who use Social Media daily

43.6 million (84%)

34,4 million (66%)

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Table 1 (We are Flint, 2016).

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1.2 THE CURRENT MARKET When looking at the effects of social media and marketing on millennials, it is important to consider the current market. A report conducted by Royal Society for Public Health RSPH (2017), highlights that 91% of 16-24 year olds now use social media. This rise has been fueled by the increase of smartphones and ease of information shared amongst the younger generation where an impatient mindset has emerged.

According to a survey conducted by Statista (2017) 96% of consumers aged 16 – 24 now own a smartphone, the highest compared to other age demographics.

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Mintel (2016) also shows an increase in mobile time amongst younger consumers as 74% now use social media apps regularly and 40% now use 2-4 apps daily (Mintel, 2016).

This demonstrates that the rise of smartphones and ease of information shared amongst millennials can be linked to the increasing use of social media and the changing mindset of the millennial consumer.

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Primary research supports this showing that consumers currently check social media platforms multiple times a day and as often as every half hour, as seen in appendix B.

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Facebook is currently the market leader and largest platform worldwide with over 2 billion monthly active users (Forbes, 2017). However, Mintel, (2017) suggests that Instagram and Snapchat saw the highest levels of growth amongst users in the UK, statistics shows that Instagram usage grew from 17% to 21% between 2016 - 2017 and is used by 700 million people each month.

This is encouraged by the increase in marketing aimed at Millennials by brands maintaining engagement with the consumer group (Agrawel, 2016).

To summaries, the literature identifies that the increase in smartphones have been a defining factor in the rise of social media and that platform growth is linked to consumers increasing mobile time within apps. The constant flow of information has resulted in the Millennial generation developing a habit of constantly checking social media inevitably forming an addiction.

This has resulted in an increase in brand marketing via social media as brands attempt to engage with Millennials.

Primary research gathered within a focus group supports that consumers use Instagram as their most frequent platform, shown in appendix C, suggesting Instagram will continue to see growth due to popularity amongst younger consumers.

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1.3 CURRENT TRENDS & KEY DRIVERS

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LS:N GLOBAL - THE FOCUS FILTER TREND The LS:N Focus filter trend (2017) states that consumers are overwhelmed by technological improvements resulting in patience being unnecessary in the modern world. Influenced by the increase of smartphones, social media and advertisements, a lack of focus amongst Millennials has emerged from constant flow of information, resulting in an impatient culture emerging.

This suggests that in an era of continuous information and instant gratification, millennials are struggling to concentrate in an age of distraction. LS:N Global (2017) highlights that more than 100 million hours of video content is viewed each day using Facebook and 90% of 16 - 24 year olds now use smartphones for two hours or more each day to browse social media, highlighting how much social media affects this generation (Ofcom, 2015.)

Key drivers also play an influential role when considering the effects on millennials. The rise in mental health and wellbeing amongst millennials is a growing issue as UK millennials currently have the second worst mental wellbeing in the world (Pells, 2017). Social media has been linked to decreased sleep quality, lower self-esteem, increased anxiety and a fear of missing out (Fomo) within the younger generation, increasing pressure to be online 24/7 (BlaszczakBoxe, 2015).

Brands now use social media marketing and influencers within the fashion industry as a way of marketing to millennials. This has altered Millennials consumption and buying habits as well as their mindset by making consumers feel the need to purchase items in order to get the lifestyle seen on social media.

Primary research indicates that 72% of consumers had been influenced by social media marketing into purchasing non-essential products, shown in appendix B. To summarise, the use of social media and influencer marketing by brands within the fashion industry has altered the psychological wellbeing and mindset of the Millennial consumer, resulting in an impatient, negative culture emerging, discussed in later chapters in more depth.

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The Effects of Social Media on Millennials 2.1 Who are the Millennials?

2.2 Social Media Engagement 2.3 The Negative effects of Social Media 2.4 Filters 2.5 The Rise of Realism

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2.1 WHO ARE THE MILLENNIALS? “Riotous youth who have grown up into righteous adults, the New Millennials are rewriting the rules about how they expect people, institutions and brands to behave” (Rees, 2009)

in documenting their lives on social media than living their lives to the fullest. The previous statements have shown that the emerging digital age has changed the way consumers express themselves, placing more emphasis on digital sharing.

The millennial generation is categorised as consumers aged 18–34, born between the 1980’s to mid 1990s (Farrington, 2017).

Rohampton (2017) suggests that as digital natives, millennial consumers use social media as a tool for creating new personal connections and a way of meeting their basic needs.

This rise in digital technology is linked to the increase in social media and self-improvement within the millennial generation. This is supported by primary research which indicates that one of the main reasons for using social media amongst participants was for self-expression and inspiration as shown in appendix B.

A study conducted by LS:N (2015) found that 6,000 18–34 year olds across 10 countries thought meaningful experiences were more important to their happiness than material goods and that Millennials were judged on how they express themselves, not on what they own.

This suggests that millennials now prefer to spend on experiences rather than possessions and use social media as a tool for creating new personal connections and a way of meeting basic needs within their lives.

Johnny Oleksinki, (2016) holds a similar view, suggesting that millennials are more interested

The millennial consumer is now more aware of their product options and will research a product or service before buying (Rampton, 2014).

This means that brands will have to produce marketing that can capture and keep the attention of the millennial consumer. The LS:N Focus Filter trend suggests that consumers now have limited attention spam due to the overwhelming nature of marketing and media, highlighting that brands will have to do more to capture the attention of consumers (LS:N Global, 2017).

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2.2 SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT A new consumer has emerged from the changing nature of technology and global awareness resulting in brands adapting their marketing techniques to target a new Millennial consumer (Inc, 2014). Maslow’s hierarchy of needs suggests that a sense of belonging and self-esteem is key to consumers happiness. Social media provides consumers with a sense of belonging within the online community while reputation and self-esteem is boosted through the ability to create an edited, enhanced identity through social media.

Maslow’s hierarchy suggests that a sense of belonging and self-esteem is key to consumers happiness.

Social media provides consumers with a sense of belonging within the online community and while self-esteem is provided through the ability to create an edited identity online.

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2.3 THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA Studies suggest that there is a link between social media and addiction as the digital age has changed the nature of addiction for Millennials, replacing one maladaptive behaviour with another (Rao 2017).

Eror (2017) asserts that the extent of millennials social media addiction is comparable to drugs and alcohol, “Every appearance of a colourful notification bubble triggers a satisfying dopamine hit in the brain, much like a bump of cocaine. Also like cocaine, it compels us to repeat the experience” (Eror, 2017) The source suggests that the present economic state is different for millennials than previous consumers, that consumers have fewer feelings of achievement and self-worth from traditional aspects like careers, resulting in social media filling this emotional void (Eror, 2017). .

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“Adolescents are becoming borderline obsessed over what other users think of them, and the infamous double tap on an Instagram post has become notorious for increasing selfesteem” (Istudent 2016).

The presence of social media has resulted in an increase in consumers actively seeking out positive reinforcement received from the attention and warm glow associated with social medial, resulting in a constant urge to check social media encouraging a fear of missing out, (Fomo) (Eror, 2017).

A recent survey conducted demonstrated that 100% of consumers checked social media daily, with 70% checking every hour or less in fear of missing out. However, this constant flow of data means there is always new information to obtain, resulting in Millennials adopting an impatient attitude and feelings of obligation towards social media.

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“The exposure to highly idealized representations of peers on social media elicits feelings of envy and the distorted belief that others lead happier, more successful lives.� (Forbes, 2016) Millennials are negatively affected by false perceptions of social media inevitably creating mental health issues from a young age. Research conducted highlights that younger consumers now spend up to 9 hours a day on social media, the University of Pittsburgh suggests that the more time consumers spend on social media, the higher possibility of mental health issues arising (Forbes, 2016).

The data summarises that there is a link between time spent on social media platforms to consumers risk of developing mental health issues.

Consumers who spend more time on social media are more influential to developing negative feelings by perceiving that other users to have happier lives, encouraging depression and anxiety.

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“Social media is becoming a platform for people to reinvent themselves, allowing users to present themselves in the best manner possible to increase their ‘perceived attractiveness’. With the help of social media sites, insecurities become perfections, and photo manipulation is now very much a formality” (Istudent, 2016) Social media has negatively exploited a younger generation by creating a fictitious world in which consumers can create fabricated imagery in order to appear more attractive and successful (Istudent, 2016). Instagram, Snapchat and other image based platforms have lasting psychological and physical effects on consumers, Fox, (2017) holds the view that the practise of editing images contributes to the younger generations poor body image and body confidence.

A focus group consisting of millennials hold the view that Instagram and Snapchat had influenced them psychologically and physically resulting in consumers editing their self-image.

The use of influencer marketing within image based platforms has resulted in millennials unable to see past fabricated imagery. Images deemed perfect on social media have negatively influenced millennials, resulting in a loss of confidence and the rise of body issues, as shown in appendix C. A recent survey conducted supported this as 75% of consumers felt social media had negatively altered their perception of themselves, while 75% of consumers shared the view that Instagram was the most influential platform, shown in appendix B. A study conducted by The Royal Society for public health (2017) supports the data that image based platforms like Instagram are the most influential platform amongst 16-24 year olds (Forbes, 2017).

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2.4 FILTERS “This fictitious world is not showing any signs of stopping, and for one reason: it works. Society and social media exploits the vulnerabilities; social media creates an ideal world for a select few.� (Istudent 2016).

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“Young people use filters and photo manipulation to create a fabricated second person to impress society, including attractiveness and success adding to the delusion. Creating low self-esteem empowers companies�

(Istudent, 2016)

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The data summaries that social media has created a fictitious world in which consumer vulnerabilities are exploited due to the rise in popularity of image based platforms like Snapchat and Instagram (Istudent, 2016).

This has resulted in consumers faced with perfect images on Social Media, creating negative self-image furthering anxiety and confidence issues.

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The ability to create enhanced imagery has left consumers with an untrustworthy attitude as consumers are unable to differentiate real from fake imagery.

Primary and secondary research solidifies the opinion that social media has negatively influenced the millennial generation showing Instagram to be the most influential platform shown in appendix B and C.

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2.5 THE RISE OF REALISM However, information shared within social media can have positive effects such as providing younger consumers suffering with mental health issues with an opportunity to share and relate experiences.

Instagram campaigns launched in aid of mental health awareness month such as #HereForYou are positive movements to support younger consumers providing information on mental health and body issues showing that the platform is registering the negative issues surrounding the site (Swant, 2017).

RSPH (2017) suggests that 7 in 10 younger consumers receive essential interaction and support reducing feelings of anxiety and depression.

Indications from the University of Pittsburgh (Forbes, 2016) suggest that mental health issues have a direct correlation to the time period spent on social media, suggesting that movements such as #StatusOfMind, that display messages on mental health using social media are a positive way to engage younger consumers (RSPH, 2017).

Other hashtag campaigns, such as my #MyBodyMyBFF are empowering users with messages of self-love to join a movement to have a positive attitude towards body image and mind-set (Truong, 2017). Brands such as Nike, H&M and Amazon have launched campaigns featuring diverse messages and models that do not fit the traditional stereotype, shown in appendix G.

Although there is a negative attitude associated with image based platforms, Instagram has responded to the negative issues created from their platform.

The increasing awareness of the negative effects on body image aim to create a change in society and consumers mind-set, however, the rising statistics of mental health amongst young consumers suggests that this is not enough.

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3.

Marketing & Millennials 3.1 How Brands use Social Media as a Marketing Tool 3.2 Missguided Case Study 3.3 Influencer Marketing & Millennials 3.4 Overconsumption & Spending habits 3.5 Bloggers

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OPTIMIZED MOBILE

MULTI - PLATFORM

Mobile is the BEST WAY TO REACH MILLENNIALS - they have the hghest smartphone ownership rates.

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Millennials CONSUME CONTENT ACROSS MULTIPLE DEVICES, brands needs to create multi platform Fig 43 strategies.

PERSONALISATION

SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE

85% Millennials are MORE LIKELY TO MAKE A PURCHASE IF IT IS PERSONALISED to their interests.

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62% of Millennials report that brand engagement on social media is more likely to make them a loyal customer Fig 45

AUTHENTIC

INFORMATIONAL BLOGS

Millennials DISLIKE WHEN ADVERTISING FEELS DECEPTIVE.

1 in 3 Millennials choose blogs as top media source BEFORE MAKING A PURCHASE. Magazines have less impact.

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Table 3 (Ahmad, 2016).

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3.1 HOW BRANDS USE SOCIAL MEDIA AS A MARKETING TOOL

2.7 billion people currently use social media globally, resulting in brands adapting their marketing strategies to current trends in order to engage with consumers (Lake, 2017). As digital natives, millennial consumers use multiple social media platforms to interact and engage with brands (AdWeek,2015). Social media is currently used as a method of advertisement by brands to promote their products by communicating with peers and potential customers (The Balance, 2017).

According to Bennett (2017), social media enables easy communication and interaction between customers allowing insights into consumer behaviour and demands, shown in appendix D. Jakatdar, (2015) holds the view that modern marketing techniques such as the use social media and influencers has encouraged a new consumer culture within millennials. The author suggests that modern consumerism has encouraged a generation of consumers who are trend obsessed and unable to see reality, resulting in brands appeasing consumers desires and thus creating a never ending cycle of materialism and consumerism (Jakatdar, 2015).

The distrusting nature that has emerged from modern marketing has created the belief that “Millennials believe that advertising is all spin and not authentic� (Schawbel, 2015). This has resulted in new methods of engagement with the millennial consumer such as personalised marketing.

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Missguided swot analysis* Brand competitors*?/info on brand IMAGE EXAMPLE OF MISSGUIDED ADVERTISMENT TO MILLENNIALS – LANGUAGE* IMAGE MISSGUIDED EXAMPLE OF TRIGGER BASED POSTS – SHOP NOW!*

3.2 CASE

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E STUDY

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BRAND NAME:

MISSGUIDED

FOUNDED:

2009, NITIN PASSI (CRAVEN, 2015)

PLATFORM:

ONLINE, INSTORE

STORES:

5 STORES/CONCESSIONS (MISSGUIDED, 2017)

ABOUT:

THE BRAND PROVIDE ON TREND, AFFORDABLE FAST FASHION CLOTHING.

CURRENT MARKET STRATEGY:

USING SOCIAL MEDIA, INFLUENCER MARKETING AND EMAIL MARKETING TO ENGAGE AND KEEP THEIR TARGET MARKETS ATTENTION (WILLIAMS, 2015).

SOCIAL MEDIA:

INSTAGRAM: 2.5M FOLLOWERS (INSTAGRAM, 2017) TWITTER: 425K FOLLOWERS (TWITTER, 2017) FACEBOOK: 1,146 LIKES (FACEBOOK, 2017)

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“What sets these fast fashion brands aside is that they’re also selling an identity alongside it.

They’re marketing an attitude that millennials can aspire to, making it about more than just low-cost creations, instead they’re selling these clothes as a way for millennials to reinvent, reinvigorate or find who they are as individuals.” (Johnson, 2017)

Johnson (2017) suggests that fast fashion brands like Missguided have marketed an image based lifestyle leaving millennial consumers with aspirations for the fictitious lifestyle perceived through social media and influencer marketing. The use of glamorised social media posts and influencer marketing has negatively affected consumers self-perception by encouraging purchasing habits towards this aspiration image.

Although self-expression is a positive notion amongst consumers, the increase in marketing techniques from brands such as Missguided have left millennials overwhelmed, inevitably increasing purchasing habits and consumerism.

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SWOT ANALYSIS STRENGTHS

WEAKNESSES • Some low quality products sold.

• Unethical and unsustainable products due to the brand selling fast fashion - will not appeal to consumers who want ethical clothing products.

• On trend and affordable products.

• Globally established fast fashion retailer.

• Strong brand image.

• Collaborations with well known bloggers, influencers and celebrities.

• Menswear and womenswear.

OPPORTUNITIES

THREATS

• More instore opportunities as they only have a few Missguided concessions in-store.

• To create a dedicated help page for consumers to divert negative feedback off their main social media pages.

• Competitive market within the fast fashion industry, hard to provide innovative products and collaborate with popular influencers first.

Table 4 (Newman, 2013)

How Missguided has impacted the Millennial generation The untrustworthy nature emerging amongst millennials means that brands such as Missguided must keep consumer attention. Applied psychology USC (2017) suggests that 62% of millennials are more likely to be loyal to a brand if there is a sufficient level of brand engagement. This has resulted in rapid fashion brands creating marketing campaigns that engage with consumers multiple times a day using

popular platforms (Cocozza, 2015).

By mimicking consumers language and creating personalised posts, Missguided have created brand reinforcement in the mind of the millennial consumer.

The rise in social media usage amongst millennials means that brands must constantly create recognition and reinforcement in consumers mind daily due to the overwhelming nature of other social media posts.

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This style of marketing has created a sense of urgency by encouraging an instant buy now attitude translated into a fear of missing out amongst millennials.

Applied Psychology USC (2017) suggests that 85% of millennials are more likely to purchase from a brand if the imagery is personalised to the individual. LS:N Global (2017) highlights that constant marketing and advertisements has left millennials unable to absorb marketing concepts and information, resulting in brands using instant, personalised marketing campaigns in attempts to engage with consumers.

The brands use of personalised trigger based emails and social media engagement has resulted in a 133% click through rate, showing that traditional methods of marketing are no longer engaging for younger consumers (Danao, 2017).

Fast fashion brands such as Missguided, have encouraged an impatient attitude amongst millennials, encouraging consumerism and materialism by creating excitement and hype around products, creating a fear of missing out. This is reinforced by influencers and bloggers on social media creating a feeling of obligation towards purchasing to achieve the lifestyle perceived on social media.

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3.3 INFLUENCER MARKETING & MILLENNIALS Positives of Influencer Marketing

Negatives of Influencer Marketing

• Consumers can use social media posts as product reviews positively contributing to buying decisions.

• Consumers have been unable to tell the difference between genuine product reviews and paid advertisements.

• The introduction of “paid content” on Instagram encourages transparency between brands, influencers and consumers.

• Consumers are overwhelmed by the increasing product posts by celebrities and influencers resulting in untrustworthy opinions developing.

Table 5 (Brooks, 2017).

“Influencer marketing is simply the action of promoting and selling products or services through people (influencers) who have the capacity to have an effect on the character of a brand” Yodel, 2016) By using influencers on social media, brands have the ability to market products directly to millennial consumers using the multiple social media platforms they use daily.

Millennials now depend on social media for information and trends and will actively seek out social media before purchasing (Carlson, 2016).

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This has resulted in millennial consumers using social media as a source of validity and research when making purchasing decisions.

This theory is supported by primary research, as consumers within the focus group felt influenced by individuals on social media. Influencer marketing has encouraged consumers them to purchase non-essential items due to promotion by influential figures and current trends, shown in appendix C. Primary research indicates that influencer marketing has overwhelmed the millennial generation resulting in individuals who distrust influencers on

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social media that promote products, endorsements by improving transparency as consumers cannot differentiate between brands and consumers between real and fake opinions, shown in (Spangler, 2017). appendix C. This has resulted in influencers clearly A recent study conducted by Mediakix and conspicuously disclosing their (2017) highlighted that 93% of sponsored relationships to brands when promoting posts were not clearly disclosed to or endorsing products through social consumers, suggesting consumers are media (FTC, 2017). This transparency unaware of hidden advertisements. between brands and consumers will allow Shown in appendix E, Fanthom (2017) brands to fulfil consumers desires for a holds the view that influencer marketing more authentic marketing experience. has left consumers with no indication of what is a genuine product review or paid Although there are negatives implications advertisement, leaving consumers with a surrounding influencer marketing, sense of distrust towards influencers and Fanthom (2017) also highlights that celebrities (Wagner, 2017). there are benefits as consumers are able find new products and reviews from However, the recent introduction of #Ad social media, positively helping buying and paid partnerships on Instagram decisions. allows consumers greater transparency between influencers and brands (Lund, ASOS Insiders is an example of positive 2017). Encouraged by the Federal Trade effects surrounding influencer marketing Commission (FTC), Instagram aims to as influencers can provide consumers improve disclosures within social media with inspiration and fashion tips and style advice shown in appendix H (Davies, 2016).

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3.4 OVERCONSUMPTION & SPENDING HABITS “The new type of consumerism has created a generation of consumers who spend too much time looking at the brand and getting caught up in trends that they lose sight of the real innovations that can change society for the better. Companies, knowing what consumers want, are more motivated to appease the demand, and thus creates a never-ending cycle than doesn’t benefit the overall good of society in any way.” (Jakatdar, 2015)

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“Consumption is about far more than simply the mindless purchasing of newer, shinier stuff - it is a journey toward an improved and evolved self.”

(Jonathan Chapman, 1999)

The rise of technology, social media and influencer marketing has resulted in a millennial generation that are image and trend obsessed. According to M.Rath et al (2008), consumers are purchasing a lifestyle and holds the view that “when people buy fashion goods, they are buying benefits.”

According to The Business Journals (2015), 47% of millennials are influenced by social media and technology when making purchasing decisions and consumers who used social media when shopping were four times more likely to spend more on purchases (Rohampton, 2017).

The increase of technology has resulted in 53% of millennials now preferring to shop online in comparison to 28%

of generation X, suggesting that millennials prefer the convenience and wider product range from online shopping.

According to Experian (2017), 54% of millennials spend the largest portion of their income on restaurants, 51% on socializing and 35% of clothing items suggesting they are a generation that prefer to spend on personal goods.

However, Tobak (2016) suggests that millennials value experiences over possessions, while Lewis-Hargreave, (2016) holds the view that millennials only desire experiences that can documented online by marketing these experiences like material goods.

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This has shaped millennials into trend based individuals that are more likely to purchase non-essential goods due to current trends and social media influencers, encouraging consumerism.

Pressures from social media to adopt a certain lifestyle have encouraged an unhealthy online obsession with selfimage.

Rapier, (2017) highlights that in comparison to other consumer groups, 23.8% of millennials spend most of their income on restaurants and 18.5%

on personal clothing and hobbies.

The data suggests that in comparison to previous generations, the millennial generation spend more income on experiences and personal possessions, supporting the opinion that money, image and fame are more important than values like self acceptance creating “generation me� (Huffpost, 2012). A negative stereotype has emerged of the millennial consumer suggesting that some consumers may be egotistical (Huffpost, 2012).

Table 6 - (Rapier, 2017).

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3.5 BLOGGERS “Blogging is probably one of the simplest and most common methods organisations regularly use to communicate a more ‘human’ side of their business. A blog is a perfect mouthpiece for sharing a variety of content.” (Carvill, Taylor, 2015)

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Bloggers have become an influential part of consumers lives as there are currently 373 million blogs worldwide (Statista, 2017). Millennials aged 18 – 34 now rank blogs and social media as the most important source of information to use before purchasing.

46% of Millennials now use blogs for product investigation while 30% use blogs to confirm their purchasing decisions showing that blogging is an important factor influencing millennial purchasing habits (Corporate eye, 2014).

methods rather than traditional paper based methods such as magazines, as 53% of 18-29 year olds now use the internet for product reviews before purchasing (Smith, Anderson, 2016).

The increasingly use of bloggers within marketing strategies have shown millennial consumers that the image and lifestyle portrayed may not be true. Data collected via an online survey suggests that consumers think blogging “is an effective way of advertising as they seem quite personal and you can forget that these posts are actually adverts� (Consumer 1, 2017). Holland (2017) believes that this method of marketing has exploited consumers vulnerability as consumers are now unaware of what is real and what is fake.

This suggests that influencers and peers have a high amount of influence over consumers as millennials prefer to seek reinforcement before making a decision. The data also suggests that millennials prefer to use technological

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Fanthom (2017) also suggests that the use of bloggers within marketing strategies has become dull and repetitive and that brands only choose bloggers who can only relate to one type of audience. These bloggers fit the popular perfect image portrayed on Instagram encouraging an altered and fictitious image of social media amongst consumers.

Although there are negative issues surrounding blogging, recent Instagram influencers such as fitness blogger Sara Puhto have used platforms to educate consumers on the importance of Instagram vs Real life.

To show consumers that images are not always how they are perceived by showing that posed images are not real (Muscarella, 2017). Influencers are encouraging consumers to not perceive these perfect images as truth and that Instagram is not real life (Muscarella, 2017).

Consumers are now more aware of the dangers of blogging, however, “Nine in 10 consumers (84%) make purchases after reading about a product or service on a blog suggesting that blogs and influencers are still influential methods for product validity and reviews amongst millennials (Corporate eye, 2014).

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4.

The rise of a new consumer 4.1 Who are Generation Z? 4.2 Marketing to Generation Z

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4.1 WHO ARE GENERATION Z? Generation Z is currently the fastest growing generation expected to account for 40% of the all consumers worldwide by the year 2020 (Jorgenson, 2017). According to Perrett (2016), generation Z are more “self-aware, success driven, social responsible and globally minded” individuals than the previous generation, millennials, and are typically born between 1995-2015 (Wilken, 2016).

“Generation K,’ for Katniss — will inherit a “dystopian, unequal and harsh” world from Millennials.”

(Wilken, 2016) Wilken (2016) refers to generation Z as “Generation K” in reference to Hunger games heroine Katniss Everdeen.

Generation Z feel the world they are inheriting is in a state of turmoil, Hertz (2016) suggests that “Generation K is coming of age in the shadow of economic decline, job insecurity, increasing inequality and a lack of financial optimism.”

This has resulted in the rise of a generation more untrustworthy and anxious than previous generations as only 6% of generation Z consumers trust corporations and only 1 in 10 individuals trust the government, believing that societies system is rigged (Stillman, 2016).

These individuals now place emphasis on shared values and look at brands that portray transparency, trust and loyalty, as generation Z are a generation who want to bring about change (Perrett, 2016).

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4.2 MARKETING TO GENERATION Z Generation Z have grown up within an era of financial recession, terrorism and harsh reality meaning consumers within this generation are realists and pragmatists (Taylor et al, 2017).

Nielson (2017) suggests that Generation Z are a more multicultural generation than previous generations and the diverse ethics and independence emerging suggest that these pragmatic consumers desire authentic brands that understand that consumers within this demographic are unique and want to make a difference.

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Jorgenson (2017) suggests that generation Z has an average attention span of eight seconds in comparison to 12 seconds for Millennials, with individuals demanding personalised interactions when engaging with brands. Taylor (2017) also suggests that generation Z consumers value authenticity behind brands, sustainability, transparency and real people over airbrushed models and contrived marketing messages.

This has translated into consumers wanting real, authentic experiences from brands that are about more than product.

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The desire for authenticity amongst consumers has resulted in 92% of generation Z consumers trusting influencers more than celebrity endorsements (Jorgenson 2017).

Consumers now perceive influencers as their peers and trust their opinions more suggesting that consumers feel more inclined to purchase products because the trust is already there (Jorgenson, 2017).

Brands must change marketing strategies to involve real relatable individuals to engage with Gen Z consumers and promote authentic marketing strategies, as generation Z consumers desire authenticity and transparency the most from brands (Segran, 2016).

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CONCLUSION The main goal of the study was to determine the extent of the effects of social media and marketing on the millennial generation within the fashion industry. This study has identified that the millennial consumer and future generations are becoming more aware of the psychological and physical implications social media and marketing has on their generation, causing consumers to adopt a new attitude.

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The investigation of primary research was a valuable source of information regarding the influence of social media and influencer marketing amongst millennials. The evidence presented suggests that current marketing strategies have left some millennials with mental health issues while fuelling a culture of impatience by encouraging consumerism and materialism as a general attitude. The image of perfection sold by social media has left part of a generation with body and confidence issues and an unhealthy obsession to obtain this glamorised lifestyle perceived on social media. This has led consumers to desires for a more authentic, real experience from marketing within the fashion industry.

However, research has identified that influencers within the fashion industry are empowering consumers through the use of social media. Body empowering campaigns such as #MyBodyMyBFF and blogger Sara Puhto are using social media as a method of empowerment, showing consumers that the traditional “perfect” image perceived throughout social media is fictious, unrealistic and posed. The launch of Instagram campaign in aid of mental health also suggests that the platform is registering the negative issues surrounding social media (Swant, 2017). This rise in realism amongst influencers is changing the millennial mind-set, attempting to repair the damage done by years of social media marketing within the fashion industry.

The study has identified that there is evidence to suggest that brands within the fashion industry are adapting. The introduction of #ad and paid sponsorship feature used throughout Instagram shows that brands are listening to consumers desires for a more authentic, real experience.

Consumers are now able to differentiate between posts and advertisements and determine if the purpose of the post is to generate sales. Consumers need for realism and authenticity has encouraged brands to adopt more personalised, relatable marketing strategies.

Brands are now building a platform of transparency and honesty between consumers and their products by moving away from the “perfect” social media image. The research has also shown that generation Z now desire more realistic, relatable imagery from brands within the fashion industry. Consumers are now embracing the true image desiring to be themselves rather than the perfect image portrayed on social media as consumers can now see a rise in opinions on social media rather than advertising.

The following conclusion can be drawn from the present study, the use of social media within the fashion industry has had immense psychological and physical effects on the millennial generation. However, there is evidence of change happening within the industry, as brands are now aware of the negative impacts of social media on consumers and the need for transparency and honesty between consumers and themselves. Reacting to current trends, brands will now have to make a conscious effort to establish transparency and honesty within marketing to encourage brand engagement with the millennial consumer and generation Z.

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RECOMMENDATIONS

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• These findings demonstrate that there are a number of important changes which need to be made within the fashion industry. Brands should resist using unrealistic, heavily edited imagery within marketing campaigns and promote real imagery, reinforcing the message that Social Media Is Not Real Life (Lindsey,2015). Aspects such as live imagery or video should be used more to show unedited and true imagery and change the glamorised perception consumers have. Brands such as Missguided are now actively fulfilling consumers demands for authenticity through the use of unedited imagery showing real models and real bodies. The use of authentic imagery will engage consumers more as millennials and generation Z now desire realism within the fashion industry.

• Based on research gathered, brands need to take into consideration that emerging consumers groups such as Generation Z, now desire a more real and personalised response to marketing. “The E-motional Economy” trend highlights how brands are already using emotional technology such as mood messaging and humanised technology to fulfil consumers emotional and personal needs (LS: N Global, 2016).

This suggests that brands could incorporate the use of emotive technology into marketing and purchasing experiences to engage with the digital generation Z consumer on a more personalised level.

• As the scope of this study was limited to the millennial generation, there is research opportunities to explore the next consumer group, Generation Z. As research suggests that they prefer the opinion of peers to influencers, this suggests that brands must use more real, authentic influencers that are relatable to generation Z. The use of relatable influencers that are aspiration figures to generation Z will encourage consumers within this generation to engage with these brands more.

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“YOU WERE BE REAL, N PERFE

RALPH M

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E BORN TO NOT TO BE ECT”

MARSTON

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Who what wear, Figure 94, Available at: http://www.whowhatwear.co.uk/asos-insidersfashionable-instagram-accounts [Accessed November 29, 2017].

Wikipedia, Figure 77, Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SixDegrees.com [Accessed November 29, 2017].

Wikipedia, Figure 82, Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Reddit_logo_and_ wordmark.svg [Accessed November 29, 2017].

Wikipedia, Figure 86, Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Snapchat_logo.svg [Accessed November 29, 2017].

YouTube , Figure 51, Available at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3VqwG2HAzqTsGVm-MDeTQ [Accessed November 29, 2017].

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APPENDIX A

SOCIAL MEDIA HISTORY TIMELINE

Fig 77

Fig 78

Six Degrees

MySpace

• The first platform that was created which had over one million users (Eastern Michigan University PRSSA, 2016).

• Founded in 2003 and was the number one website in 2006.

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Linke

• Founded in 2 business orienta site for professi 201

Fig 79

edIn

2003 and is a ated social media ionals (Lifewire, 17).

Fig 80

Fig 81

Facebook

Youtube

• Social media and networking site, currently the market leader with two million monthly active users (Telegraph, 2017).

• A video sharing website created in 2005, later sold to Google for $1.65 billion dollars (ThoughtCo, 2017).

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Fig 82

Fig 83

Reddit

Twitter

• Founded in 2005, a social news, discussion site with mainly a male demographic usage (Macale, 2011).

• An online news and networking site where users “tweet” statuses and interact using posts with over 200 million active monthly users (MacArthur, 2017).

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Sound

• A Swedish distribution pl between artists News,

Fig 84

dcloud

online audio latform shared s (Digital Music 2017).

Fig 85

Fig 86

Instagram

Snapchat

• Launched in 2010 and currently has 150 million monthly active users with 55 million photos shared per day (We are Social Media, 2014).

• One of the most popular social media platforms in the world and as of May 2017, has 166 million daily active users (Molloy, 2017).

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APPENDIX B

SOCIAL MEDIA EFFECTS QUESTIONNAIRE

1% 34%

1%

66%

18%

72%

5%

42%

66%

37% 80%

88%

90%

How often do you check social media? This could be any platforms, on your phone, laptop etc.

Every 15 minutes – 22/100 Every half hour – 13/100 Every hour – 35/100 Every 2 hours – 17/100 Once a day – 10/100 Every few days – 3/100

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56% 54% 64%

80% 87%

12%

6% 5%

20%

82%

75%

11% 32%

9%

27%

32%

28% 75%

72%

Do you have any more thoughts on the effects of social media and influencer marketing on consumers?

Consumer 1 – “It is an effective way of advertising as they adverts seem personal and you forget that brands posts are actually adverts.”

Consumer 2 - “Social Media can influence people to change who they are in order to adopt the glamorised lifestyle they see on social media and it can negatively effect your confidence.”

Consumer 3 - “Social Media can influencer people to purchase things they don’t need to acquire the lifestyle marketed to them.”

Consumer 4 - “Social Media can have a positive effect as well as negative as it can be inspirational to people.”

Consumer 5 - “Consumers are led to believe that particular products will make them similar to the influencers they aspire to be. This is not always the case.”

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APPENDIX C FOCUS GROUP

Hi, thank you all for coming, the topic discussed today for the purpose of research for my dissertation, will be social media and the extent of the effects on your generation, millennials. I will be recording all the answers from each participant and everything is personal opinion, so there are no right or wrong answers. Lets begin.

Q1. Do you think social media, influencer marketing and “perfect” images have had a negative effect on the millennial generation and why?

Consumer 1 – Yes 100% percent, because we grew up in a generation where phones were not as popular, we were not surrounded by the constant advertisement of people looking a certain way. Now we have to deal with social media and how powerful it is so we’ve had to transform our images to fit in.

Consumer 2 – There has always been a social pressure on teens growing up, however it is more exaggerated now and more in our faces as we can see these issues more each day.

Consumer 3 – Social Media makes the younger generations grow up a lot quicker than they should. Makeup is a good example of it, children are more influenced from social media influencers like Kylie Jenner from a younger age and aspire to be her.

Consumer 4 – Growing up with social media means growing up with the pressures of it and feeling like you need to look a certain way and have a certain lifestyle.

Q2. What platform would you say you access the most and how many hours?

Consumer 1 – Instagram, all together two hours or more a day.

Consumer 2 – Tumblr because it’s more visual to me and I access this platform an hour a day.

Consumer 3 – Instagram and around two hours a day.

Consumer 4 – Instagram, around two and a half hours a day.

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Q3. What is the main reason you use social media for?

Consumer 1 – As a way of inspiration and a way of expressing myself.

Consumer 2- As a way to catch up with what’s going on, current events as I feel i may miss something if I don’t check it.

Consumer 3 – As a way of checking current events and what people I know are up to as I dont want to miss anything.

Consumer 4 – For inspiration and reviews and to see what other people think of products and events.

Q4. Why do you post images on social media and why do you post these images on platforms like Instagram and Snapchat?

Consumer 1 – I don’t post images on social media.

Consumer 2 – To share a little bit of your life and express myself.

Consumer 3 – As a way of documenting and show other people what I have been doing.

Consumer 4 –I use social media because other people do the same thing and I would feel left out, there is a pressure to make your Instagram and Social Media look good as I think this is a visual representation of your life.

Q5. Do you feel that fashion brands using influencer marketing have had any impact on you and why?

Consumer 1 – These posts can change your opinion of products in a negative way resulting in you purchasing items you initially did not need.

Consumer 2 – They can make you want to purchase the goods promoted by influencers as they post frequently and make you want the goods because they’re on trend.

Consumer 3 – No, it hasn’t impacted me.

Consumer 4 – I feel like the constant promotion is overwhelming to the millennial generation which has resulted in individuals distrusting social media posts and influencers and not knowing if the opinion is genuine.

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APPENDIX D

INTERVIEW WITH TOM BENNETT SOCIAL MEDIA ASSISTANT Hello, I am enquiring to see if I could interview a member of your social media team concerning my dissertation on the effects of social media and marketing on the Millennial generation.

Thank you.

Q.1 Do you think social media marketing is beneficial to brands and why?

Yes, as most of our consumers use the internet a lot and spend a lot of their time online, social media is a way of easy communication and interaction with our customers and allows us to gage what they want from our brand. In my opinion, all brands should utilise social media, it allows the brand to get so much more brand attention and engagement with existing and new consumers.

Q2 Do you think social media marketing has had any negative effects on the younger generations? And why?

I think there are a lot of negative issues surrounding the young of today and their use of social media. The fact that it is now the 21st century and brands have adapted to technology, their target consumer now spends majority of their time on the internet using social media. The fact that every young person has access to a smartphone or laptop with social media on doesn’t help the issue either. It means consumers are going to see the technological way of marketing a lot more and it’s going to be in their faces a lot more. I think there is an element of overwhelming to social media marketing for the consumer due to the sheer volume of marketing used on platforms.

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APPENDIX E

INTERVIEW WITH DION FANTHOM SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER AT LIGHTBOX MARKETING Hello, I am enquiring to see if I could interview a member of your social media team concerning my dissertation on the effects of social media and marketing on the Millennial generation.

Thank you.

Q1. Do you think social media has had a positive or negative impact on the youth of today and why?

I do think that social media has a negative impact on the youth of today because it has turned into a catalyst for body confidence issues, more people are in a constant comparison battle with the ‘perfection’ they see on Instagram, and it’s clear that the more we’re active on social media, the less we’re actually being sociable in real life.

Social media, I strongly believe, is turning young children into anxious individuals who have very little confidence in themselves and communicating with others, outside of the device they have in their hand.

Q2. What is your opinion on brands using social media as a marketing tool?

I LOVE the possibilities/impact social media has and presents to brands. Even looking solely at the fashion industry, look how much fashion week has changed in the past 5 years alone, all because of social media... it’s amazing (maybe slightly worrying but definitely amazing!). Social Media is essentially FREE marketing tool... you really can’t afford to ignore it!

Q3. What is your opinion on fashion brands using bloggers as a marketing strategy?

This is a tricky one for me to answer as I have very mixed (and strong) feelings about it. I think in the early days of brands using bloggers/micro-influencers for campaigns etc. it was great! It’s like the first time American Vogue put someone other than a model on their front cover... it well and truly CHANGED THE GAME. But as more and more brands use bloggers for marketing (fashion brands especially), an unpopular opinion is emerging: the bloggers that are being used are repetitive, they’re the same.

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Q3. What is your opinion on fashion brands using bloggers as a marketing strategy? Continued I think the next challenge brands have is to become more diverse (with the new editor of Vogue, I think we’ll see a shift in who is presented to us on social media etc.). Ultimately, I think it’s great that brands use bloggers within their marketing campaigns but soon enough, those bloggers will become boring. I think a good case study for what I’m trying to say is looking at the backlash from the recent ‘Hello World Live’ in Birmingham, it included all the popular YouTubers who only relate to one type of audience. Fashion brands are continuing to use one type of ‘blogger’ who can only relate to one type of audience. I also think ‘bloggers’ is a really loose term, there are so many different ‘titles’ that can fit into ‘blogger’ so it would be really interesting to see how that title changes in the future.

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APPENDIX F

INTERVIEW WITH RACHELLE HOLLAND MODEL/INSTAGRAM INFLUENCER Hello, I am enquiring to see if I could interview you concerning my dissertation on the effects of social media and marketing on the Millennial generation.

Thank you Thank you.

Do you think social media has had a positive or negative impact on the youth of today and why?

I think social media has both a negative and positive effect on the younger generation, there is definitely a pressure to look a certain way and to look like what society says is attractive. We’re very image focused these days and I think that’s where body and confidence issues have stemmed from, especially amongst younger people.

Working in the fashion industry, do you think there is pressure surrounding social media to have a certain “perfect” look on social media? If so why?

Definitely, there are so many people on Instagram and snapchat that have “pretty” pages and photos, it’s become a normal thing to have a certain look to your Instagram page. I think people look at these users that have thousands of followers and aspire to be like them, to be as popular or to have a similar lifestyle but these influencers are just encouraging these negative issues surrounding social media.

What is your opinion on fashion brands using bloggers and “influencers” on social media as a marketing strategy?

Blogging used to be a way for individuals to express themselves and their opinions.

I think the rise of social media has changed this, as there are almost too many bloggers and influencers. The younger generation is overwhelmed by this and brands exploit this vulnerability. Some bloggers now post because of finance incentives not because it is their personal opinion. In a way marketing has ruined blogging as consumers now don’t know what is real and what is fake encouraging issues concerning confidence and body issues.

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APPENDIX G

NIKE “BODY POSITIVE” CASE STUDY

BRAND NAME:

NIKE

FOUNDED:

1964, PHIL KNIGHT (SUCCESS STORY, 2017)

PLATFORM:

ONLINE, INSTORE

STORES:

1.142 STORES WORLDWIDE (STATISTA, 2017)

ABOUT:

AN AMERICAN COMPANY SELLING FOOTWEAR, APPAREL, EQUIPMENT AND ACCESSORIES (MONEY CNN, 2017).

CURRENT MARKET STRATEGY:

SOCIAL MEDIA:

THE BRAND USES “EMOTIONAL BRANDING” TO ENGAGE WITH THEIR CONSUMER ON A PERSONAL LEVEL EVOKING PERSONAL FEELINGS WITH THEIR CAMPAIGNS (ISLAM, 2017).

INSTAGRAM: 75.3M FOLLOWERS (INSTAGRAM, 2017).

TWITTER: 7.29M FOLLOWERS (TWITTER, 2017).

FACEBOOK: 29,126 LIKES (FACEBOOK, 2017).

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Sports Bra 101 Spring/Summer 2016

Fig 87

The “positive body image� campaign launched using Instagram by Nike was aimed at women and promoted the brands new sports bra range. The campaign aims to inform and educate consumers while promoting body positivity by celebrating all types of body shapes, sizes and colours (Hello Fashion, 2016). The campaign was launched via social media platform Instagram, as it is a popular platform amongst their target consumer.

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Fig 88

APPENDIX G

H&M STUDIO - AW16 CAMPAIGN

BRAND NAME:

H&M

FOUNDED:

1947, ERLING PERSSON (H&M, 2017)

PLATFORM:

ONLINE, INSTORE

STORES:

4,500 WORLDWIDE (H&M 2017).

ABOUT:

A SWEDISH SUSTAINABLE CLOTHING RETAIL COMPANY KNOWN FOR SELLING AFFORDABLE AND HIGH QUALITY PRODUCTS (H&M, 2017).

CURRENT MARKET STRATEGY:

SOCIAL MEDIA:

THE BRAND SELLS PRODUCTS WITH A BROAD PRICE APPEALING TO A LARGE MAJORITY OF CONSUMER GROUPS USING SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING AND EMAIL MARKETING TO ENGAGE CONSUMERS (BHASIN, 2016).

INSTAGRAM: 23.7M FOLLOWERS (INSTAGRAM, 2017).

TWITTER: 8.72M FOLLOWERS (TWITTER, 2017).

FACEBOOK: 33,138 LIKES (FACEBOOK, 2017).

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Fig 89

The use of a plus size model in a leading fashion brand like H&M conveys a message that marketing is changing by no longer featuring the sterotypical sized model. This suggests that brands are listening to consumers desires for more realistic marketing. The campaign promotes a positive body image to consumers showing that “there is not one standard definition of beauty or one perfect size” and that the campaign is “very elevated, and also very real” (Teather, 2016).

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Fig 90

APPENDIX G

AMAZON “I WISH I COULD WEAR” CAMPAIGN

BRAND NAME:

AMAZON

FOUNDED:

1995, JEFF BEZOS (HARTMANS, 2017).

PLATFORM:

ONLINE

STORES:

-

ABOUT:

AMAZON IS AN AMERICAN ONLINE RETAILER DISTRIBUTING DIRECT PRODUCTS OR GOODS FROM OTHER SELLERS (HALL, 2017).

CURRENT MARKET STRATEGY:

SOCIAL MEDIA:

THE COMPANIES MARKETING STRATEGY PLACES CUSTOMER SERVICE AS THEIR TOP PRIORTY. THE USE OF QUICK DELIVERY AND RELIABILITY ALLOWS THEM TO FULFILL THEIR CONSUMERS NEEDS. INSTAGRAM: 1.1M FOLLOWERS (INSTAGRAM, 2017).

TWITTER: 2.71M FOLLOWERS (TWITTER, 2017).

FACEBOOK: 27,255 LIKES (FACEBOOK, 2017).

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Fig 91

The creation of feminist campaign “I wish I could wear� highlights consumers insecurities concerning their body image with models showing how diverse individuals actually are and that tradional fashion brand marketing is false.

The use of diverse models ranging from albino, tall and plus size highlights the individual aspects of each model and conveys a message of positive body image and diversity by moving away from conventional fashion brand marketing (Ghosh, 2015).

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Fig 92

APPENDIX H

ASOS “INSIDERS” CASE STUDY

BRAND NAME:

ASOS

FOUNDED:

1999, NICK ROBERTSON, QUENTIN GRIFFITHS (ASOS, 2017).

PLATFORM:

ONLINE

STORES:

-

ABOUT:

ASOS CURRENTLY SELL OVER 80,000 BRANDED AND OWN BRAND PRODUCTS THROUGH MOBILE AND WEB (ASOS, 2017).

CURRENT MARKET STRATEGY:

SOCIAL MEDIA:

ASOS’S MARKETING STRATEGY FOCUSES ON INFLUENCER MARKETING, USE OF THE ASOS MAGAZINE AND SOCIAL MEDIA TO PROMOTE PRODUCT AWARENESS AND ENGAGE WITH CONSUMERS DAILY (DANAO, 2017).

INSTAGRAM: 6.5M FOLLOWERS (INSTAGRAM, 2017).

TWITTER: 1.05M FOLLOWERS (TWITTER, 2017).

FACEBOOK: 5,069.8 LIKES (FACEBOOK, 2017).

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Fig 93

The use of “ASOS Insiders” give a more personal element towards the company’s marketing strategy as it allows consumers to follow these Influencers on social media that they feel reflect their personal style (Davies, 2016). Influencers will post fashion posts affiliating themselves with ASOS and their products. Direct links to products enable consumers to easily shop allowing a more natural advertisement of products.

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Fig 94