Meanings, views and opinions of fashion brands: understanding the female Greek consumer

Abstract

This thesis is an examination of the meanings, viewpoints and opinions of foreign fashion brands held by Greek women living in Athens. Years of personal interaction with this social group sparked an interest for the research study; as the researcher being a Greek female. Through interaction, the research observed fashion brands, particularly foreign luxury ones, were used beyond utilitarian purposes, as a form of projection. The study aims to contribute to academic and practitioner knowledge on the effectiveness of print images of fashion brand advertising and communication. Using a symbolic interactionist framework the study offers greater understanding of the ways in which the female Greek consumer 'reads' the fashion brand through print images placed in fashion magazine advertisements. Insights are offered into the meanings attached to foreign fashion brands and how these are formed through the print advertisement images contained in magazines. A two-phase data collection process was conducted including, semi-structured and open-ended interviews with a small sample of Greek women (n=XX, in total). A thematic analysis of data was conducted. The findings support the existence of a 'shared reality' through the identification of eight key emergent themes. These themes were found to be relevant to three principles of social interactionism: self; meaning; and interaction. They are identified as 'pillars' under which the eight emergent key themes 'sit'.The implications for academic knowledge and practice are highlighted based on a more informed understanding of the communication process between consumer and fashion brands through print images and the interpretation of the images placed in fashion magazines. Greater knowledge is gained with regard to Greek women and how they attach labels and categorise fashion brands. Overall, the study contributes to an understanding of the overall mentality of Greek women towards fashion brands and associated meanings.It is argued that fashion brand advertisers need to communicate in a more relevant and meaningful way to target intended audiences by taking into account wider social values and norms that exist within specific target markets. Effectiveness in international fashion brand advertising is argued to require appreciation of how fashion brands are employed as 'social tools' for projecting self-identity in response to socially defined markers of status and 'success'.