No Longer in Vogue? The Exploration of Motivations Underlying Millennials' Information Seeking Through Digital Fashion Media

Abstract

Information seeking is a key component of the consumer decision making process in which consumers sift through information to enhance their knowledge and develop their attitudes towards a good or service before making a purchase decision. With increasing global digitalization, more millennial consumers are looking to digital fashion media (fashion blogs and relevant social media) for information seeking as opposed to traditional media (fashion magazines). This study explores the millennial consumers' psychological motivations to engage in information seeking through digital fashion media grounded by Functional Theory. In order to understand these motivations, six of focus group interviews were conducted with twenty four female consumers between the ages of 18 and 33. Following thematic analysis, six key motivations for information seeking through digital fashion media emerged: search autonomy, instant gratification, visual inspiration, authenticity, virtual storage and gratuitous information. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.