THE FACTORS WHICH LEAD BRANDS TO USE SOCIAL MEDIA IN EXTERNAL CORPORATE COMMUNICATION

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine whether gender differences exist amongst African Generation Y students’ perceptions concerning selected marketing activities of their preferred clothing brand. The African Generation Y cohort (individuals born between 1986 and 2005) in South Africa, represents an important market segment in that it makes up 32 per cent of the country’s population. As one of the largest contributors to the South African economy, the fashion retail industry is experiencing intense competition amongst fashion brands and retailers due to an increased amount of national and international brands available to consumers. Consequently, the need for effective differentiation, such as branding, is becoming more significant. In light of this, it is increasingly important for marketers and brand managers to define their target market clearly, which requires a sound understanding of their target market’s needs and the contributors of consumer behaviour, of which gender is a key factor. This study used a self-administered questionnaire to collect data from a convenience sample of 750 students across three South African public higher education institution’ campuses situated in the Gauteng province. The collected data were analysed using descriptive statistics and a two independent-samples t-test. The findings suggest that while there is no statistically significant difference between male and female participants’ perceptions concerning their preferred clothing brands’ advertising and product activities, statistically significant differences were found concerning the store image and pricing activities of their preferred clothing brand