Meeting Consumer in Fashion Industry

Fashion is what stirs the desire in people, transcends mere functionality and links popular and aesthetic attributes with the originality and identification with the product. Its cyclic occurrence which displays not only in clothing but also in other professions is the fashion industry. How it works and how it affects our lives are the key questions, and the answers may explain the fact that some products and brands are more sought after than others. The research is based on three questions: whether the choice of suitable market research and marketing method can have a fundamental effect on the popularity of a brand and fashionability of a certain product or service; which methods are being used in the fashion industry and are suitable for the optimal detection of consumer's needs, habits and expectations; and whether the companies which operate in the industry on average sufficiently exploit the potential for knowing the consumer. The research was performed with the method of triangulation, i.e. the research of literature on the subject of frequently used marketing methods and market research suitable for this field, and interviews with the experts about the methods of market research which would be most suitable for getting to know the consumers in this industry. The experts who participated in the research interviews come from different fields, namely marketing, market research and fashion industry. The survey questionnaires were used to check the extent to which the companies encounter such methods in practice. The findings are based on the discovery that the key factors in revealing the fashionability, trendiness and style along with the attitude of an individual or a focus group towards these concepts are deeper understanding and foremost collaboration with the consumer. The methods or their various combinations which are viewed as adequate enable the finding of true needs and desires, habits, lifestyles and other characteristics of the focus group and do not include ways for quick and short-range effective marketing. This is the only way for a company to gain long-term trust, consumers' loyalty and the desired development of the brand. Most cases involve a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, often integrating the consumer into the research. Based on the results, we can conclude that the companies which are active in this field are recommended to optimally exploit the chance of discovering and understanding the consumer. This can be achieved with a judicious choice of a market research or strategy; however, some companies fail to fully exploit these means or are not adequately acquainted with available opportunities.