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Running head: RESEARCH PROSPECTUS 1

Research Prospectus

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RESEARCH PROSPECTUS 2

Research Prospectus

1.0 Introduction

1.1 background

From a managerial viewpoint, fashion houses need to establish the constructs of brand

authenticity that affect marketing effectiveness. Once managers determine the factors that affect

brand authenticity as a whole, they should then categorize these elements into predictors of brand

authenticity, brand loyalty, and brand attachment. The holistic managing perspective can profit

greatly from understanding brand authenticity in terms of tailoring management approaches and

product innovation in the fashion industry.

1.2 problem statement

Customers’ attitudes and perceptions vary due to various factors. When it comes to the

fashion industry, these aspects are heightened, making it absolutely necessary for luxury fashion

brands to get their marketing right. Exploring brand authenticity through a wide range of models

facilitates insights about the holistic management practices in the fashion industry.

1.3 purpose of the study

The aim of this study is to explore the multidimensional components of brand authenticity and

the respective effect of each construct. These components are brand loyalty, brand attachment,

and brand commitment in luxury fashion wear. For the study, two luxury fashion houses, Prada

and Givenchy will be examined.

1.4 study hypothesis

RESEARCH PROSPECTUS 3

There are seven multidimensional constructs that influence brand authenticity, namely

innovativeness, authority, consistency, fashionability, heritage, sustainability, and originality.

2.0 Literature Review

According to Napoli et al., (2014), brand authenticity can be reviewed through social

marketing theory since it relates to communicating with masses. It integrates marketing tools and

techniques that promote communication that is beneficial to the community. Morhart et al.,

(2015) use the social marketing theory to explain brand authenticity. The authors elaborate four

major marketing components, commonly referred to as 4Ps of marketing. They are product,

place, price, and promotion. In brand authentication of luxury fashion attire, the role of company

is to encourage target populations to buy socially acceptable products that have a place in

society. Schallehn (2014) points out that in matters of price, social marketing takes both

monetary and non monetary forms. Products with minimum price requirements are deemed more

profound by customers. Matters f place pertain to placing the product in a place where it is easy

to find the target population. Finally, aspects of promotion refers to a technique of positioning

the product by providing information to potential buyers. Choi et al., (2015) further observe that

when it comes to fashion products, it is crucial to evoke the psychological aspects of a product

by addressing objective setting, consumer needs, and empirical evidences.

Fritz et al., (2014) uses the social exchange theory to explain how brand authenticity can

be achieved. Customers need to view the purchase of luxury fashion wear as an equal exchange

of benefits otherwise perceived inequalities jeopardize buyer-seller relationships. Customers can

feel positively about a certain brand based on a combination of three factors namely comparison

level, cost benefit analysis, and comparison of alternatives. Choi et al., (2014) add that the

central concept in the theory is that fashion brands that engender approval from other people are

RESEARCH PROSPECTUS 4

likely to be repeated while items or brands that elicits disapproval will be shunned. Of course for

the effective applicability of social exchange theory in improving brand authenticity, fashion

brands must assume that human gratification comes from other people.

Moulard et al., (2014) conducted a study of brand under non verbal communication

theories. They found out that the most significant fields is pragmatics, which relates to how

people create ad use codes in their daily lives. Branding fashion items requires designers to

create and disseminate pragmatics that improve people’s perception of the brand, therefore

affecting their behavior in purchasing the product. According to Napoli et al., (2014), customer

brand theory states that brands are important in making certain products or services to be the

preferred choice for customers. When it comes to brand authenticity, this theory helps luxury

apparel dealers to make sales in micro moments. The authors’ findings indicated that the four

steps involved in this theory are understanding customer needs, answering their questions,

placing apparel in their desired location, and speedy delivery. This chain if actions creates brand

differentiation and produces the difference that makes customers choose one fashion house over

the other.

3.0 Methodology

3.1 Data collection

Quantitative research methodologies, namely case studies, are going to be utilized in this

provides researchers with broader perspectives of the phenomenon under study. The case studies

to be examined will be selected on a relevance basis developed from several criteria. To qualify,

a journal article must be published between 2010 and 2017 and has to have brand authenticity in

RESEARCH PROSPECTUS 5

luxury fashion wear as the primary focus. A total of 10 cases will be reviewed and an analysis of

the findings recorded.

3.2 Ethical considerations

The data collection process will observe confidentiality of information and will protect

the identity of participants. The findings of the study will be available publicly to encourage the

participants of the study and the general public as well.

4.0 Conclusion

The role of this research is to determine the multifaceted components affecting brand

authenticity that can enable managers in the fashion industry to make marketing efforts more

fruitful. The literature reviewed reveals that social theories can be used to improve buyers’

perceptions of brands as long as marketers act within the confines of these theories with an aim

of determining influencers of brand authenticity.

RESEARCH PROSPECTUS 6

References

Choi, H., Ko, E., Kim, E. Y., & Mattila, P. (2015). The role of fashion brand authenticity in

product management: A holistic marketing approach. Journal of Product Innovation

Management, 32(2), 233-242.

Fritz, K., Schoenmueller, V., Schaefer, D., & Bruhn, M. (2014). What makes a brand authentic

and why should we care? Investigating the antecedents and consequences of brand

authenticity. In Proceedings of the Winter Marketing Educators Conference Proceedings,

eds. Hunter, G. & Steenburg.

Morhart, F., Malär, L., Guevremont, A., Girardin, F., & Grohmann, B. (2015). Brand

authenticity: An integrative framework and measurement scale. Journal of Consumer

Psychology, 25(2), 200-218.

Moulard, J. G., Raggio, R. D., & Folse, J. A. G. (2014, February). What is brand authenticity?

Introducing the entity-referent correspondence framework of authenticity and its

application to brands. In Proceedings of the Winter Marketing Educators Conference

Proceedings (Vol. 25, pp. A32-A33).

Napoli, J., Dickinson, S. J., Beverland, M. B., & Farrelly, F. (2014). Measuring consumer-based

brand authenticity. Journal of Business Research, 67(6), 1090-1098.

Schallehn, M., Burmann, C., & Riley, N. (2014). Brand authenticity: model development and

empirical testing. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 23(3), 192-199.

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