Browsing by Subject "http://www.yso.fi/onto/yso/p4732"

For decades, fashion brand communications has been relatively one-way and focused on magazine advertising, press releases, direct marketing and well-established collection and runway show cycles. Digitalization has revolutionized brand communication practices and created the demand for omnichannel – fashion brands need to be simultaneously present in an increasing number of channels, platforms and marketplaces, in brick-and-mortars, online and mobile. Omnichannel has quickly become the defining factor and strategy of brand building and management which requires fashion brands cross-industry know-how across communications, marketing, public relations and commerce. Fashion brand communications is all about delivering brand images and desired echos. As brands meet their consumers at numerous touchpoints today, they must be able to convey a consistent message across channels and platforms. The ideal of seamless and well-integrated brand communications is increasingly challenging for brands as the operational environment becomes fragmented and channel-specific characteristics must be understood thoroughly. Interactive and flammable social networks have increased the number of actors and intermediaries, making consumers and fashion influencers part of branding operations.
 The purpose of this study is to examine the latest developments of global fashion industry in the context of brand communications and omnichannel. The study aims to find out how omnichannel affects brand communications, how omnichannel appears to brands, bringing them certain benefits and challenges, and to clarify the extent to which brands can follow the ideal of integration. The research aims to provide a holistic and integrated perspective on fashion brand communications and commerce – sales network, distribution and availability of fashion products can be seen more and more as communicative meaningful choices that fashion brands make when weighting both business objectives and image-related questions. The research method is semi-structured expert interview. The empirical findings are divided into the six themes related to the received results in the light of the research purposes: trends of fashion brand communications, channel structure, omnichannel environment, integration, segment differences and future prospects. Through these themes, this research seeks to answer to the complex, interdisciplinary and abstract phenomenon of the digital era, seeking to identify the most current brand communication needs and pitfalls. As findings, fashion brands are expected to master multiple channels, identify channel specific characteristics and produce quantitatively more content. Innovativeness and creativity in terms of communications and storytelling have become vital communication necessities. As a meaningful side effect, fashion brands have increased the amount and pace of products and collections, alongside other promotional actions, in order to inexhaustibly have something new to communicate about. The role of social media, brand's own media, events, fashion influencers and consumer experiences emphasize in results, although there exists differences between the segments. Creativity and commercial pressure are strongly in dialogue in all brand-related decisions. Maintaining the brand image and communicative standards have become increasingly challenging and brands have become significantly more vulnerable. As the amount of distribution networks, retailers and platforms rises, brands are finding it increasingly difficult to deliver seamless communications and brand experiences. While integration still appears to be a strong communication ideal, in the light of the final results, uniqueness and innovative brand communications mindset seem to become even more important.