Unit 6a - Business and Marketing Theories: Mass Market Theory
Introduction: Mass Market Theory |
 |
 |
Unit 6 will address theoretical perspectives from business and marketing
perspectives. The first part of this unit will explore the Mass Market
or "trickle-across" theory of fashion. Before continuing with
this section of the course, you should complete the readings and questions
for Units 1 through 5.
During the 1950s and 1960s fashion theorists began taking a greater interest
in the dynamics of the fashion industry and consumer behavior of fashion.
Researchers started questioning the validity of the "trickle-down" theory
(described by Simmel) in terms of explaining and predicting who started
fashion trends and how these trends spread within and across groups. The
way in which fashions were produced and distributed to consumers had changed
dramatically since the time in which Simmel first wrote about fashion.
The innovation-diffusion model provided a general framework for the diffusion
of innovations, and researchers started investigating the characteristics
of fashion innovators and opinion leaders and their role in starting and
spreading fashion trends. What they found was that fashion trends were
not necessarily started by the upper class -- in fact, fashion innovators
and opinion leaders were found in all socio-economic groups.
A great number of changes had occurred in the fashion industry during
the first half of the twentieth century. Mass production and mass distribution
of fashions to consumers had created a growing industry which served the
wants and needs of consumers. Consumers were faced with multiple choices
in regards to fashions. Fashion also had become more affordable to the
mass public in ways never dreamed of earlier in the century.
In 1963, Charles King published an article that rebutted the then traditional
view of fashion -- that is, what was now referred to as the "trickle down"
theory of fashion. He coined the terms for this new theory -- the "mass
market" or "trickle across" theory of fashion adoption. Key dimensions
of this theory are:
- Simultaneous adoption of new styles by consumers of all socioeconomic
groups.
- Consumers may choose from a large variety of existing new styles.
Fashion products are differentiated in price by quality of materials
and workmanship, not necessarily by general style (although intricacy
of style details may vary by price).
- Each social group has its own fashion innovators and opinion leaders.
- Fashion information and personal influence in fashion "trickles across"
each group.
- Some "vertical flow" remains evident in the fashion industry.
Fashion change agents were defined as:
- Innovator
- the first to adopt a new fashion or the creator of a
new fashion.
- Opinion Leader
- influences the adoption of fashions by others. Opinion
leaders have high social visibility. They may or may not be innovators.
- Innovative Communicator
- plays the roles of both innovator and opinion
leader.
Unit 6b will focus on research that has investigated the characteristics
of these fashion change agents.
|
