ESCP Europe

Item type

Study and report

Dissertation

• MSC Marketing & Communication

Language

English

Publication date

2020

Subjects

MEDIA - PSYCHOLOGY

The advances of technological development have been disrupting every day human life and behavior for many years. With the emergence of social media platforms, consumers are now exposed to a new means for expressing their identity and self in addition to their already ex- isting offline persona which has been said to be particularly influential on younger consum- ers. This study investigates how fashion brands and their presence on social media can impact the construction of identity and the presentation thereof of Generation Z consumers and con- sequently influences their consumption behavior and choices. To answer this question, a qualitative research approached was applied, given the exploratory character of this study, by conducting semi-structured interviews with ten participants which then were decoded by applying the thematic analysis approach. The results of the analysis showed that whilst the presence of fashion brands on Instagram do have a strong impact on how Generation Z individuals are consuming and presenting their selves online, that they are also heavily influenced by the social media presence of their peers regarding their own social identities and associated fashion consumption. This study emphasizes the need of fashion businesses to adapt their social media marketing strategies to a rapidly evolving landscape of social media platforms and a changing demo- graphic user behavior.