• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.630-640
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to investigate and make comparison of clothing images presented in women's formal and casual brands. The data were collected from 39 formal brands out of 155 and 64 casual brands out of 256 in Korea Fashion Brand Annual in 2005/2006. 316 words selected were classified into five clothing images according to the definition of previous researches and analyzed according to age ranges and price zones of brands. The results were as follows: 1) Formal brands focused on thirties and forties in age ranges and better and prestige in price zones, while casual brands centered on twenties in age range and better and volume in price zones. 2) Luxury, modem and feminine were more frequent words than others both in formal and casual brands, but elegant was found most frequently in formal brands, while comfortable, chic and simple were found frequently in casual brands. 3) Clothing images were classified into four types and appeared in elegance, modernity, individuality, and activeness order in formal brands, while clothing images in casual brands were classified into five types including youthfulness and appeared in elegance, activeness, modernity, individuality, and youthfulness order. 4) Elegance was a highly presented as clothing image in all the age ranges except thirties of formal brands but modernity and activeness with elegance were presented in price zones of casual brands. This study found that there were differences in clothing images in women's formal and casual brands.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
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• v.57 no.3 s.112
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• pp.90-107
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• 2007

Modernization movement has affected classical operas. Today, classical operas are often re-interpreted from the modern perspective and played differently only with the storyline maintained. Also, operas are increasingly performed outside traditional theaters as the boundaries between stage and audience become less obvious. Accordingly, stage costumes are being differently designed than before. New attempts are being made to look costumes in a harmony with increasingly streamlined stage machinery. This helps increase public attention on operas, consequently promoting the opera industry. This study examines modernization of opera costumes. For this study, the author worked as one of costume design staff for "Faust," which was played in Sungnam Art Center from November 24, 2005 to November 27, 2005 in commemoration of the opening of the center. The following outcomes of the crowd are drawn from this study. A variety of splendid pink dresses, ribbons, dolls, hand mirror, and hair bands were used to express haughty girls with "Princess Syndrome." Fashion models, the envy of all woman, wore fashionable clothes including luxury dresses, fur-coats, high heels, purses, and hats, Models also had big shopping bags and gift boxes to symbolize shopping lovers in a modern society. Gay men wore tight leather trousers and vest and sleeves shirts with deeply cut neckline to express their preference for feminie style. their clothes were splendid colors that normally women liked such as gold, purple, light green, scarlet, and silver. Soldiers were in combat uniform representing their participation in the war. In particular, clothes stained with dirt, iron helmet, crutches, and canteens were used to vividly express soldiers coming back home from the war. Modern opera costumes now help reduce the time and space between stage and audience, improve economic efficiency, and meet the audience's needs for various style.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.33 no.11
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• pp.1719-1732
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• 2009

A firm seeking to enter a foreign market must make an important strategic decision of which market entry mode to use. Because entry modes involve resource commitments, the initial choice by a firm on a particular entry mode is difficult to change without a considerable loss of time and money. Substantial prior research has been undertaken to explain why firms select a particular entry mode into global markets. However, there exists limited research on this area in the field of foreign apparel brands in Korea, although some research has analyzed influential entry mode factors when Korean textile and clothing companies went overseas. This study reviews prior research on the entry mode choice and analyzes the factors that influence the entry mode choice for 510 foreign clothing brands in Korea. Price range, clothing types, distribution strategy, and cultural distance were considered as influential determinants for different entry mode choices. Crosstabs with a chi-square test and logistic regression are used for analysis. This study shows that high-priced brands and luxury brands are associated with the export orientated entry mode in the Korean market. Brands that pursued the strategy of multiple distribution channels showed a preference for a licensing mode or direct investment over other entry modes, and brands from higher-cultural-distance countries entered the Korean clothing market by licensing mode. The findings of this study are appropriate for the strategic planning of foreign apparel intent on entering the Korean market or for Korean apparel firms planning to enter the global market.

• Journal of Korean Society for Quality Management
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.486-499
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• 2011

Now, the Korean consumer market enters into the stage of the advanced country type's mature consumption, totally different from the consumption of the past, and among these changes, the quality enhancement and bipolarity of the consumption show clearly the rising trends together with the popularization of the Masstige Brand due to the big expansion of the quantity. Unlike the old luxury brands, available only to the rich people in the past, the Masstige Brands are tagged with reasonable and affordable prices and provide the consumers with the good quality and convenient sensibilities as good as the old famous brands, which have become new high-class brands for the middle-income class. As the middle-come people get more income and are eager to live a better life, the Masstige Brands rise fast. Therefore, the study is aimed at examining the consumer-related factors affecting the purchase of the Masstige Brands on the basis of the fashion brands. In other words, the factors affecting the formation of the positive purchasing intentions of consumers will be verified by examining the influence of such factors, as the consumer value, brand charisma, attitude and loyalty, the variables affecting the purchasing intentions of the Masstige Brands, which are found out through the proceeding researches. As the result of the verification on the assumption, it is found out that the consumer value has a positive influence on the brand charisma. Also, it is found out that the consumer value has a positive influence on the brand attitude. And, it is discovered that the brand charisma has a positive influence on the brand loyalty. It is shown that the brand attitude has a positive influence on the brand loyalty. Lastly, it is indicated that the brand loyalty has a positive influence on the purchasing intention of consumers.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.346-359
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• 2014

Black Friday, a biggest holiday shopping season in the United States, has been regarded as a great opportunity that fashion retailers can dramatically increase their sales. However, there has been a lack of attention to consumers' shopping experiences on Black Friday from the consumer perspectives. The objective of this study is to explore consumer shopping experiences on Black Friday, in terms of consumer responses toward the experiences, shopping values, and any possible factors influencing the experiences. The method of critical incident technique was used with 198 critical incidents extracted from 165 responses of university students in the United States. As results, the shopping experiences on Black Friday were categorized into positive vs. negative shopping experiences. After that, the positive and negative experiences were respectively divided into two common themes: utilitarian shopping value vs. hedonic shopping value. In addition to the common themes, 12 categories were also emerged. Among positive experiences, utilitarian shopping experiences includes two categories of off-price shopping and shopping for expensive products, whereas hedonic shopping experiences includes three categories of impulse buying, holiday atmosphere, and shopping for the latest or luxury brand products. Among negative experiences, utilitarian shopping experiences includes four categories of modest discounts, out of stock, time-consuming queues, and fatigue of holiday shopping, while hedonic shopping experiences includes three categories of crowded environments, compulsive buying, and poorly managed stores. In conclusion, it is notable that consumer can undergo negative as well as positive shopping experiences on Black Friday. Implications and suggestions are also discussed.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.1643-1653
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• 2021

This study is to investigate the effect of beauty lifestyle on the quality of life of middle-aged women. For this study, 417 middle-aged women aged 35-65 years living in Seoul, Gyeonggi, Gwangju, Sejong, and Daejeon were conducted from February 27, 2021 to March 14, 2021. As a result of this study, the correlation of quality of life of middle-aged women according to beauty lifestyle was positively correlated in the order of show-off type, appearance-seeking type, practicality-seeking type, and fashion-seeking type. In addition, it was found that the practical pursuit of beauty lifestyle and the pursuit of show-off affect the quality of life of middle-aged women. Therefore, it is necessary to develop customized communication information and marketing strategies for beauty products based on the ambivalent perspective that pursues economic efficiency and luxury for the practical and flaunting types that can have a positive impact on the quality of life of middle-aged women.

• Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.35-48
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• 2010

Today, the fashion market challenged by a maturing retail market needs a new paradigm in the "evolution of brand" to improve their comparative advantages. An important issue in fashion marketing is lifestyle brand extension with a specific aim to meet consumers' specific needs for their changing lifestyle. For fashion brand extensions into lifestyle product categories, Gen Y and Baby Boomer are emerging as "prospects"-Baby Boomers who are renovating their lifestyle, and generation Y experiencing changes in their life stage-with demands for buying new products. Therefore, it is imperative that apparel companies pay special attention to the consumer cohort for brand extension to create and manage their brand equity in a new product category. The purposes of this study are to (a) evaluate brand equity between parent and extension brands; (b) identify consumers' perceived marketing elements for brand extension; and (c) estimate a structural equation model for examining causative relationship between marketing elements and brand equity for brand extensions in lifestyle product category including home fashion items for the selected two groups (e.g., Gen Y, and Baby boomer). For theoretical frameworks, this study focused on the traditional marketing 4P's mix to identify what marketing element is more importantly related to brand extension equity for this study. It is assumed that comparable marketing capability can be critical to establish "brand extension equity", leads to successfully entering the new categories. Drawing from the relevant literature, this study developed research hypotheses incorporating brand equity factors and marketing elements by focusing on the selected consumers (e.g., Gen Y, Baby Boomer). In the context of brand extension in the lifestyle products, constructs of brand equity consist of brand awareness/association, brand perceptions (e.g., perceived quality, emotional value) and brand resonance adapted from CBBE factors (Keller, 2001). It is postulated that the marketing elements create brand extension equity in terms of brand awareness/association, brand perceptions by the brand extension into lifestyle products, which in turn influence brand resonance. For data collection, the sample was comprised of Korean female consumers in Gen Y and Baby Boomer consumer categories who have a high demand for lifestyle products due to changing their lifecycles. A total of 651 usable questionnaires were obtained from female consumers of Gen Y (n=326) and Baby Boomer (n=325) in South Korea. Structural and measurement models using a correlation matrix was estimated using LISREL 8.8. Findings indicated that perceived marketing elements for brand extension consisted of three factors: price/store image, product, and advertising. In the model of Gen Y consumers, price/store image had a positive effect on brand equity factors (e.g., brand awareness/association, perceived quality), while product had positive effect on emotional value in the brand extensions; and the brand awareness/association was likely to increase the perceived quality and emotional value, leading to brand resonance for brand extensions in the lifestyle products. In the model of Baby Boomer consumers, price/store image had a positive effect on perceived quality, which created brand resonance of brand extension; and product had a positive effect on perceived quality and emotional value, which leads to brand resonance for brand extension in the lifestyle products. However, advertising was negatively related to brand equity for both groups. This study provides an insight for fashion marketers in developing a successful brand extension strategy, leading to a sustainable competitive advantage. This study complements and extends prior works in the brand extension through critical factors of marketing efforts that affect brand extension success. Findings support a synergy effect on leveraging of fashion brand extensions (Aaker and Keller, 1990; Tauber, 1988; Shine et al., 2007; Pitta and Katsanis, 1995) in conjunction with marketing actions for entering into the new product category. Thus, it is recommended that marketers targeting both Gen Y and Baby Boomer can reduce marketing cost for entering the new product category (e.g., home furnishings) by standardized marketing efforts; fashion marketers can (a) offer extension lines with premium ranges of price; (b) place an emphasis on upscale features of store image positioning by a retail channel (e.g., specialty department store) in Korea, and (c) combine apparel with lifestyle product assortments including innovative style and designer’s limited editions. With respect to brand equity, a key to successful brand extension is consumers’ brand awareness or association that ensures brand identity with new product category. It is imperative for marketers to have knowledge of what contributes to more concrete associations in a market entry into new product categories. For fashion brands, a second key of brand extension can be a "luxury" lifestyle approach into new product categories, in that higher price or store image had impact on perceived quality that established brand resonance. More importantly, this study increases the theoretical understanding of brand extension and suggests directions for marketers as they establish marketing program at Gen Y and Baby Boomers.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.30 no.3 s.151
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• pp.412-424
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• 2006

This paper starts out with a review of the concepts of naturalism and natural clothes. Based on these concepts, the paper aims to create nature-friendly and high-value modem designs by grafting natural images from butterflies into human bodies. The images of butterflies are combined to show distinguished luxury and diversity with natural materials such as denim. As for the design technology, Adove Illustrator 10, Photoshop 7.0, and Prima Vision Textile Design System are used since they are very popular in the CAD system. The followings are the main findings of our research. Naturalism displays its objectivity based on its inherent interest in human nature and its factual description in scientific approaches with an intention to find a true meaning of human life in nature. Natural clothes can be defined as the clothes of natural silhouette which are made of pure materials in natural colors and dyes from natural motifs such as animals, plants or natural phenomena. We have realized that the visually distinguished looks of butterflies are indeed far more luxurious than those of any other insects and this visual distinction can be utilized to attract the attention from designers. Lastly, it turns out that the digital printing technique can create more variety in colors and design forms than the manual printing, thereby providing designers with more options and practicality.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.77-84
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• 2015

According to a recent survey, the sales amount of luxuries and imitations is getting larger. Especially young consumers in 2,30's have a strong desire to own luxuries, so I tried to build a theoretical base on the 20's consuming trend. Meanwhile, targeting university students who represent consumers in 20's, I investigated the recognition of luxuries, shopping experience, main shopping items, monthly spending money, and future purchase intention. I also investigated shopping experience of imitation, main shopping items, purchase reasons, and future purchase intention. I tried to suggest lots of academic and practical implications in marketing strategy building of luxury brand, aiming young consumers in 20's. On the social-psychological view point, young generation have relatively weak sense of control or self-efficacy. So, they are easily submerged in conspicuous consumption by the atmosphere around. As a result of empirical research, I found that Korean students recognized luxuries as excellent in quality, or the world famous brand. In particular, statistically significant gender difference was shown in the luxuries characteristics as the high-quality brand for male students and the world famous brand for female students. Most respondents have experience buying luxuries. And more monthly spending money, more experience they have. Respondents' purchased items were in order of fashion goods, clothing, watches/jewelry, cosmetics/perfume. And the statistically significant differences between gender and monthly spending money were shown. Not many respondents purchased luxuries imitations, and main purchased items were fashion goods. Most of purchase motives are price over quality and economy reason. The phenomena that the respondents of relatively high levels of monthly spending money had lots of luxuries imitations shopping experiences is interesting. Female students showed higher purchase intention for luxuries and imitations than male students. There was no statistically significant difference in grade level, but was found something interesting in monthly spending money. As monthly spending money increased, the purchase intention of luxuries increased, but the purchase intention of luxuries imitations decreased. However, non-linear trend was shown in the specific allowance level. This is replicate of the luxuries imitations purchase experience. Following studies will be needed for the exact interpretation for this. This study is an exploratory and descriptive, but can provide lots of fruitful academic and practical implications in formulating luxuries marketing strategies.

• Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.51-89
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• 2007

INTRODUCTION Due to the high broadband internet penetration rate and its group-oriented culture, various types of online communities operate in Korea. This study use 'Uses and Gratification Approach, and argue that members' usage-needs satisfaction with brand community is an important factor for promoting community commitment. Based on previous studies identifying the effect of brand image on consumers' responses to various marketing stimuli, this study hypothesizes that brand image can be a moderate variable affecting the relationship between usage-needs satisfaction with brand community and members' commitment to brand community. This study analyzes the influence of usage-needs satisfaction on brand community commitment and how apparel brand image affects the relationships between usage-needs satisfactions and community commitments. The hypotheses of this study are proposed as follows. H1-3: The usage-needs satisfaction of apparel brand community (interest, transaction, relationship needs) influences emotional (H1), continuous (H2), and normative (H3) commitments to apparel brand communities. H4-6: Apparel brand image has a moderating effect on the relationship between usage-needs satisfaction and emotional (H4), continuous (H5), and normative (H6) commitments to apparel brand communities. METHODS Brand communities founded by non-company affiliates were excluded and emphasis was placed instead on communities created by apparel brand companies. Among casual apparel brands registered in 6 Korean portal sites in August 2003, a total of 9 casual apparel brand online communities were chosen, depending on the level of community activity and apparel brand image. Data from 317 community members were analyzed by exploratory factor analysis, moderated regression analysis, ANOVA, and scheffe test. Among 317 respondents answered an online html-type questionnaire, 80.5% were between 16 to 25 years old. There were a total of 150 respondents from apparel brand communities(n=3) recording higher-than-average brand image scores (Mean > 3.75) and a total of 162 respondents from apparel brand communities(n=6) recording lower-than-average brand image scores(Mean < 3.75). In this study, brand community commitment was measured by a 5-point Likert scale: emotional, continuous and normative commitment. The degree of usage-needs satisfaction (interest, transaction, relationship needs) was measured on a 5-point Likert scale. The level of brand image was measured by a 5-point Likert scale: strength, favorability, and uniqueness of brand associations. RESULTS In the results of exploratory factor analysis, the three usage-needs satisfactions with brand community were classified as interest, transaction, and relationship needs. Brand community commitment was also divided into the multi-dimensional factors: emotional, continuous, and normative commitments. The regression analysis (using a stepwise method) was used to test the influence of 3 independent variables (interest-needs satisfaction, transaction-needs, and relationship-needs satisfactions) on the 3 dependent variables (emotional, continuous and normative commitments). The three types of usage-needs satisfactions are positively associated with the three types of commitments to apparel brand communities. Therefore, hypothesis 1, 2, and 3 were significantly supported. Moderating effects of apparel brand image on the relationship between usage-needs satisfaction and brand community commitments were tested by moderated regression analysis. The statistics result showed that the influence of transaction-needs on emotional commitment was significantly moderated by apparel brand image. In addition, apparel brand image had moderating effects on the relationship between relationship-needs satisfaction and emotional, continuous and normative commitments to apparel brand communities. However, there were not significant moderate effects of apparel brand image on the relationships between interest-needs satisfaction and 3 types of commitments (emotional, continuous and normative commitments) to apparel brand communities. In addition, the influences of transaction-needs satisfaction on 2 types of commitments (continuous and normative commitments) were not significantly moderated by apparel brand image. Therefore, hypothesis 4, 5 and 6 were partially supported. To explain the moderating effects of apparel brand image, four cross-tabulated groups were made by averages of usage-needs satisfaction (interest-needs satisfaction avg. M=3.09, transaction-needs satisfaction avg. M=3.46, relationship-needs satisfaction M=1.62) and the average apparel brand image (M=3.75). The average scores of commitments in each classified group are presented in Tables and Figures. There were significant differences among four groups. As can be seen from the results of scheffe test on the tables, emotional commitment in community group with high brand image was higher than one in community group with low brand image when transaction-needs satisfaction was high. However, when transaction-needs satisfaction was low, there was not any difference between the community group with high brand image and community group with low brand image regarding emotional commitment to apparel brand communities. It means that emotional commitment didn't increase significantly without high satisfaction of transaction-needs, despite the high apparel brand image. In addition, when apparel brand image was low, increase in transaction-needs did not lead to the increase in emotional commitment. Therefore, the significant relationship between transaction-needs satisfaction and emotional commitment was found in only brand communities with high apparel brand image, and the moderating effect of apparel brand image on this relationship between two variables was found in the communities with high satisfaction of transaction-needs only. Statistics results showed that the level of emotional commitment is related to the satisfaction level of transaction-needs, while overall response is related to the level of apparel brand image. We also found that the role of apparel brand image as a moderating factor was limited by the level of transaction-needs satisfaction. In addition, relationship-needs satisfaction brought significant increase in emotional commitment in both community groups (high and low levels of brand image), and the effect of apparel brand image on emotional commitment was significant in both community groups (high and low levels of relationship-needs satisfaction). Especially, the effect of brand image was greater when the level of relationship-needs satisfaction was high. in contrast, increase in emotional commitment responding to increase in relationship-needs satisfaction was greater when apparel brand image is high. The significant influences of relationship-needs satisfaction on community commitments (continuous and normative commitments) were found regardless of apparel brand image(in both community groups with low and high brand image). However, the effects of apparel brand image on continuous and normative commitments were found in only community group with high satisfaction level of relationship-needs. In the case of communities with low satisfaction levels of relationship needs, apparel brand image marginally increases continuous and normative commitments. Therefore, we could not find the moderating effect of apparel brand image on the relationship between relationship-needs satisfaction and continuous and normative commitments in community groups with low satisfaction levels of relationship needs, CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS From the results of this study, we draw several conclusions; First, the increases in usage-needs satisfactions through apparel brand communities result in the increases in commitments to apparel brand communities, wheres the degrees of such relationship depends on the level of apparel brand image. That is, apparel brand image is a moderating factor strengthening the relationship between usage-needs satisfaction and commitment to apparel brand communities. In addition, the effect of apparel brand image differs, depending on the level and types of community usage-needs satisfactions. Therefore, marketers of apparel brand companies must determine the appropriate usage-needs, depending on the type of commitment they wish to increase and the level of their apparel brand image, to promote member's commitments to apparel brand communities. Especially, relationship-needs satisfaction was very important factor for increasing emotional, continuous and normative commitments to communities. However the level of relationship-needs satisfaction was lower than interest-needs and transaction-needs. satisfaction. According to previous study on apparel brand communities, relationship-need satisfaction was strongly related to member's intention of participation in their communities. Therefore, marketers need to develope various strategies in order to increase the relationship- needs as well as interest and transaction needs. In addition, despite continuous commitment was higher than emotional and normative commitments, all types of commitments to apparel brand communities had scores lower than 3.0 that was mid point in 5-point scale. A Korean study reported that the level of members' commitment to apparel brand community influenced customers' identification with a brand and brand purchasing behavior. Therefore, marketers should try to increase members' usage-needs satisfaction and apparel brand image as the necessary conditions for bringing about community commitments. Second, marketers should understand that they should keep in mind that increasing the level of community usage needs (transaction and relationship) is most effective in raising commitment when the level of apparel brand image is high, and that increasing usage needs (transaction needs) satisfaction in communities with low brand image might not be as effective as anticipated. Therefore, apparel companies with desirable brand image such as luxury designer goods firms need to create formal online brand communities (as opposed to informal communities with rudimentary online contents) to satisfy transaction and relationship needs systematically. It will create brand equity through consumers' increased emotional, continuous and normative commitments. Even though apparel brand is very famous, emotional commitment to apparel brand communities cannot be easily increased without transaction-needs satisfaction. Therefore famous fashion brand companies should focus on developing various marketing strategies to increase transaction-needs satisfaction.