Assessing the Effectiveness of Existing Marketing Strategies in Fashion Product Promotions: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Recent studies have highlighted the existence of dynamic marketing strategies in the Sri Lankan fashion industry within the broader economic context. Online media strategies proved to be important for apparel retailers during the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring customer engagement and business continuity [1]. Accordingly, celebrity endorsements have been shown to help enhance brand image and drive sales in the local fashion retail chain [2]. Furthermore, strategies such as visual merchandising, ethnic appeal, patriotic marketing, and promotional pricing significantly impacted various retail segments including luxury apparel [12]. Although the price is attractive to consumers who are looking for affordable products, ethnicity in purchasing decisions in Sri Lanka, and the impact seems to be small [3]. This research aims to first evaluate the effectiveness of advertising strategies on consumer behaviours in the fashion industry in Colombo. Next, it seeks to examine the role of demographic factors (such as age, income, and gender) in consumer reactions to fashion advertising in Colombo. Finally, it aims to identify the challenges and opportunities for apparel retailers in Colombo in integrating traditional and digital advertising channels. Using a qualitative research method including interviews with semi-structured questions, this study focuses on industry experts such as fashion advertisers, photographers, designers, brand owners, retailers, and marketers’ findings confirm how current advertising strategies (2018-2023) in Colombo deserve emphasis, with nuances of geography with the effectiveness of the COVID 19 situation and global influence. The result reveals the differentiations between demographical (age, profession) and geographical factors like urban and sub-urban differences and how they have affected results. Here considered the effectiveness of famous product promotional methods like social media and usage of visual merchandising methods with the voting from the majority. Investigating the effectiveness of different advertising methods will be focused according to the aims of this study. Identifying challenges and opportunities would be helpful with newcomers and existing brands and marketing people within the Sri Lankan Fashion industry.