Current Trends of Consumer Behaviour and Its Effect on Balenciaga Brand Image in the Fashion Industry

This research paper aims to identify the current trends of consumer behaviour and its effect on the brand image of the fashion industry, with a focus on Balenciaga. The paper explores the concept of consumer behaviour and its importance within the fashion industry, different trends of consumer behaviour and their impact on Balenciaga brand image, and challenges faced by Balenciaga in managing brand image. The research methodology includes a survey method and both primary and secondary data collection. BMM5582 Business Research.

BMM5582 Business
Research
(To identify the current trends of consumer
behaviour and its effect on the brand image of
fashion industry.)

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
Overview of the topic..................................................................................................................3
Problem statement.......................................................................................................................3
Research aim, objectives and questions......................................................................................3
Research rationale.......................................................................................................................4
LITERATURE REVIEW................................................................................................................5
Concept of consumer behaviour and its importance within the fashion industry.......................5
What are the different trends of consumer behaviour and its overall impact on Balenciaga
brand image in the market? ........................................................................................................5
What are the challenges of consumer behaviour that Balenciaga faces in managing the brand
image of the business?................................................................................................................6
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY.....................................................................................................8
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Overview of the topic
Consumer behaviour can be defined as the study of individual persons, groups or
companies and all the activities that are associated with the use, purchase and disposal of
products and services (Di Talia, Simeone and Scarpato, 2019). Studying the behaviour of the
consumer is an important concept because it helps business marketers in understanding about
what influences the buying decision of the consumer. It is important for the company to
understand about the changing tastes and preferences of the consumer so that they produce
products according to them and this helps in gaining high profitability and productivity. Studying
the behaviour of the consumers also helps in developing an understanding about how the product
of the company is creating a maximum impact on the consumers. There are several trends in the
consumer behaviour that help the business in studying the behaviour of consumers in a proper
ways so that they gain proper knowledge about the fact. The chosen organisation in the present
research is Balenciaga. Balenciaga is considered to be a luxury brand of fashion house which
was founded in 1919 by the Spanish designer.
Problem statement
The main problem that is identified in the current study is that it is difficult for the
company to understand the behaviour of consumers in an effective way. There are different
current trends of consumer behaviour and its major impact on the brand image of the fashion
industry. It is important for the business organisation to develop an proper understanding about
the behaviour of consumers so that they deal with competitive marketers in an appropriate way.
Research aim, objectives and questions
Research aim
To identify the current trends of consumer behaviour and its effect on the brand image of
fashion industry. A study on Balenciaga
Research objectives
 To study the concept of consumer behaviour and its importance within the fashion
industry.
 To examine the different trends of consumer behaviour and its overall impact on
Balenciaga brand image in the market.

 To identify the challenges of consumer behaviour that Balenciaga faces in managing the
brand image of the business.
Research questions
 What is the concept of consumer behaviour and its importance within the fashion
industry.
 What are the different trends of consumer behaviour and its overall impact on Balenciaga
brand image in the market.
 What are the challenges of consumer behaviour that Balenciaga faces in managing the
brand image of the business.
Research rationale
The main purpose of conducting this present research is to identify the role of current
trends of consumer behaviour and its overall impact on the brand image within the fashion
industry (Petrescu and Petrescu-Mag, 2018). Consumer behaviour refers to the study of different
consumers and how they behave and react while deciding about to buy a good that satisfies their
needs and wants. There are two different types of objectives that the researcher fulfils such as
personal and professional. In terms of personal objective, the researcher will gain optimum
knowledge about the behaviour of consumers and its overall use in their personal life. Whereas
on the other hand, in terms of professional objective, the researcher will gain knowledge and
skill about the given topic and in conducting the future research in an effective and appropriate
manner on the same research topic.

LITERATURE REVIEW
Concept of consumer behaviour and its importance within the fashion industry.
As per the view of Bairrada, Coelho and Lizanets (2018), consumer behaviour can be
defined as the study of the consumer processes use to secure, select, dispose and use of goods
and services that satisfy their basic needs and wants. Firms can only satisfy their needs only to
the extent that they actually understand their customers properly and effectively. This helps in
attaining high variability and reliability within the business market because understanding the
basic needs and preferences is very important in the market. It is important for the business
organisation to develop an proper understanding about the concept of consumer behaviour
because this helps in gaining high satisfaction and customer experience. By studying the
behaviour of the consumers generally help the marketers in presenting their products in the
business market properly and this helps in gaining high growth and success in the competitive
fashion business industry. Understanding the behaviour of consumers is the key to reach the
potential clients and in engaging them within the business in an effective manner and in making
them purchase it from you (Chetioui, Benlafqih and Lebdaoui, 2020). This helps in gaining high
share in the market and more number of customers within the business organisation for increased
profitability and productivity in the market. Consumer behaviour is basically defined as the study
on among decisions regarding what they buy, need, want or act on the given product or service
produced by the marketer in the business market. This helps in making the image of the brand
more precise and eye-catching in the market and this helps the business in improving their
overall performance and productivity in the market.
What are the different trends of consumer behaviour and its overall impact on Balenciaga brand
image in the market?
According to Nguyen and Johnson, (2020), there are different trends of consumer behaviour such
as people are getting health conscious that is why the health of customers are their main priority.
After the Covid-19, people have developed the habit of wearing protective masks, hygiene and
taking safety measures Svajdova, 2021). As the world of business evolves, so as the behaviour
and habits of the customers are changing. That is why the customer behaviour is one of the most
vital component in order to design a great marketing campaign. Though, customers are human,
and due to which their behaviour is variable and unpredictable. That is the main reason

companies are focusing on making new and attractive marketing strategies. Consumer behaviour
is said to be the study of various groups or individuals which is linked with the various activities
of making purchase and avail goods or services. It can be seen that it is not easy to predict about
the behaviour of the customers as it keeps on changing with the time. The study if customer
behaviour comprises of various ideas which affects the decision making process of the
customers. Companies study the behaviour of` the consumers then the managers will be able to
change and formulate the various product and use new techniques which will be favoured by the
customers. It can also be seen that consumers are affected by the online advertisement of the
products through social media and new ways of advertisements. Sometime the companies claim
about the benefits of their products in order to increase the level of sales. Nowadays customers
are getting option to choose online platforms to shop at any time and that tends to lead to have
better access to wide range of products for the customers. Companies are working on being more
creative for its customers so that they can choose the company as compared to other companies.
Due to digitalisation, it can be said that behaviour of the customers has affected a lot in the
marketplace. As influencer marketing is also considered as an essential factor while promoting
their products and services in the market. Moreover, the people prefer the eco-friendly and the
low plastic things that is why the companies are focusing on the various trends of the market.
Along with it, people are getting aware about the mental health due to which the companies are
considering the mental health of the customers. Due to the pandemic, digitalisation has played a
major role in the making things easy for all. Either for employees or the customers which also
lead to make the online shopping very easy and convenient for the customers. Likewise
understanding the behaviour of the customers will help the companies to understand the changes
which are required to made in the product or services. The behaviours of the customers are
getting affected by various elements such as due to social media, family, friends and many
others. If the brand image is good, then the company will be able to stand out the competition in
the market and it will be able to attract more customers towards the company (Di Talia, Simeone
and Scarpato, 2019).
What are the challenges of consumer behaviour that Balenciaga faces in managing the brand
image of the business?
As per the view of Santos and et.al., (2021), there are various issues related to the consumer
behaviour in order to manage the image of the business in the market. The tern consumer

behaviour is defined as the process under which the customers or individual make the decision to
select the good or service. The main aspect of the consumer behaviour is marketing
segmentation. It can also be seen that the customers have various motives behind buying the
products and when they are not able to find the main motive that can be an issues for the
companies. Sometimes the customers feel hesitate to explain their motive and some customers
are ignorant which do not give attention to inner urge to buy and what not to buy. Companies
also make use of questionnaires and feedback which help in understanding the thought process of
the consumers (East and et.al.,2021). But it can be a complicated process to collect the feedback
from the customers. When the company studies the behaviour of` the consumers then it can
formulate the favour of their product and use harmful techniques. It can also be seen that
consumers are affected by the over advertisement of the products through media and
advertisements. Sometime the companies claim about the benefits of their products in order to
increase the level of sales. In addition to this, the process of consumer buying is said to be
psychological process which is essential for the management and the company. the management
relies on understanding the buying behaviour of the customers in relation to the products and
services. In addition to this various companies are focusing on being more creative by making
use of social media platforms for attracting more customers. It allows the customers to choose
the company as compared to other companies in the market. Due to digitalisation, it can be seen
that behaviour of the customers has changed and affected a lot in the marketplace. For example,
influencer marketing is considered as a vital factor while promoting the products and services in
the market (Szmigin and Piacentini, 2018). Furthermore, the people are also preferring the eco-
friendly and the low plastic things that is why the companies are concentrating on making such
eco-friendly products and also the various trends of the market. Along with it, people are getting
aware about the physical and mental health due to which the companies are considering the
mental health of the customers by collaborating with various apps which are helpful for the
companies. Due to the Covid-19, digitalisation has engaged in recreation as a major role in the
making things easy for all. Either for employees or the customers which also lead to make the
online shopping very easy and convenient for the customers (Zhao and et.al.,2021).

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research methodology can be defined as a process of gathering and analysing
information by using different methods on the selected topic in an effective manner. The main
purpose of research methodology is to support the researcher in collecting appropriate and
authentic data related to the study (Li and Chu, 2018). There are various methods of research that
helps in gaining information about the following topic in a more efficient and effective manner
and these are defined as under:
Research philosophy
Research philosophy is considered as an important part of research methodology because it helps
the researcher in gaining authentic information about the topic. There are generally two forms of
philosophies that are defined as positivism and interpretivism (Zborovsky and Ambarova, 2020).
In carrying out the current investigation in a proper manner, positivism philosophy is used by the
researcher. This is selected because it helps in interpreting quantitative or numerical data in a
more reliable and easy manner.
Research approach
Research approach can be divided into two different types which are primarily known as
deductive and inductive approaches (Bilau, Witt and Lill, 2018). In conducting the present
research in an efficient manner, the researcher has selected deductive approach. This approach is
selected because it helps the researcher in dealing with the existing theories in a more efficient
manner so that correct information can be acquired.
Research strategy
Research strategy can be divided into following types which are defined as focus group, survey,
systematic literature review, case study, experimental theory and many more (Machado and
Davim, eds., 2020). Survey method is an appropriate method which is selected by the researcher
in carrying out the current research. This is selected because it helps the researcher in gathering
and analysing detailed inform and correct information about the topic in an effective and
efficient manner.
Research instruments
Research instruments can be classified into various forms such as questionnaire, interview and so
on. These methods are important for conducting the research but in the present research, the

researcher has selected questionnaire method (Sovacool, Del Rio and Griffiths, 2020). This helps
in deriving correct information from the data and for achieving the aim and objectives.
Data collection
Primary and secondary methods are defined as two important parts of collecting data on
the particular selected topic (Abdurrahman and Mulyana, 2020). In conducting the present
research in a proper manner, the researcher has selected both primary and secondary methods.
These methods are selected because this helps in getting in-depth information and knowledge
about the topic from different sources.
Data analysis
Data analysis can be defined as a process of analysing and interpreting data with the help
of different analytical tools on the selected topic (Agustini, Santyadiputra and Sugihartini, 2019).
There are different techniques of collecting data such as frequency distribution analysis, thematic
analysis and many more. In the present research, frequency distribution model has been selected
by the researcher because it helps in measuring numerical data in a easy and simpler manner.
Time horizon
There are two types of time horizon methods that are defined as cross-sectional and
longitudinal. In carrying out the present investigation, cross-sectional method is used by the
researcher. This is selected because this method helps the researcher in completing the research
in a timely manner and in less cost.
Sampling
Sampling can be classified in two types that are defined as probability and non-
probability sampling techniques (Livingstone, Stoilova and Nandagiri, 2019). In conducting the
present research in an appropriate manner, probability sampling technique is selected by the
researcher and under this, random probability sampling technique is used. This is selected
because this helps in gaining data from different number of respondents in a fair and true
manner. 30 employees of Balenciaga has been selected by the researcher.

REFERENCES
Books and journals
Abdurrahman, L. and Mulyana, T., 2020, June. Parallel Construction of Information Technology
Value Model: Design-Science Research Methodology. In 2020 8th International
Conference on Information and Communication Technology (ICoICT) (pp. 1-8). IEEE.
Agustini, K., Santyadiputra, G.S. and Sugihartini, N., 2019. Visualizing the stages of the
educational research methodology into animation infographics for vocational
students. Jurnal Pendidikan Vokasi, 9(3), pp.318-328.
Bairrada, C.M., Coelho, A. and Lizanets, V., 2018. The impact of brand personality on consumer
behavior: the role of brand love. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An
International Journal.
Bilau, A.A., Witt, E. and Lill, I., 2018. Research methodology for the development of a
framework for managing post-disaster housing reconstruction. Procedia
engineering, 212, pp.598-605.
Chetioui, Y., Benlafqih, H. and Lebdaoui, H., 2020. How fashion influencers contribute to
consumers' purchase intention. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An
International Journal.
Di Talia, E., Simeone, M. and Scarpato, D., 2019. Consumer behaviour types in household food
waste. Journal of Cleaner Production, 214, pp.166-172.
Di Talia, E., Simeone, M. and Scarpato, D., 2019. Consumer behaviour types in household food
waste. Journal of Cleaner Production, 214, pp.166-172.
East, R., Singh, J., Wright, M. and Vanhuele, M., 2021. Consumer behaviour: Applications in
marketing. Sage.
Li, X. and Chu, S.K., 2018. Using design-based research methodology to develop a pedagogy for
teaching and learning of Chinese writing with wiki among Chinese upper primary
school students. Computers & Education, 126, pp.359-375.
Livingstone, S., Stoilova, M. and Nandagiri, R., 2019. Talking to children about data and privacy
online: research methodology.
Machado, C. and Davim, J.P. eds., 2020. Research Methodology in Management and Industrial
Engineering. Springer International Publishing.
Petrescu, D.C. and Petrescu-Mag, R.M., 2018. Consumer behaviour related to rabbit meat as
functional food. World Rabbit Science, 26(4), pp.321-333.
Sovacool, B.K., Del Rio, D.F. and Griffiths, S., 2020. Contextualizing the Covid-19 pandemic
for a carbon-constrained world: Insights for sustainability transitions, energy justice,
and research methodology. Energy Research & Social Science, 68, p.101701.
Svajdova, L., 2021. Consumer behaviour during pandemic of COVID-19. Journal of
International Business Research and Marketing, 6(3), pp.34-37.
Szmigin, I. and Piacentini, M., 2018. Consumer behaviour. Oxford University Press.
Zborovsky, G.E. and Ambarova, P.A., 2020. The educational failure of pupils and students as a
social phenomenon: A research methodology.
Zhao, J., Xue, F., Khan, S. and Khatib, S.F., 2021. Consumer behaviour analysis for business
development. Aggression and Violent Behavior, p.101591.