Research: Co-Branding Strategies and Fashion Industry Growth

This research proposal investigates the impact of co-branding strategies on consumer buying behavior and intentions within the fashion industry. The study aims to identify the effects of co-branding on consumer behavior, evaluate various channels used by fashion brands to enhance stakeholder awareness, and assess the effectiveness of co-branding in enhancing the unique selling proposition. The research employs a literature review and case studies of brands like H&M, Karl Lagerfeld, and Balmain. The methodology involves a positivism philosophy and a deductive approach, utilizing secondary data analysis from company websites, government reports, and articles. The research emphasizes ethical considerations, maintaining confidentiality, and adopting a liberal approach towards samples. The study aims to provide recommendations for improving co-branding strategies within the fashion industry.

Running head: MARKETING
Research proposal on “Impact of co-branding strategies on the growth of buying behaviours
and intentions within the fashion industry”
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note:

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Table of contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Research rationale......................................................................................................................2
Research aim..............................................................................................................................2
Research objectives....................................................................................................................2
Literature review........................................................................................................................3
Research Methodology...............................................................................................................4
References..................................................................................................................................6

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Introduction
The concept of co-branding has brought favourable results for the past few years and
thus, the phenomenon of co-branding strategies and collaboration between the fashion and
non-fashion brands have tend to bring major improvements in the fashion industry largely1.
The business organisation, especially the fashion brands named Karl Lagerfeld and also the
non-fashion brands including the L’Oreal and Puma, which are major fashion retail
companies.
Research rationale
The rationale of research demonstrates about the problem that might be experienced
due to lack of implementation of co-branding strategies, which also might create complexities
for the business to sustain in the competitive business environment. The companies need to
form co-branding alliances with the help of implementation of strategies so as to create an
additional stream of revenue while at the same time, create scopes and opportunities to attain
competitive advantage in business as well.
Research aim
The aim of this research is to study the impact of new co-branding strategies on the
the fashion industry. The research also aims to use literature review as a method of
assessment along with 2 case studies from H&M, Karl Lagerfield and Balmain.
Research objectives
 To identify the impact of co-branding strategies on the consumer buying behaviour of
the fashion industry
1 Shen, Bin, Tsan-Ming Choi, and Pui-Sze Chow. "Brand loyalties in designer luxury and fast fashion co-
branding alliances." Journal of Business Research 81 (2017): 173-180.

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 To evaluate the various channels adopted by the fashion industry brands for
enhancing the awareness of the stakeholders and shareholders about the co-branding
strategies
 To investigate the effectiveness of co-branding strategiesby pairing the brand and the
products for enhancing the unique selling proposition
 To suggest recommendations so that the standards and quality of the co-branding
strategies of fashion industry improves for influencing the buying behaviour of the
customers
Literature review
Co-branding helps in expanding the customer rates. Co-branding is effective for
enhancing the parameter of Public Relations2. Co-brands attracts large number of customers,
after which market segmentation is carried out for improving the focus of the business. The
attitude of the customers towards co-branding is shaped from the approach towards the
marketing strategies of the individual brands. Spontaneity in co-branding is effective for
altering the approaches of the customers. Impacts of the co-branding strategies are not always
anticipated, instead it depends on the marketing strategies3. Differences persist in the
perception of the brands. In this context, that the improvement in the attractiveness is low,
irrespective of the reasons for purchase 4 .
2 Ho, Han-Chiang, Nora Lado, and Pilar Rivera-Torres. "Detangling consumer attitudes to better explain co-
branding success." Journal of Product & Brand Management (2017): 100-150
3 Ahn, Jungyong, Ahyeon Kim, and Yongjun Sung. "The effects of sensory fit on consumer evaluations of co-
branding." International Journal of Advertising (2019): 1-18.
4 Ilicic, Jasmina, Stacey M. Baxter, and Alicia Kulczynski. "Keeping it real: examining the influence of co-
branding authenticity in cause-related marketing." Journal of Brand Management 26, no. 1 (2019): 49-59.

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Co-branding results in greater exposure to new markets, which enhances the sales
revenue and profit margin. Using effective channels for marketing the products develops trust
on the customers. This trust leads to the thoughts regarding investing in the services of the
brands. Co-branding might be ineffective in the cases when the brands have different market
shares. This issue states that the co-branding is not always a “win-win” approach in terms of
influencing the purchasing decision and power of the customers5.
5 Shen, Bin, Tsan-Ming Choi, and Pui-Sze Chow. "Brand loyalties in designer luxury and fast fashion co-
branding alliances." Journal of Business Research 81 (2017): 173-180.

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Research Methodology
Positivism philosophywould be applied in the research for developing scientific and
objective knowledge and facts regarding the impact of co-branding strategies on the
consumer buying intentions of the fashion industry6. Deductive approach would be applied
by the researcher for deducing relevant conclusions regarding the impact of co-branding
strategies on the consumer buying behaviour7. Explorative research design would be
selected by the researcher for exploring the unexplored realms of the co-branding strategies
in terms of influencing the buying behaviour of the customers in the fashion industry.
The necessary data would be collected through secondary methods.Considering the
fact that most of the data and information are in related to the arts and culture design, so there
is no need to present quantitative data in the form of either interviews or by conducting any
surveys. Moreover, the secondary data collection process has been done where, the data and
information would be collected from the company website, government reports, articles, case
studies among others. The information and data, collected and relevant to the co-branding
strategies on the consumer buying behaviourhave been analysed as such considering the
secondary data analysis too8. On the other hand, secondary data would be analysed through
the means of developing themes relevant to the impact of co-branding strategies on the
6 Kennedy, Ann-Marie. "Macro-social marketing research: philosophy, methodology and methods." Journal of
Macromarketing 37, no. 4 (2017): 347-355.
7 Maison, Dominika. Qualitative Marketing Research: Understanding Consumer Behaviour. Routledge, 2018.
8 Finfgeld-Connett, Deborah, and E. Diane Johnson. "Data Collection and Sampling." In A Guide to Qualitative
Meta-synthesis, pp. 18-30. Routledge, 2018.

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consumer buying behaviour of the fashion industry brands like that of Karl Lagerfeld,
L’Oreal and Puma.
The consideration of ethics are critical and thus none of the data and information have
exposed, rather kept confidential so as to maintain the authenticity and reliability of the
research as well.This has also helped in keeping the research theoretical and entirely based on
secondary research as a whole.Along with this, the research would adopt a liberal approach
towards the samples, which would reflect the adherence to the ethical considerations.

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References
Ahn, Jungyong, Ahyeon Kim, and Yongjun Sung. "The effects of sensory fit on consumer
evaluations of co-branding." International Journal of Advertising (2019): 1-18.
Finfgeld-Connett, Deborah, and E. Diane Johnson. "Data Collection and Sampling." In A
Guide to Qualitative Meta-synthesis, pp. 18-30. Routledge, 2018.
Ho, Han-Chiang, Nora Lado, and Pilar Rivera-Torres. "Detangling consumer attitudes to
better explain co-branding success." Journal of Product & Brand Management (2017): 100-
150
Ilicic, Jasmina, Stacey M. Baxter, and Alicia Kulczynski. "Keeping it real: examining the
influence of co-branding authenticity in cause-related marketing." Journal of Brand
Management 26, no. 1 (2019): 49-59.
Kennedy, Ann-Marie. "Macro-social marketing research: philosophy, methodology and
methods." Journal of Macromarketing 37, no. 4 (2017): 347-355.
Maison, Dominika. Qualitative Marketing Research: Understanding Consumer Behaviour.
Routledge, 2018.
Shen, Bin, Tsan-Ming Choi, and Pui-Sze Chow. "Brand loyalties in designer luxury and fast
fashion co-branding alliances." Journal of Business Research 81 (2017): 173-180.