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adm_sns_research_paper.docxSocial Networing Site Usage and the Female Fashion Leader: A qualitative study of how Female Fashion Leaders use Facebook, Instagram and Twitter
Alkharashi, N., Burns, R., and Naz, F.
California State University, Northridge
Keywords: Fashion; SNS
Abstract
Introduction
Literature Review
1. Two-Step Communication Theory
2. Fashion Leadership
The theory of fashion consumer groups by Rogers (1962), suggest that every consumer has a unique pattern of behavior when a new item is presented to him or her. These patterns determine some basic categories that are important in consumer adoption. They include early adopters, innovators, early majority, laggards and late majority. Each of these categories has a different percentage in the population. Knowledge of these categories is important in identifying the specific groups in which an individual falls. Identifying early adopters is especially important as the earlier an adoption of a product is done, the faster it runs through to other consumers. The acceptance of the products then leads to a greater percentage of the population gaining interest.
Roger’s model was built upon by Hirschman and Adcock (1978), who differentiated the fashion consumer groups through the use of a scale. The developed scale points out the four groups that are fashion oriented. The groups include fashion opinion leaders, fashion followers, fashion innovators and innovative communicators (Hirschman & Adcock, 1978). The four groups have unique characteristics that depend on their way of interaction with clothing, as well as trends on fashion. Each group has a different motivation when making decisions on whatever they are in need of. Several researchers have greatly assessed the diverse behavioral patterns of various fashion consumers. The research has it that the fashion opinion leaders, as well as innovators are the most conscious on fashion among all other groups of consumers because their fashion interest and trends is the strongest (citation needed). Moreover, the two are driven by the high need for being unique when making their daily decisions. Contradicting to that, innovative communicators, as well as the fashion followers do not do their shopping on fashionable items at frequent rates (Workman & Caldwell, 2007). Shopping motivations that are hedonic also not often drives them (citation needed).
Fashion leadership is multi-dimensional. Dimensions that arise from fashion leadership include innovativeness in fashion, as well as leadership opinion (citation needed). Researchers have found that although different in function there are similar characteristics that exist between opinion leaders and innovators (Workman & Johnson, 1993). The idea of opinion leadership as it relates to fashion was first explored in the 1969 study by John O. Summers. Summers looked to identify Women’s clothing fashion opinion leaders. His research examined the sociological variables, personality/attitudinal factors, mass media exposure, and involvement in women’s clothing, found to be associated with women who were fashion opinion leaders. Opinion leaders, when compared to non-opinion leaders were found to be venturesome in trying new products, involved in receiving relational communications about various women’s clothing styles, perceived themselves as knowledgeable about women’s clothing styles, and had favorable attitudes toward new products in general and new women’s clothing styles in particular (Workman & Johnson, 1993).
The first buyers of new apparel and accessories and those to first adopt and accept new fashions within their social group are generally fashion innovators (Phau and Lo, 2004). Fashion innovativeness has not been specifically defined however behaviors of those determined to be fashion innovators has been found to be consistent. A 1969 study by Pasnak and Ayers which compared innovators to non-innovators on clothing attitudes and personality characteristics found that innovators were slightly more interested in dressing for self and using clothing for experimentation. They showed more clarity of decisions about clothes and had stronger feelings about clothing and involvement with clothing (Workman & Johnson, 1993).
Research examining the disposal and purchasing habits of fashion innovators was dome by Chun and Davis in 1988. Using Hirschman and Adcock (1978) scale to identify the two groups, they examined whether there was a difference in the two groups length of time retaining clothes, the ways in which they disposed of used close and the underlying factors in disposing of used clothes. The results showed that fashion innovators were more likely to wear clothing for a shorter period of time and to dispose of clothes due to fashionability and conformity.
When these fundamental characteristics are taken into consideration, it is clearly seen that likely the most appropriate group to examine, are the fashion leaders as they will help in the knowledge of further understanding the connection formed with apparel, as well as how they use that apparel in expressing themselves (citation needed). Fashion leaders with knowledge given to them on the fashion industry, are likely to be aware of the diversity of brands that are apparel, as well as the benefits that the brands offer.
In short, manufactures and marketers wanted to identify this segment of the market which, if integrated into the marketing strategy, would be influential 2 dimensionally. 1. They represent segment of the market with the potential for higher sales and 2. They act as change agents to disseminate fashion information (Summers, 1970).
Although the concept of Fashion Leadership and what the attributes of someone described to be a fashion leader has evolved, the influence they have in the market has only increased.
3. Social Networking Sites (SNS)
Social networking sites, as web-based services allow individuals to construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system, articulate with a list of other users with whom they share a connection, and view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system (citation needed). The nature and nomenclature of these connections may vary from site to site. Seven major categories of social media sites include social connections (i.e. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google+, and My Space), multimedia sharing (i.e. YouTube, and Flicker), Professional (i.e. LinkedIn), and others that are informational, educational, hobby focused and academia centered. Facebook and Twitter lead the technology world as the most used social networking sites. They have the maximum number of users and their numbers of users increase on a daily basis (citation needed). In addition to connecting with others, users spend time on these sites in order to update themselves on current topics and ideas related to their interest. Social Networking Sites allow its users to post to user created profiles and create personal networks. User-friendly options of social media networks attract its users to use them on a regular basis.
Facebook is the largest social networking website by far with a 1.44 billion users worldwide as of the end of their 2015 first quarter reporting. This SNS giant was started in 2004 with it originally being designed for use by college students only, but it quickly turned into a site in which anyone with an email address could have access to. Due to its popularity, most other SNS integrate Facebook into its use. Facebook lets its members use an array of functions that allow for sharing, communicating and obtaining information. Users can create a profile, add others in the network as friends, send messages, post status updates and photos, share videos, and receive notifications when other users have updated their profiles.
Instagram, created in 2010 is an online, mobile, photo-sharing, video-sharing and social networking service, which allows its users to share pictures across several social networking platforms. Unlike, Facebook and Twitter, which allows its users to express themselves via the use of different forms of post, Instagram’s primary purpose is to “share your life with friends through a series of pictures.” (Instagram FAQ).
Twitter, which follows Facebook in its number of active users, allows it’s users to communicate and share information in 140 characters or less. Considered to be a micro-blogging site, the short messages shared can include pictures and can be reposted on others users pages as well. Twitter also allows for its users to search for post that may interest them by using the hashtag function, thus allowing them to communicate with users who are connected on the site, but not be directly connected to them.
All three of the sites discussed have varying ways in which they can be used by its members. The main commonality is that these SNS are used by millions of users for information and idea sharing. Fashion is an industry in which SNS has tremendously helped the spread of ideas across the globe.
Methods
Research Context
A college campus located in the Western portion of the United was chosen as the site of this study. A convenience sample of 60 enrolled college females aged 18-30 were selected as respondents. The median age of the sample was 21.89. This age group was chosen as, per the Pew research Center, as of January 2014 89% of adults aged 18-29 use social networking sites; making them the largest adult age group in the U.S. to use this form of media (“Social Media Use by Age Group Over Time, 2015).
The number of Social Networking Sites (SNS) available for use are vast, and each site varies in their purpose, ease of use, and content that is available to share. Whatever their original purpose, and whatever the ways in which that purpose is conveyed whether it be photo sharing primarily, status sharing primarily, both, or neither, the major goal of these sites is usually to share and review content with others within the same network. In order to decide the social networking sites to focus on, a preliminary study with 40 samples was done to determine, based on our chosen population of college aged females, which were the top 3 SNS sites used. As a result, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram were chosen.
Research Measures
The 65 item questionnaire used was mainly adopted from previous studies where similar relevant research has been conducted. The scale created used multiple parts to categorize respondents into fashion leaders vs. non-fashion leaders and to determine their social networking site usage behavior.
Demographic information was collected to include age, year in school, ethnicity, and income. Each respondent was also asked to identify if they were members of Facebook, Instagram, and/or Twitter. Items from the Facebook Intensity Scale (Ellison, N. B., Steinfield, C., & Lampe, C. 2007) and the Facebook Questionnaire (Ross, Orr, Sisic, Arseneault, Simmering, Orr, 2009) were modified to include Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The Facebook Intensity Scale is mostly a 5 point Likert scale which measures the SNS sites usage beyond frequency and duration but incorporates emotional connectedness to the site and integrates it into individuals’ daily activity (Ellison, N. B., Steinfield, C., & Lampe, C. 2007). The Facebook questionnaire contained three categories of items measuring basic use of Facebook, attitudes associated with Facebook and the posting of personally-identifying information. Response choices varied from nine-item multiple choice to yes/no depending on the nature of the item (Ross, Orr, Sisic, Arseneault, Simmering, Orr, 2009).
Fashion leadership can be measured several way including innovativeness, fashion involvement, perceived knowledge of fashion, and fashion related behavior. The base fashion leadership/innovativeness was measured by the 6 item Domain Specific Innovativeness Scale (DSI) created by Goldsmith and Hofacker (1991). This self-reporting scale is considered reliable and valid.
Fashion Involvement was measured by the three-item Involvement scale developed by Mittal and Lee (1989). A five-point agree/disagree response format was used.
Perceived knowledge, which indicates how knowledgeable respondents felt about fashion, was measured using a 6 item self-report scale developed by Goldsmith, Flynn, and Moore (1996). Fashion related behaviors were measured by 2 single items; the amount of time spent shopping for clothing and the average amount of money spent on clothing in a month’s time.
Implications
