The study investigated and recommends possible digital fashion communication
strategies that the fashion and marketing industry can apply when targeting products and
services to the preferences, values, beliefs and influential economic participation of South
African Gen Z consumers. An innovative conceptual framework was developed that was
applied to the marketing strategies of nine South African-based fashion companies,
evaluating the effectiveness of the digital fashion marketing and communication methods
used to target Gen Z fashion consumers. Gen Z are young adults, born in the late 1990s
and are popularly known as digital natives as they are digitally astute and place value on
online communities and interactions. Gen Z consumers’ contribution to the fashion
consumer market has increased in recent years. It is therefore pertinent for industries
such as fashion to understand how to communicate and interact with them to maximise
their economic agenda. The study’s population included a selection of South African
fashion companies that offer omnichannel integrated retail models and target Gen Z
consumers. The study was framed by the Digital Marketing Effectiveness Framework
(DMEF), which emerged from a combination of an empathic design approach and digital
affect, and digital marketing strategy frameworks. Since Gen Z is characterised mainly by
being digital natives, the study’s methodology was set within digital fashion
communication channels such as social media. Mixed research approaches, i.e. both
qualitative and quantitative, were utilised through surveys and netnographic data
collection, analysis and interpretation methods. It was envisaged that this study would
invigorate Gen Z consumers’ satisfaction in their pursuit of fashion consumption. By
continuously adapting to the needs and preferences of Gen Z consumers, fashion brands
can foster stronger connections and enhanced brand loyalty, drive sustainable growth in
the digital era and ensure future preparedness for the potential buying and spending
power that Gen Z has concerning the marketing and sales of fashion products and
services.
Olu phando luphanda kwaye lucebisa ngezicwangciso zonxibelelwano lwentengiso
yefashoni zedijithali ezinokusetyenziswa licandelo lefashoni nentengiso ezijoliswe
ekuthengiseni iimveliso neenkonzo ezingqinelana neenqobo ezisemgangathweni,
iinkolelo, oko kuthandwa noko kuphembelela intatho-nxaxheba kuqoqosho yabathengi
besizukulwana Z baseMzantsi Afrika. Kuqulunqwe inkqubo-sikhokelo enobuchule
yengqiqo esetyenziswe kwizicwangciso zentengiso zeenkampani zefashoni ezilithoba
eziseMzantsi Afrika, kwaphononongwa ukufezeka kweendlela zedijithali zonxibelelwano
nentengiso yefashoni ezisetyenziswa ukutsala umdla wabathengi besizukulwana Z.
Isizukulwana Z ngabantu abadala abaselula abazelwe kwiminyaka yangoo-1990
nabaziwa ngokuba sisizukulwana sedijithali kuba banobuchule kwizinto zedijithali kwaye
bayakwazi ukunxibelelana ngeintanethi ngeendlela ezahlukeneyo. Kule minyaka
lonyukile igalelo lesizukulwana Z kwintengiso yefashoni. Kubalulekile ke ngoko ukuba
icandelo lefashoni liyiqonde indlela efanelekileyo yokunxibelelana nesi sizukulwana
ukuze likhule. Olu phando lwenziwe kwiinkampani zefashoni ezikhethiweyo eziseMzantsi
Afrika ezithengisa lonke uhlobo lwempahla nezijolise ekutsaleni umdla wabathengi
besizukulwana Z. Olu phando lusekelwe yiNkqubo-sikhokelo yokuFezeka kweNtengiso
yeDijithali (DMEF), evela kwindibaniselwano yoyilo lovelwano nempembelelo yedijithali,
kunye nezicwangciso zentengiso zedijithali. Uphawu lwesizukulwana Z kukuba ngabantu
abazelwe ngexesha ledijithali ngoko ke olu phando lusebenzisa amajelo onxibelelwano
ngefashoni afana namajelo onxibelelwano kawonkewonke. Kudityaniswe
uphandontyilalwazi kunye nophando lweenkcukachamanani xa kusenziwa uphando
kwaza kwasetyenziswa i-intanethi ukuqokelela idatha, ukuyihlalutya nokuyicacisa.
Bekulindelwe ukuba olu phando luza kukuqinisa ukwaneliseka kweemfuno zabathengi
besizukulwana Z xa bethenga ifashoni. Xa iinkampani zefashoni zithi gqolo
ukulungiselela iimfuno noko kukhethwa ngabathengi besizukulwana Z ziya kuqinisa
uqhagamshelwano nokunyaniseka kwabathengi kwimpahla yazo, ziqinise uhlumo
oluzinzileyo kwixesha ledijithali kwaye ziqinisekise ukuba zililungele ixesha elizayo
lokuthenga kwesizukulwana Z kunye namandla okuthenga esi sizukukulwana esinawo
kwiinkonzo nakwiimveliso zefashoni.
Ucwaningo luhlolisise futhi luncoma amasu okuxhumana ngemfashini yedijithali
angasebenza ukumaketha embonini yemfashini lapho kugxilwe emikhiqizweni
namasevisi kulokho okuthandwayo, izindinganiso, izinkolelo kanye nokubamba iqhaza
okunomthelela kwezomnotho kwabathengi beGenZ baseNingizimu Afrika. Kwasungulwa
uhlaka lomqondo olusha olwasetshenziswa emasu okumaketha ezinkampanini
zemfashini eziyisishiyagalolunye eziseNingizimu Afrika, kuhlolwa ukusebenza kahle
kokumaketha kwemfashini yedijithali kanye nezindlela zokuxhumana ezisetshenziswa
ukubhekisisa abathengi bemfashini beGenZ. I-GenZ ngabantu abadala abasebasha,
abazalwa ngasekupheleni kweminyaka ye-1990 futhi baziwa kakhulu ngokuthi abantu
bomdabu bedijithali njengoba behlakaniphile ngokwedijithali futhi bebeka inani
emphakathini nasekusebenzisaneni okuku-inthanethi. Umnikelo wabathengi be-GenZ
emakethe yabathengi bemfashini ukhuphukile eminyakeni yamuva nje. Ngakho-ke
kufanelekile ngezimboni ezifana nemfashini ukuqonda ukuthi zingaxhumana kanjani futhi
zisebenzisane kanjani nazo ukuze zandise uhlelo lwazo lwezomnotho. Inani labantu
abacwaningwayo lalihlanganisa izinkampani zemfashini zaseNingizimu Afrika ezinikeza
amamodeli okuthengisa ahlanganisiwe e-omnichannel futhi zihlose abathengi be-GenZ.
Ucwaningo lwakhiwe yi-Digital Marketing Effectiveness Framework (DMEF), eyavela
ekuhlanganisweni kwendlela yokuklama enozwelo kanye nomthelela wedijithali, kanye
nezinhlaka zesu lokumaketha kwedijithali. Njengoba i-GenZ iphawuleka kakhulu
ngokuba ngabantu bomdabu bedijithali, indlela yocwaningo yabekwa ngaphakathi
kweziteshi zokuxhumana zemfashini yedijithali njengezinkundla zokuxhumana. Izindlela
zocwaningo ezixubile, okungukuthi, zombili ezisezingeni eliphezulu kanye
nezinobungane, zasetshenziswa ngezinhlolovo kanye nezindlela zokuqoqwa kwedatha
ye-netnografikhi, ukuhlaziya kanye nokuhumusha. Kwakucatshangwa ukuthi lolu
cwaningo luzovuselela ukwaneliseka kwabathengi be-GenZ ekuphishekeleni kwabo
ukusetshenziswa kwemfashini. Ngokuzivumelanisa njalo nezidingo nezintandokazi
zabathengi be-GenZ, imikhiqizo yemfashini ingakhuthaza ukuxhumana okuqinile
nokwethenjwa komkhiqizo, iqhube ukukhula okusimeme enkathini yedijithali futhi
iqinisekise ukulungela kwesikhathi esizayo kwamandla okuthenga nokusebenzisa imali
okungenzeka i-GenZ enawo maqondana nokumaketha nokuthengisa imikhiqizo
nezinsizakalo zemfashini.
