Digital natives : a study exploring digital fashion marketing communication strategies for South African generation Z consumers

Abstract

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.