NetBase Study Gives Insight Into Apparel Marketing via Social

A brand new study by intelligence experts NetBase tells all about why the social channels matter if you’re in the fashion business. The report entitled; “Social Channels of Influence for APPAREL” gives the “why” and “how” of engaging your most valued clientele.

It’s not secret that the worldwide apparel industry is one of the most massive revenue generators in business period. In America, women’s apparel along accounts for some $175 billion in sales. And while most brands have established presences on Facebook, Twitter, and other channels, there still remain many questions as to how these channels work and how effective they are. Enter NetBase in partnership with Edison Research.

This most recent study is powered by over 1000 American women with at least one social media profile who were asked a battery of questions about their social-shopping habits. The results in the report are quite striking, while some aspects only make good sense as indicated below.

• Women frequently trust fashion experts on blogs and message boards when they make decisions on clothing for career and special occasion attire. For casual they most often trust their friends. Active and fitness wear are most often connected with friends and visuals when women begin making their decisions to buy.
• While Twitter is NOT a top influncing channel in every apparel category, it’s the most logical for finding celebrity endorsements.
• Thinking visual is one key takeaway for marketers to be focused on.
• Twitter is crucial for building your celebrity endorsement campaigns

Other data gleaned by the researchers reveals that the sub-categories of apparel matter as much as the ins and outs of the channels used. What researches found was that women count on different influence channels to influence their buying habits depending on the style of clothing. The graphic below shows this more clearly.

Courtesy the NetBase study

While the NetBase report is not stunningly broad where social media converging with apparel retail revelations are concerned, the key takeaways do hint at a deeper understanding of how social media inter-plays with that industry’s segments. Or should I say, women’s choices and how they are influenced vary interestingly depending on other key variables. If marketers can break down these subcategories, and then more clearly target consumers accordingly, then not only will channels become more effective, but businesses using them can more readily and easily discover their value.