Introduction
Teenagers spend a big part of their free time looking for information on new fashion in the market hence advertisements content must always give the impression that such products are offered. Social media platforms, televisions, and movies are among popular information sources where the youths can find information on appealing products. Teens develop their general behavior by modeling the traits of others including their favorite actors which then influences their dressing codes. This implies that role models in movies, television programs and magazines as well as the trendy fashion advertised in social media platforms trigger consumption among teens. Since youths prefer trends that are contemporary and popular, it is ideal for markets to understand their language and design ways through which they can offer cool products for teens. The paper discusses the impact of advertisements on the fashion trends among teens.
Behavior of Teens with regards to Fashion
Teenagers make up the largest portion of the global population and have a stronger buying power which means that marketers have to identify what drives the young people to make purchases related to fashion. Young people are driven by aspects such as color, design and appealing nature of any piece of clothing or shoe with many of the teenagers spending a lot of time shopping online using the social media to explore other’s views on the latest trends . Marketers have to learn the language of teens and offer cool fashion products since fashion is changing in a fast manner with emergence of better advertising media contributing to changes in fashion trends among teens. Changes in fashion have occurred in hairstyles, clothes and ornaments with the youths being unfazed about the pace of fashion change. Teens believe that by adopting the latest fashion styles, they add spice and flavor to their lives since they are easily noticed by their peers. Teens, therefore, engage in some form of competition to have the smartest, up to date fashion dress codes. Teens are more sensitive to fashion trends and would prefer the fashion that is up to date and makes them popular among their peers.
Fashion defines the way of living of many youths with many of the teens willing to imitate every latest trend that shows up in the market. The way teens adorn and dress up is reflective of their image, status and their inner spirit with everyone wanting a situation where the fashion they put on portrays the image they desire. Teens develop their general behavior by modelling the behavior of other such that they are not hesitant to try out new and trendy fashions. Most youths do not mind the amount they have to part with to purchase the latest trends considering the fact that they have fewer financial obligations. Students in particular have the habit of putting on the latest fashion that has the trendiest colors and design without acknowledging that they waste a lot of effort trying to look attractive. With the realization that the trend will soon pass, everyone wants to have the taste of the fashion before it fades off even if it means wasting a lot of money to purchase the trendy wear.
The fashion trends among teens is dominant in female youths since they are crazy of the latest ornaments, design and beauty aids that trend at a particular time.
Advertising Tools that Improve Awareness of Trendy Fashions among Teens
Advertisement media including TVs, Cinemas and online marketing channels provide the best source of information on latest fashion. The viewers of television programs and movies have the opportunity to identify the different dressing styles used by the actors whom some view as their role models when it comes to dressing. This implies that viewers would give anything just to have a taste of the fashion of their role models in the movies are wearing. The fashion sense seen in the movies is considered the latest and the best among teens thereby making them feel that they will be popular among their peers if they acquired a similar outfit as the one worn by the actors. Teens are more than willing to copy the hairstyles, dress, ornaments and mannerisms they see on television which makes marketers identify the time at which they could air their adverts on television. Since marketers are focused on capturing the attention of most teens, it is likely that they will carry out market research to identify the programs that are widely viewed by youths and then rely on the information to present their adverts on the trendy products offered by the firms. From the attention and curiosity created among the young people, they are likely to feel the urge to look out for more information so as to purchase the trendy fashion advertised even if it implies paying a premium price for the fashion. With the world becoming a global village, it is possible to imitate the dressing styles of people from other nations through communication channels such as the social media platforms.
Marketers rely on the fact that fashion trends are contagious and that when one sees their colleagues wearing a particular fashion trend, they are likely to adopt a similar trend even if it means going for a different color. Marketers tap into the segment including young men and women in educational settings and those employed since they are most likely to imitate the dressing codes of their peers. The social media is also changing the way teenagers look for sellers that could meet their trendy demands. Online advertising is preferred by the youths since it offers the flexibility with which they can order the products of their choice and track delivery at their preferred locations. Online marketing offers an interactive platform where marketers are able to identify the needs and expectations of the young people and be able to provide products that satisfy the teens. Social media platforms have in particular attracted the attention of many youths across the globe such that teens spend most of their time interacting across Facebook, blogs and Instagram. Social media channels are among the cheapest ways of advertising and enhancing viral marketing since one consumer could convince a lot more to have a view of the photos of the trendy styles uploaded on company’s profiles. With many teens embracing social media platforms and the fact that they are able to view the latest fashion products at any time and at their preferred location, marketers have at their disposal the best ways through which they could create an impact with their products. Through the interactive sessions, the teens are able to have an active engagement with the brand that offers the unique fashion trends to them. This implies that online advertising is a way of enhancing brand loyalty and equity from the teenage customers. While offering the interactive session across the online platforms, teenagers are immersed into the brand and therefore tend to have long term relationship with their chosen seller.
Online platforms have also enabled marketers to identify the demographic characteristics of the teen segments in terms of their ability to pay for the fashion products offered. By understanding the demographics, it is possible to identify where the firms will charge premium process and where it will be forced to lower its prices to ensure affordability for the large teenage populace. The need to understand the demographic characteristics of teenage fashion consumer is brought about by the fact that every teenage would want to have access to the trendy clothes and ornaments and hence need for cost leadership strategies. The high number of teenage consumers means that marketers cannot afford to lose the segments that cannot afford to pay the premium price since it would lead to loss of market share hence reduction in revenues. Magazines also provide the best media through which teens could identify latest trends and step up their efforts to ensure they have access to the fashion trends in the columns. Magazines usually have special columns devoted to fashion where it is possible to obtain information on the trending dresses with teens having an impression of how they would look like if they wore the trendy cloths. Marketers therefore identify the most read magazines among the youths and hence put their adverts on the columns to attract a significant portion of the youth population.
Conclusion
The fact that teens are always aware of the latest fashion trends creates a necessity for marketers to rely on the most convenient channels that offer teenagers real time information on latest fashion. Teens are obsessed with fashion including clothing, hairstyles and ornaments making them willing to part with their finances just to ensure they catch up with the latest fashion. With teenagers making up the largest portion of the global population, it means that marketers cannot afford to lose the market share and must, therefore, focus on providing trendy styles that meet the needs and expectations of young people.
References
Akcay, Okan. "Marketing to Teenagers: The influence of Color, Ethnicity and Gender." International Journal of Business and Social Science (2012): 10-16. Document.
Jiratanatiteenun, Aliyaapon, Chiyomi Mizutani and Saori Kitaguchi. "Habitual Difference in Fashion Behavior of Female College Students between Japan and Thailand." Advances in Applied Sociology (2012): 260-267. Document. <http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/aasoci.2012.24034>.
Joy, Annamma, John Sherry and Alladi Venkatesh. "Fast Fashion, Sustainability, and the Ethical Appeal of Luxury Brands." Fashion Theory (2012): 273 – 296. Document.
Kotwal, Nidhi, Neelima Gupta and Arjee Devi. "Impact of T.V Advertisements on Buying Pattern of Adolescent Girls." Journal of Social Sciences (2008): 51-55. Document.
Subhani, Muhammad, Syed Hasan and Amber Osman. "New Article of Clothing translates the Mood of an Individual." International Journal of Business and Social Science (2011): 183-185. Document.
