Fashion Marketing in Arab World: Maintaining Brand Identity vs. Adaptation

Authors

  • Izzudin Busnaina University of Benghazi

Abstract

Purpose – the Middle East (ME) stands to be one of the fastest-growing markets and embodies a destination for fashion retailers. However, this promising market represents, arguably, the most misunderstood marketing territory in the world today (i.e., Arab/Islam). Therefore, this paper aims to determine the adaptation degree of the global fashion brands’ offerings in Saudi Arabia and identify how Arab customers perceive the fashion global brands’ personality and image. Design/methodology/approach – in our exploratory research, Saudi Arabia was selected as a proxy of ME. We used structured interviews with global brands' agents in Saudi Arabia (i.e., GUESS, Levi’s Burberry and H&M), combined with a consumer survey. Findings – The findings show that global fashion brands tend to apply an adaptation perspective to Saudi market, but that was not consistently across marketing implementations. Further, we found that some aspects of marketing adaptation produce undesirable influence in Saudi market; they caused differences between the perceived brand image and the brand personality that are promoted by companies. Research limitations/implications – The relatively small number of global fashion brands available for the study. However, this paper provides useful insights for fashion marketers to design their marketing strategy to Arab markets based on a good understanding of buyer behavior and to avoid misunderstandings in such increasingly significant markets. Originality/value – This is one of the pioneering studies that empirically investigate the global fashion marketing in Arab markets. Also, it contributes to understand buyer behavior of Arab consumers in fashion market and opening the way for further research in the other Arab countries.

Author Biography

  • Izzudin Busnaina, University of Benghazi
    Dr. Izzudin Busnaina obtained his PhD in Marketing at Nottingham Business School. His PhD project focuses on the influence of global marketing on consumer buying behaviour in Libya. Izzudin is currently employed as a marketing lecturer in Benghazi University. His primary research interests concern the design of marketing programs across the world and, particularly, their effect on consumer buying behavior in developing countries. Recently, he has focused on the feasibility of existing consumer behavior models in an Arab/Islamic context. Izzudin has contributed by research paper to several marketing conferences across countries; UK, Jordan, Malaysia, Libya, UAE and Czech Republic.

Downloads

Published

2014-12-09

Issue

Vol. 9 No. 1 (2014): Convergence in Fashion, Aroma & Odor, Fashion & Textiles in Brazil, Arab World, Terri Towel, Biopolishing, UV Protection

Section

Peer Reviewed Article

License

By submitting a manuscript, the authors agree that the copyright of all materials published in Journal of Textile and Apparel Technology and Management (JTATM) is transferred to the publisher if and when their manuscript is accepted for publication. Please note the following details as an understanding for submitting a manuscript to JTATM for publication.
Authors grant rights to JTATM to disseminate the paper and its contents as a file on the Internet when the paper is accepted. JTATM owns an exclusive right for the paper until it is either rejected or published. The authors cannot submit the same paper in part or in its entirety to another journal during the review.
Authors retain rights to be identified as the authors when the paper is published, and the patent right or rights relating to products or processes described in the paper. The authors retain rights to the educational and research uses of the paper, such as teaching and exchange of the published or pre-publication version of the paper with colleagues, for non-commercial purposes. The authors may obtain permission from the journal for a non-exclusive use of the contents in the paper, such as tables, figures and texts, with a proper acknowledgement to the journal.
Authors must warrant the originality of the paper in that the contents of the paper in part or in full have not been published or submitted elsewhere while the paper is under review.
Effective date for the above policies is December 1, 2010. The authors of the papers published before this date will be contacted via email for copyright transfer agreements.