The Influence of Fashion Blogs on Consumers

Fashion bloggers are fast becoming an influential force within the fashion industry, which has been facilitated by the growth of new media. However, very little research has looked at the influence of fashion bloggers on consumers, and their adoption of fashion trends. The purpose of this exploratory study was to understand how fashion bloggers influence the attitudes and opinions of their readers. Six interviews with 18-24 year old females were conducted, and thematic analysis was used to identify several themes. The findings revealed some blogs can be viewed as “hubs” which operate within the fashion blog network. Within this network, the diffusion of information and ideas, similar to the diffusion of a product within the marketplace, takes place. Secondly, fashion blogs are more likely to be influential at the collective level rather than at the individual level as purchase behaviour and trend adoption was not the result of reading one blog but several blogs. Lastly, fashion blogs were often used for social comparison purposes when managing one’s self-concept. By reading a variety of blogs, the blog reader can avoid adopting a trend that may be associated with an undesirable group. Introduction Fashion bloggers are fast becoming regulars in the front row of fashion shows; a sign that fashion designers are beginning to acknowledge the power that these bloggers wield (Schaer, 2011). Likewise, companies have also been quick to offer free products to bloggers in the hope that they will share their brand experiences with their readers (Dunlop, 2010). However, very little research has looked at the impact that personal fashion bloggers have on their readers. The purpose of this exploratory study is to gain a greater understanding of how fashion bloggers influence the attitudes and behaviours of their readers, which in turn may lead to the adoption of fashion trends. Background The rise of digital technologies has enabled consumers to connect and interact with one another via the Internet, but it has also encouraged consumers to share their feelings and opinions on products and organisations (Goldsmith & Horowitz, 2006). The sharing of consumer opinions online is called electronic word of mouth (eWOM) and can be defined as: “Any positive or negative statement made by potential, actual, or former customers about a product or company, which is made available to a multitude of people and institutions via the Internet” (Hennig-Thurau et al., 2004, p.39). Instead of reaching a small group of people, as with traditional WOM, consumers can now connect with thousands of individuals (Owen & Humphery, 2009) via online discussion boards, social networking websites, online communities, review websites and blogs (Cheung et al., 2008). This paper focuses on fashion blogs. Blogs or weblogs are “web-pages with frequently updated posts that are arranged so the newest material is at the top of the page...they provide a mechanism for personal publishing, encouraging the expression of thoughts, feelings, and commentary” (Trammell & Keshelashvili, 2005, p.970). Hence, blogs are a form of user generated content because they are comprised of content that has been prepared by an individual as opposed to an organisation (Cheong & Morrison, 2008). Literature on news blogs (McIntosh, 2005; Banning & Sweetser, 2007) and blogs in general exists (Kent, 2008; Haung, Chou & Lin, 2008), but gaps in our knowledge still remain with regards to fashion blogs. And yet, fashion blogs are becoming an important communication tool in the fashion industry (Dunlop, 2011; Schaer, 2011) because fashion bloggers are using