• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.31-43
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• 2021

This study analyzes the characteristics of fashion flex, which have recently spread on social media. The study was conducted with big data analysis that derived flex keywords from news articles and social media as well as case studies that collected 136 posted images on Instagram to analyze the content. The meaning of flex was positively accepted based on big data results. Flex was also a buzzword frequently used on social media as well as a symbolic meaning when discussing luxury goods or fashion brand experiences. The characteristics of fashion flex in social media were largely divided into three categories. First, conspicuous consumption is considered an active expression of individual fashion tastes or self-oriented consumption and emphasizes individuality through consumption. The second characteristic is that the public actively participates in events or fashion flex challenges. People use similar fashion styles or products to participate in playful social interactions with others using various Instagram functions. Finally, acts of pursuing psychological well-being in social media were used as the term flex in a broad sense and were shown to actively explore fashion-related materials and experiences for individual happiness. This study found that the meaning of existing conspicuous consumption is transforming into positive consumption, such as the expression of taste-based identity or the seeking of fun and psychological well-being. It is also meaningful that fashion has become an effective means to express individuality and taste in expressing flex.

• Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.51-89
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• 2007

INTRODUCTION Due to the high broadband internet penetration rate and its group-oriented culture, various types of online communities operate in Korea. This study use 'Uses and Gratification Approach, and argue that members' usage-needs satisfaction with brand community is an important factor for promoting community commitment. Based on previous studies identifying the effect of brand image on consumers' responses to various marketing stimuli, this study hypothesizes that brand image can be a moderate variable affecting the relationship between usage-needs satisfaction with brand community and members' commitment to brand community. This study analyzes the influence of usage-needs satisfaction on brand community commitment and how apparel brand image affects the relationships between usage-needs satisfactions and community commitments. The hypotheses of this study are proposed as follows. H1-3: The usage-needs satisfaction of apparel brand community (interest, transaction, relationship needs) influences emotional (H1), continuous (H2), and normative (H3) commitments to apparel brand communities. H4-6: Apparel brand image has a moderating effect on the relationship between usage-needs satisfaction and emotional (H4), continuous (H5), and normative (H6) commitments to apparel brand communities. METHODS Brand communities founded by non-company affiliates were excluded and emphasis was placed instead on communities created by apparel brand companies. Among casual apparel brands registered in 6 Korean portal sites in August 2003, a total of 9 casual apparel brand online communities were chosen, depending on the level of community activity and apparel brand image. Data from 317 community members were analyzed by exploratory factor analysis, moderated regression analysis, ANOVA, and scheffe test. Among 317 respondents answered an online html-type questionnaire, 80.5% were between 16 to 25 years old. There were a total of 150 respondents from apparel brand communities(n=3) recording higher-than-average brand image scores (Mean > 3.75) and a total of 162 respondents from apparel brand communities(n=6) recording lower-than-average brand image scores(Mean < 3.75). In this study, brand community commitment was measured by a 5-point Likert scale: emotional, continuous and normative commitment. The degree of usage-needs satisfaction (interest, transaction, relationship needs) was measured on a 5-point Likert scale. The level of brand image was measured by a 5-point Likert scale: strength, favorability, and uniqueness of brand associations. RESULTS In the results of exploratory factor analysis, the three usage-needs satisfactions with brand community were classified as interest, transaction, and relationship needs. Brand community commitment was also divided into the multi-dimensional factors: emotional, continuous, and normative commitments. The regression analysis (using a stepwise method) was used to test the influence of 3 independent variables (interest-needs satisfaction, transaction-needs, and relationship-needs satisfactions) on the 3 dependent variables (emotional, continuous and normative commitments). The three types of usage-needs satisfactions are positively associated with the three types of commitments to apparel brand communities. Therefore, hypothesis 1, 2, and 3 were significantly supported. Moderating effects of apparel brand image on the relationship between usage-needs satisfaction and brand community commitments were tested by moderated regression analysis. The statistics result showed that the influence of transaction-needs on emotional commitment was significantly moderated by apparel brand image. In addition, apparel brand image had moderating effects on the relationship between relationship-needs satisfaction and emotional, continuous and normative commitments to apparel brand communities. However, there were not significant moderate effects of apparel brand image on the relationships between interest-needs satisfaction and 3 types of commitments (emotional, continuous and normative commitments) to apparel brand communities. In addition, the influences of transaction-needs satisfaction on 2 types of commitments (continuous and normative commitments) were not significantly moderated by apparel brand image. Therefore, hypothesis 4, 5 and 6 were partially supported. To explain the moderating effects of apparel brand image, four cross-tabulated groups were made by averages of usage-needs satisfaction (interest-needs satisfaction avg. M=3.09, transaction-needs satisfaction avg. M=3.46, relationship-needs satisfaction M=1.62) and the average apparel brand image (M=3.75). The average scores of commitments in each classified group are presented in Tables and Figures. There were significant differences among four groups. As can be seen from the results of scheffe test on the tables, emotional commitment in community group with high brand image was higher than one in community group with low brand image when transaction-needs satisfaction was high. However, when transaction-needs satisfaction was low, there was not any difference between the community group with high brand image and community group with low brand image regarding emotional commitment to apparel brand communities. It means that emotional commitment didn't increase significantly without high satisfaction of transaction-needs, despite the high apparel brand image. In addition, when apparel brand image was low, increase in transaction-needs did not lead to the increase in emotional commitment. Therefore, the significant relationship between transaction-needs satisfaction and emotional commitment was found in only brand communities with high apparel brand image, and the moderating effect of apparel brand image on this relationship between two variables was found in the communities with high satisfaction of transaction-needs only. Statistics results showed that the level of emotional commitment is related to the satisfaction level of transaction-needs, while overall response is related to the level of apparel brand image. We also found that the role of apparel brand image as a moderating factor was limited by the level of transaction-needs satisfaction. In addition, relationship-needs satisfaction brought significant increase in emotional commitment in both community groups (high and low levels of brand image), and the effect of apparel brand image on emotional commitment was significant in both community groups (high and low levels of relationship-needs satisfaction). Especially, the effect of brand image was greater when the level of relationship-needs satisfaction was high. in contrast, increase in emotional commitment responding to increase in relationship-needs satisfaction was greater when apparel brand image is high. The significant influences of relationship-needs satisfaction on community commitments (continuous and normative commitments) were found regardless of apparel brand image(in both community groups with low and high brand image). However, the effects of apparel brand image on continuous and normative commitments were found in only community group with high satisfaction level of relationship-needs. In the case of communities with low satisfaction levels of relationship needs, apparel brand image marginally increases continuous and normative commitments. Therefore, we could not find the moderating effect of apparel brand image on the relationship between relationship-needs satisfaction and continuous and normative commitments in community groups with low satisfaction levels of relationship needs, CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS From the results of this study, we draw several conclusions; First, the increases in usage-needs satisfactions through apparel brand communities result in the increases in commitments to apparel brand communities, wheres the degrees of such relationship depends on the level of apparel brand image. That is, apparel brand image is a moderating factor strengthening the relationship between usage-needs satisfaction and commitment to apparel brand communities. In addition, the effect of apparel brand image differs, depending on the level and types of community usage-needs satisfactions. Therefore, marketers of apparel brand companies must determine the appropriate usage-needs, depending on the type of commitment they wish to increase and the level of their apparel brand image, to promote member's commitments to apparel brand communities. Especially, relationship-needs satisfaction was very important factor for increasing emotional, continuous and normative commitments to communities. However the level of relationship-needs satisfaction was lower than interest-needs and transaction-needs. satisfaction. According to previous study on apparel brand communities, relationship-need satisfaction was strongly related to member's intention of participation in their communities. Therefore, marketers need to develope various strategies in order to increase the relationship- needs as well as interest and transaction needs. In addition, despite continuous commitment was higher than emotional and normative commitments, all types of commitments to apparel brand communities had scores lower than 3.0 that was mid point in 5-point scale. A Korean study reported that the level of members' commitment to apparel brand community influenced customers' identification with a brand and brand purchasing behavior. Therefore, marketers should try to increase members' usage-needs satisfaction and apparel brand image as the necessary conditions for bringing about community commitments. Second, marketers should understand that they should keep in mind that increasing the level of community usage needs (transaction and relationship) is most effective in raising commitment when the level of apparel brand image is high, and that increasing usage needs (transaction needs) satisfaction in communities with low brand image might not be as effective as anticipated. Therefore, apparel companies with desirable brand image such as luxury designer goods firms need to create formal online brand communities (as opposed to informal communities with rudimentary online contents) to satisfy transaction and relationship needs systematically. It will create brand equity through consumers' increased emotional, continuous and normative commitments. Even though apparel brand is very famous, emotional commitment to apparel brand communities cannot be easily increased without transaction-needs satisfaction. Therefore famous fashion brand companies should focus on developing various marketing strategies to increase transaction-needs satisfaction.

• Journal of Fashion Business
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.117-130
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• 2004

The purposes of this study were to find out highly market sharing young casual brands, to compare their trends of concept and competition, and to propose orientation of brand concept repositioning and marketing strategies on Department stores. Reference searching method and field searching method were used for this study. The results were as follows: 1. The brands which covered more than 50% market share included <96NY> . 2. Price range of these brands was from 130,000 to 220,000 won. The brands of upper-moderate price zone included <96NY> and they were very competitive each other. The brands of moderate price zone included and they were also very competitive between them. However, the brands of lower-moderate price zone had lower competition. This price zone might be a good point to launch new brands. 3. The main target-age of young casual zone was from 17 to 30 years. The most of brands focused on 21-25 years old, which were higher age targeted before. 4. The main concepts of these brands were 'luxury, girlish, sexy' and 'Sportism, lifestyle' were sub-concepts.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.171-176
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• 2014

Due to the recent increase of online shopping mall, there were many changes in consumer lifestyle. and the luxury and foreign cosmetics are well sold in nowadays department store online shopping mall sites. Although not all products are sold through online shopping, consumers tend to purchase more inexpensive brand products through online shopping mall. Thus, department stores tend to sell the brand goods through their online sites In this thesis, First, the trust of shopping mall caused a positive effect to the trust of parent company. Second, the trust of shopping mall had a positive impact on satisfaction. Without satisfying parameters, The trust of parent company did not itself affect satisfaction of shopping mall.

• Journal of the Korea Fashion and Costume Design Association
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.49-61
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• 2020

This study analyzed the social media accounts and performed a Big Data analysis of Z-generation fashion using Textom Text Mining Techniques program and Ucinet Big Data analysis program. The research results are as follows: First, as a result of keyword analysis on 67.646 Z-generation fashion social media posts over the last 5 years, 220,211 keywords were extracted. Among them, 67 major keywords were selected based on the frequency of co-occurrence being greater than more than 250 times. As the top keywords appearing over 1000 times, were the most influential as the number of nodes connected to 'Z generation' (29595 times) are overwhelmingly, and was followed by 'millennials'(18536 times), 'fashion'(17836 times), and 'generation'(13055 times), 'brand'(8325 times) and 'trend'(7310 times) Second, as a result of the analysis of Network Degree Centrality between the key keywords for the Z-generation, the number of nodes connected to the "Z-generation" (29595 times) is overwhelmingly large. Next, many 'millennial'(18536 times), 'fashion'(17836 times), 'generation'(13055 times), 'brand'(8325 times), 'trend'(7310 times), etc. appear. These texts are considered to be important factors in exploring the reaction of social media to the Z-generation. Third, through the analysis of CONCOR, text with the structural equivalence between major keywords for Gen Z fashion was rearranged and clustered. In addition, four clusters were derived by grouping through network semantic network visualization. Group 1 is 54 texts, 'Diverse Characteristics of Z-Generation Fashion Consumers', Group 2 is 7 Texts, 'Z-Generation's teenagers Fashion Powers', Group 3 is 8 Texts, 'Z-Generation's Celebrity Fashions' Interest and Fashion', Group 4 named 'Gucci', the most popular luxury fashion of the Z-generation as one text.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.11 no.11
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• pp.401-412
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• 2011

The premium outlets have come into the spotlight as the new type of shopping facility different from the typical ones. Along with both the economical consumption trend and high-end brand preference of consumers, the development of outlet shopping center has become an important issue for many retail facility development companies in Korea, This study examines the shopping behavior of potential customers to build up the basic information (preliminary data) for successful development of premium outlet. To achieve this research purpose, this study surveys 1,300 consumers of Seoul and metropolitan area residents, and analyzes survey data by using PASW 18.0. This study shows various shopping behavior of outlet shoppers such as visiting frequency, reason for visiting, shopper group size, time spent in outlet, past shopping experience, luxury-brand shopping experience and so on. This study classifies outlet shoppers into premium outlet shoppers and general outlet shoppers and examines their shopping behavior. This study suggests meaningful insights for outlet shopping center developer.

• Journal of Fashion Business
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.86-100
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• 2019

This study analyzed the characteristics of vegan fashion produced by H&M and ZARA with respect to materials, design, development, production, and marketing to create social value. The results of this study are significant because they can be used as a reference to develop a vegan fashion market. Regarding the research method, this study assessed the concept and status of veganism through a literature review and examined vegan fashion case studies by analyzing official websites and media content. The study's scope covers the period from 2005, when H&M was the first SPA brand to create a vegan product line, until 2019. The characteristics of Global SPA's vegan fashion were as follows. Regarding materials, alternative materials were developed and an expanded use of organic materials was implemented. Regarding design, development was achieved through design collaboration and upcycling. In terms of production, an animal welfare policy was adopted and a sustainable supply chain was established. Marketing employed a campaign aimed at encouraging increased consumer participation. The findings regarding the social value of H&M and Zara's vegan fashion were as follows. First, a cyclical economy was realized through circular recycling in the entire process of resource selection, production, and waste disposal. Second, because product consumption indicated the importance of ethical consumption and sustainable consumer participation, corporate financial activities were created based on shared values to accomplish the social outcome. Third, collaborations with luxury brands or vegan fashion designers built a collaborative ecosystem in which vegan fashions were released and consumer participation campaigns were implemented.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.67-91
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• 2018

A number of studies have been conducted on the evaluation of bi-national products, but studies that may be applied in practice are lacking. This study suggests several implications for bi-national products in the sub-market using a more specific approach than previous studies. To this end, this comprehensive comparative study reflects the purchasing routes, product category, and consumers' personal characteristics (regulatory focus, prior knowledge) of bi-national products. Results found the evaluation of bi-national products according to purchase routes showed that consumers in offline stores were more favorable than consumers in online stores. In comparison with product categories, necessities were more positive than luxury goods. On the other hand, according to consumer's personal characteristics, consumers with promotion focus tendency perceived brand preference more highly than consumers with preference focus tendency. Also, it was found that groups with high prior knowledge had a positive evaluation of products compared to low knowledge groups.

• Asia Marketing Journal
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.27-48
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• 2011

The Chinese counterfeits has begun to gain great attention recently because of the drastic increase in its volume. The consumption of counterfeit harms to manufacturer who spend millions of dollars to create and develop new product. The counterfeits in Chinese can cause international dispute and lower national reputation. The purpose of this study were to examine if the buyers of counterfeits tend to care more about interpersonal relationship than non-buyers among Chinese. Data were gathered by surveying Chinese consumer living in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou metropolitan area using convenient sampling, and 480 questionnaires were used in the statistical analysis. In analyzing data, descriptive statistics, factor analysis, structural equation modeling with AMOS were conducted. The results of this study were follows, first, attitude toward counterfeits was classified into three factors such as interpersonal relationship, perception, and involvement. It is general belief that attitudes toward counterfeits were correlated with on brand attachment, however this study show that the buyers of counterfeits tended to purchase counterfeit goods as more alternatives of genuine(original) product than non-buyers. Perhaps, the buyers of counterfeits tended to have lower consumer ethics than non-buyers because they value counterfeit high. It is generally accepted that both a producer and a buyer violate the laws, but they are rather generous for buyer. The results of this study suggest consumers' attitude towards counterfeit need to be changed, following consumer education and strict law enforcement. Based on these results, global brand marketing strategies for luxury goods were suggested.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.267-280
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• 2011

This study examined bag purchase behaviors for male consumers based on fashion attitudes. Data research were conducted on 304 males in their 20s and 30s located in Seoul & Gyeonggi province. The SPSS 17.0 software program was used to conduct data analyses such descriptive statistics, frequency analysis, factor analysis, cluster analysis, $X^2$-test, t-test, ANOVA, and Scheffe's test as a post-hoc analysis. The results of this study were as follows: Fashion attitude was identified with four factors personality, social recognition, practicality, and dignity. Customers were segmented into three subdivisions: conspicuous, recognition of individual style, and practicality of clothing. The factors derived from the factor analysis of selection criteria included intrinsic attributes and extrinsic attributes. Males in their 30s valued the intrinsic attributes and males in their 20s valued extrinsic attributes. The group of conspicuous of clothing, valued both intrinsic and extrinsic attributes as important. The factors derived from the factor analysis of bag pursuit benefit included pursuit of fashion/economic, famous brand, quality/convenience. Males in their 20s and 30s pursued famous luxury brands and fashion attitudes had a positive relevance to the bag pursuit benefit.