Social media marketing and the world of fashion: identification of determinants for building consumer brand relationship and shaping consumer brand perception

The fashion industry, inherently characterised by innovation and disruption, is rapidly evolving. A transformation is being witnessed in how the fashion fraternity is communicating with the world. Social media has emerged as a strong platform being used by all the stakeholders of the fashion industry, as they start appreciating the dramatic manner in which this medium has been able to influence, engage and build loyal associations. This study analyses how social media is helping fashion brands in improving consumer-brand associations and identifies the determinants of consumer brand relationship and consumer brand perception in the context of the fashion ecosystem. Subsequently, the manuscript proposes two conceptual models (the RCEE model of consumer-brand relationship and the RDIB model of consumer-brand perception) for examining these constructs in detail, by building a clearer theoretical perspective.