Millennials' brand legitimacy judgements amid a global crisis: A deeply rooted affair

Many established clothing brands did not survive the global COVID‐19 pandemic, while some unexpectedly departed from countries such as South Africa which is a gateway for clothing imports in Africa. This raised questions about consumers' legitimacy perceptions of clothing brands, hence brands&#...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of consumer behaviour 2024-07, Vol.23 (4), p.1701-1719
Main Authors: Nkuna, Khanyisa Brenda, Erasmus, Alet C., Olivier, Johan
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Brands
Clothing industry
Consumer behavior
COVID-19
Delphi method
Differentiation
Gender differences
Hedonism
Imports
Legitimacy
Market segmentation
Millennials
Pandemics
Values
Worthiness
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Summary:Many established clothing brands did not survive the global COVID‐19 pandemic, while some unexpectedly departed from countries such as South Africa which is a gateway for clothing imports in Africa. This raised questions about consumers' legitimacy perceptions of clothing brands, hence brands' worthiness of support during trying times. This study subsequently investigated Millennials' beliefs about clothing brands' appropriateness (pragmatic legitimacy); ethical worthiness, and potential to support self‐worth (cognitive legitimacy), arguing that this cohort, based on considerable market size and particular interest in clothing, significantly influences brands' survival in the marketplace. Uniquely integrating the Classical Delphi Technique, a focus group discussion and Means‐End‐Chain (MEC) analysis in a 3‐phase mixed method endeavour (involving N = 53; N = 10 and N = 350 participants respectively), the study identified Millennials' preferred clothing brand attributes and the related consequences associated with brands worthy of support. Using MEC's series of hierarchical value maps, findings were translated in terms of the underlying predominant values that direct Millennials' brand choices. ‘Hedonism’ and ‘security’ subsequently emerged as the predominant personal values—per Schwartz's (1994) value continuum—that drive Millennials' brand legitimacy inferences, suggesting pertinent approaches in retail to satisfy consumers' needs. Recommendations for future research include a differentiation of gender differences, and other demographic segments to facilitate market segmentation, and a follow‐up quantitative study. Implications for retail and business strategy are presented.
ISSN:1472-0817
1479-1838
DOI:10.1002/cb.2297