Role of Social Media to Enhance Brand Engagement and Brand Perception in the Textile, Apparel, and Fashion Industry

Introduction

India allows 100% Foreign Direct Investment in the textile and clothing sector. Subsequently the growth of the apparel industry in India is taking place at a brisk pace and significant growth in private consumption is expected to create strong domestic demand for textiles and apparel. While textile and apparel exports from India are expected to increase rapidly, it is the manmade garments that remain the largest contributor to the total revenue generated by this sector. The production and transaction costs are decreasing, price stability is rising and overall, this sector is witnessing a period of growth and profitability. Research further shows that India’s domestic apparel market, comprising of the ready to wear category and the ready to stitch market will grow at a compounded annual growth rate of over 10%.

Salient Features of the Apparel Industry in India

• 1.

  India has an abundance of production of raw materials i.e.. Cotton, silk, jute etc.

• 2.

  There has been an increase in the penetration of organised retail in India.

• 3.

  India has a demographic dividend in terms of number of consumers for this sector.

• 4.

  Income levels of consumers are going up.

• 5.

  Skilled manpower is available at low prices.

• 6.

  Integrated Textile parks have been set up by the Govt. to give impetus to the clothing/textile/apparel industry.

• 7.

  Technological advancements are being embraced by this industry at a fast rate. The Ministry of Textiles in India is encouraging investments through increasing focus on schemes such as Technology Up-gradation Fund Scheme (TUFS).

Clothing is one of the rudimentary human needs, and with the evolution of civilisation, and the growth of commercialisation, clothing has transformed into apparel and fashion. The progression of the Indian fashion industry has been significant over the last few years and the new attributes of this industry are-

• 1.

  Displaying and documenting outfits in the online world is in vogue.

• 2.

  Designers and trends can be popularised online.

• 3.

  Representation, accessibility, and consumer convenience are the most important elements of this industry.

• 4.

  Fashion standards are subjective and malleable, and diversity has led to a scenario where people are willing to take risks, and nothing is taboo anymore.

• 5.

  Receptivity to new ideas and experimentation is at an all-time high.

• 6.

  The e-commerce era has supported hyper consumerism because of the huge discounts being given to consumers.

• 7.

  Influencer marketing is driving consumer choices.

• 8.

  Responsible consumerism is driving the need for eco-friendly apparel(Cowan & Kinley,2014).

• 9.

  Digitisation has changed the way organisations and brands interact with consumers.

• 10.

  Mobile platforms are dominating apparel, fashion, and accessory purchases. India’s economy is becoming mobile-first and mobiles can drive sales and consumer influence, with the aid of social networking sites and ecommerce platforms.

Figure 1.

The textile, apparel, and fashion industry and social media

Organisations in the Textile, Apparel and Fashion (TAF) world have taken note of all the above and are making use of social networking platforms tools like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter to drive influencer marketing, display and document outfits, help consumers in comparing brands, building brand-consumer loyalty and commitment and generating trust and credibility for the brand.