Companies that understand social media platforms as a channel for selling, listening, and getting constant feedback from customers have the possibility to expand beyond the limits of traditional enterprises. Social media is thus, a way of developing the business as well as a lifestyle for modern firms. Nevertheless, little research has been done on how to best transform social media audiences into loyal customers. This dissertation aims to investigate the potential of Facebook, one of the most used social network sites, as well as the Facebook audience online-shopping patterns, as segmentation tools for the apparel industry in the e-tailing channel. Its results should empower firms in this type of industry, to better understand the customer segments that arise from Facebook page audiences. An online survey targeting users of an apparel retailer‟s Facebook page was undertaken in Colombia. The brand has been selling online for five years and it was founded twelve years ago. They specialized in feminine swimwear luxury apparel and have been expanding to the masculine and children‟s market, as well as to sport wear and accessories. The survey was posted in the retailer‟s page on December 2015 and gathered 233 valid responses. Its objectives were to assess users‟ social media and online buying behaviour, as well as the underlying motivations, and identify distinct groups of consumers accordingly. A two-step clustering procedure of behavioural measures yielded the existence of four clusters: The Happily married customer, the resignedly non-interested non-customer, the slippery frequent shopper non-customer and the sales hunter low frequency shopping costumer. Cluster members showed distinct characteristics in terms of their socio-demographic and psychological profile. Recognizing different segments among a bigger audience can help marketers at the time of understanding customers in a less standardized way but to observe them as individuals in order to communicate with them and see the world through their various perspectives.
Date of Award | 12 May 2016 |
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Original language | English |
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Awarding Institution | - Universidade Católica Portuguesa
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Supervisor | Ana Isabel de Almeida Costa (Supervisor) |
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- Social Network Sites (SNSs)
- Facebook (Fb)
- Cluster
- Colombia
- Apparel
- Segmentation
Facebook and online-shopping patterns as segmentation tools for the apparel e-tailing industry
Jaramillo Echeverri, M. D. M. (Student). 12 May 2016
Student thesis: Master's Thesis