A4 Article in conference proceedings
Reinforcement of brand relationships in an omnichannel environment : a qualitative study on clothing shopping (2022)

Paananen, T., Kemppainen, T., Frank, L., Holkkola, M., & Mali, E. (2022). Reinforcement of brand relationships in an omnichannel environment : a qualitative study on clothing shopping. In MCIS 2022 : Proceedings of the 14th Mediterranean Conference on Information Systems (Article 11). Association for Information Systems. https://aisel.aisnet.org/mcis2022/11/

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Paananen, Tiina; Kemppainen, Tiina; Frank, Lauri; Holkkola, Matilda; Mali, Eveliina

Parent publication: MCIS 2022 : Proceedings of the 14th Mediterranean Conference on Information Systems

Conference:

Place and date of conference: Catanzaro, Italy, 14.-15.10.2022

eISBN: 978-88-87173-05-5

Publication year: 2022

Article number: 11

Publisher: Association for Information Systems

Publication country: United States

Publication language: English

Persistent website address: https://aisel.aisnet.org/mcis2022/11/

Publication open access: Not open

Publication channel open access: 

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/86173

Web address of parallel published publication (pre-print): https://easychair.org/publications/preprint/bcW5

Abstract

Today’s brands operate in an omnichannel environment consisting of different online and offline channels where the brand can be experienced. This qualitative study investigates brand relationship reinforcement in the omnichannel environment among customers of a Finnish clothing brand, R-Collection. The data collection was conducted in 2021 by interviewing ten customers of R-Collection. We examined the brand relationship reinforcement in four channels: brick-and-mortar (B&M), online store, social media, and second hand. The findings show that brand relationships can be rein-forced differently in these channels. In B&M stores, sensing the quality of clothing, a customer experience that meets expectations, and store atmosphere worth visiting are essential for strengthening the brand relationship. In online stores, finding the best online deal, browsing clothes for entertainment, testing and considering before purchase decision, and feeling of exclusivity after purchase affirmed the brand relationship. Other peoples’ admiration, staying informed by following the pleasant brand, well-targeted sponsored ads that provide information, and inspiring brand ambassador strengthen the brand relationship on the social media channel. Finally, in the second-hand channel, ‘treasure hunting’, an opportunity to resell at a reasonable price and contribution to a sustainable lifestyle reinforce shoppers’ brand relationships. The omnichannel brand relationships needs more research from different perspectives.

Keywords: brands; customer experience; multichannel; clothing shops; retail trade; electronic commerce; social media; digital marketing; consumer behaviour; purchasing

Free keywords: brand relationships; omnichannel; clothing retail; brand experience; customer behavior

Contributing organizations

Related projects

Ministry reporting: Yes

Reporting Year: 2022

JUFO rating: 1