Standardization vs. Adaptation in International Fashion Marketing

Process of Brand Building in international markets

Brand building processes in different companies varies depending on the objectives of the organization. There are organisations that support standardisation while some of the organizations support adapting to the business environment in building a competitive edge. There are five stages involved in processes of brand building identifying with product attributes, brand identity, brand positioning, marketing communication and the last stage is known as the distribution (Aaker & Joachimsthaler, 2000 p. 61). Different multinational organizations prefer adaptation, standardization or contingency approaches depending on context. It has been noted that in the brand building processes, some stages prefer adaptation while some stages prefer standardization, this is an indication that the standardization and adaptation work hand in hand in building an effective and sustainable brand. A significant number of organizations support a mix of adaptation and standardization depending on the environment of operations in supporting the contingency perspective.

Branding in international fashion industry is considered critical; marketers are making sure that their products are branded in winning the support of the target market. Branding in the international fashion refers to connecting the name of a product and the reputation of the product to an item or to an individual. A brand name in a number of cases signifies product range, product, product owner or the company. International markets in the twenty first century are characterised with highly competitive products, an indication that a brand is critical in making the target customers distinguish the products from others.

As fashion brand expanding overseas is part of growth to the organizations, and companies face diverse strategic challenges. Marketers have been involved in a number of debates concerning adaptation to the new markets or simply engaging standardization or both. Standardization refers to engaging international strategy in the world while adapting means designing the fashion products in accordance with the local business environment. Issues of standardization are believed to have originated with Theodore Levitt in 1983, he believed that the global market is one, hence overcoming national and regional differences. Standardization of the international markets in the fashion industry does not work in all nations; there are cases where standardization of the fashion markets works best, while in some other markets, adaptation works the best (Fredrikson & Molin, 2011 p. 31).

Globalization and technology are part of the driving forces fuelling the international fashion marketing. There are variations in nations of operations, hence standardization strategy or adaptation strategy best work depending on the context. Standardization strategy in some nations could mean a simplistic approach towards marketing (Jackson & Shaw, 2009 p. 73). The third perspective on standardization strategy and adaptation strategy indicates that both strategies are continuum and not considered as a dichotomy.

Brand building processes has been greatly affected by the international marketing strategy since variations supports both standardization strategy and adaptation strategy depending on context. Foreign markets have the potential of increasing profits, especially the untapped markets in the developing nations and in the least developed nations (Holm, 2006 p. 25). Firms dealing with fashion industry have to develop strategic challenges in the international market such as engaging adaptation strategies, or standardization strategies or a mix of the two strategies. Branding in fashion industry is critical in differentiating the product from the competitor products.

It has been noted that customers in the fashion industry in most cases buy brands, in which they feel identified with the products. The aim of brands in the fashion industry is to express who they want to become or who they are in the society. In this case, branding is used in adding value to the product (Moore & Birtwistle, 2004 p. 417). Products associated with high fashion brands such as Versace and Chanel are exemplary examples of brands explaining the influence of brand on sales; and cemented by the Levitt’s theory in a case of standardization of the product in global offerings. It has been noted that high fashion houses prefer standardization strategies and discard adaptation strategies in the target market, high fashion houses find it very difficult adapting to each and every environment in the target market, where branding is founded on universal and global appeal; while small and medium enterprises in the fashion industry prefer adaptation strategy in meeting the exact needs of the target market (Aaker, 2011 p. 99).

High fashion houses to some extent have succeeded in standardization strategy while small and medium entrepreneurs in the fashion industry have succeeded in adaptation strategy. There are a number of companies in the fashion industry that prefer mixing the two strategies depending on the target market. High fashion houses brands in most cases are characterised with high recognition among the target customers, hence their products are charged at premium prices. An example of the small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in the fashion industry is Acne and Filippa K as fast growing due to the application of adaptability strategy in the Swedish market.

In most cases, SMEs have low brand recognition and limited resources, and that is why SMEs use a different marketing strategy as compared to the high fashion houses that have high brand recognition and diverse resources. SMEs and high fashion houses engage different brand building strategies when extending to the foreign markets.

Debate on Standardization and Adaptation

In the 1980s, the period was characterised with brand equity as the marketing strategy. Brand equity is associated with building financial value for the brand. Brand equity is directly proportional to the interpretation of the marketing strategies and measuring the brand value; although there is no uniformity when measuring the value of the brand. Building a brand is directed at high brand equity, which in return fosters to a strong brand that propels a company to success both the local market and in the international market (Grail Research, 2009 p. 11). Debate involving standardization and adaptation has generated diverse debates depending on the nation of operations.

Surveys indicated that fashion industry in most cases relates to the cultural diversity. SMEs and high fashion houses develop their products in accordance with a particular culture. It has been noted that consumer differences or likeness in diverse nations propels the brand to prosperity or to failure. Consumer demand is being influenced by socialization and globalization as consumers tend to live in multicultural societies (Alashban et al, 2002 p. 37). There are possibilities that the consumer demand to some extent is converging, a feature that will benefit high fashion houses more than the SMEs in the fashion industry.

Converging cultures is being influenced by the global labour mobility, cross border tourism, new technologies and identity consumer demand. Local cultures in some nations resist change, but it is believed that with time, the cultures will bow to the global changes fuelled by the modernization (Hauge, 2007 p. 54). SMEs and high fashion houses operating in business environments where cultures resist changes, companies are subjected to adaptability in making substantial sales; an example is dealing with the Arabic nations. The markets are largely resistance to changes, an indication that SMEs and high fashion houses in the fashion industry tends to prefer adaptation strategy as a model of meeting the local demands in the nations of operations.

Adaptation strategy has been useful in providing variations in products depending on the target markets within different nations, an indication that focusing at the local consumer culture is vital, since in most cases the consumer demand is diverging and heterogeneous. A contingency approach addresses both adaptability strategy and standardization strategies, in a way that it reduces any forms of conflicts in customers who are regularly travelling internationally (Gill & Dawra, 2010 p. 192). Standardisation to some extent reduces costs involved in the economies of scale. Adaptation strategy to some extent receives ready market in suiting the preference and local tastes of the target population.

Model of Brand Building in International Markets

Brand building processes involves product attribute stage, brand identity stage, positioning stage, marketing communication stage and distribution stage. SMEs and high fashion houses engage the stages critically in adapting to the local market conditions and seizing the global approach through standardization (Douglas & Wind, 2007 p. 21). Contingency approach is designed at creating or developing high brand equity. Choice of standardization strategy and adaptation strategy vary depending on the stages in the brand building processes.

Product attributes are tangible value directed at the target customers, which in a number of occasions identifies with symbols, labelling, logo and colour among others. Tangible attributes adds value and core to the brand. Brand building highly depends on the physical attributes of the brand (Cavusgil et al, 2003 p. 488). Product adaptation delivers different physical attributes of the products depending on the target customers in the target country. Adapting a product makes it fit in different nations and markets.

Products in the fashion industry vary with styles, colour and trends in different nations depending on the culture. Taking an example of the Mediterranean markets, it has been noted that people within that region prefer bright and strong colours; which does not apply in the Northern European markets. This is an indication that SMEs and high fashion houses targeting Mediterranean markets and Northern Europe markets to some extent have to engage adaptability strategy to the international market (Granger & Sterling, 2003 p. 66).

Product life cycle of fashion products varies with seasons, and the seasons in the world varies, an indication that adaptability strategy is preferred in some cases than the standardization strategy in the international market depending on the target market. An example; while it is summer in Australia, then in Europe it is winter and vice versa, in such a case; then the SMEs and High fashion houses have to adapt to the international markets. Differences in climate in nations of operations forces SMEs and High fashion houses to adapt to the target markets. Standardization strategy on the other side is easy to manage, as compared to the adaptation strategy (Aaker, 2006 p. 65).

SMEs and high fashion houses constantly struggle in building brand identity in differentiating business entities from others. Brand equity considers intangible attributes of a brand. Brand names engaged by SMEs and high fashion houses use unique, simple, possible and suggestive brand names that protect the organizations legally. Global brands engage brand identity that is standardized.

In conclusion, majority of SMEs and High fashion houses engage contingency approach in setting brand associations with the target market. Different nations have different cultures that shape the tastes and preferences of the customers. Firms in the fashion industry have to adapt and standardize similarities and differences spearheaded by the consumer preferences and the environment of operations (Fernie et al, 2007 p. 159). International marketing strategy is developed depending on the target market, with the intention of building an effective and a strong brand.

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