Can shock advertising sell high fashion brands - Essay Example

Can shock advertising sell high fashion brands An investigation into the effectiveness of shock advertising and an exploration of its influences on consumer purchasing decisions in the high fashion industry The research has two primary objectives: firstly, to build new knowledge, and secondly, to disseminate that knowledge and raise awareness of its potential applications. The purpose of the research is to analyze the role and place of shock advertising in high fashion brands in the UK, evaluate the impact of shock advertising on consumer-buyer behavior within high fashion industry and determine its potential advantages for selling high fashion bands.

Research methods. The research will be based on exploratory and descriptive approaches which help to provide substantial, detailed and in-depth analysis of shock advertising within high fashion industry in the UK. Exploratory research is needed because the role and importance of shock advertising in high fashion industry has not been clearly defined yet. Exploratory research will help to definite the study concepts and specify the problem of the study according to available (existing) information.

This research is very important at the early stage, and it will be used to determine the problem, select data collection methods and samples necessary for further study. Abstraction and generalization are the main methods of the approach. Exploratory research is a very effective tool to explore the influences of shock advertising on buyer behavior because it will help to evaluate emotional impact of "shock" on customers' feelings, and determine their motivations and attitudes towards the message of a shock advertisement.

Exploratory research helps to identify emotional approach tug at the heartstrings of the intended target groups. The advantages of this approach is that it involves comparatively small subject groups, but provides a very detailed and in-depth analysis of consumer behavior patterns influence by shock advertising, and investigate their perception of a particular "shock" message (Models in the Research Process, 2004). Descriptive research is needed to gather information about the current situation in high fashion industry in the UK, and to determine to what extent shock advertising is applied to high fashion brands.

The limitation of this approach is that it does not determine degree of influence of shock advertising on emotions and motives of consumers and does not determine causes of consumer behavior defining only a current state of the problem. This type of research has to be carried out because it will help to characterize and provide accurate description of the subjects under analysis. It will be based on survey research and observations (Descriptive Research Methods, n.d.)The advantage of this research method is that it will be based on objectives of the study, while exploratory research will be based (primarily) on hypothesis.

This method does not allow establish relationships between shock advertising and consumers' response, so it does not identify the value of shock advertising in the high fashion industry in the UKNevertheless, descriptive research is an important tool to described current situation in high fashion industry and collect information about high fashion shock advertising campaigns in magazines. Descriptive research will bring objectivity to the study and allow to evaluate results of shock advertising impact on consumer purchasing decisions in the high fashion industry.

The research will be based on primary and secondary data which help to provide objective results and increases the value of findings. Qualitative and quantitative research methods are needed to support exploratory and descriptive approaches, because without these methods the study will not have any scientific value, and will not be objective. Qualitative research will help to gather information needed for exploratory research (literature review, information interviews, focus groups). It will help to evaluate the impact of shock advertising on consumers' behaviour, and its role in high fashion industry in the UK.

The quantitative research is essential because will help to gather information about consumers response and patterns of behaviour influence by shock advertising. It will help to evaluate the impact of different appeals within shock advertising tactics (Leady, Ormrod, 2004). Exploratory and descriptive research supplement each other providing detailed information about the problem under analysis. References1. Descriptive Research Methods (Ch. 12). (n.d.) [On-line] Available at: http://homepage.psy.utexas.

edu/homepage/faculty/Burnham/III-03%20Descriptive%20Res.htm2. Leady, P.D., Ormrod, J.E. 2004. Practical Research: Planning and Design. Prentice Hall.3. Models in the Research Process. 2004. [On-line] Available at: http://www2.uiah.fi/projects/metodi/177.htm