Predicting adolescents' apparel brand preferences

Purpose: The purpose of this paper was to assess how adolescents' favorite apparel brand was related to congruency between brand image and three components of self concept (actual, ideal, ideal social). Predictors of the brand-self concept congruency relationships were also examined. Design/methodology/approach: A questionnaire distributed to 300 high school students yielded usable data from 137 students. Participants' ages ranged from 14 to 18 years. Findings: The highest level of congruency was found between adolescents' favorite apparel brand and their actual self concept followed by ideal social and ideal self concept. Adolescents who indicated that their apparel purchases were highly influenced by their peers or family members linked their favorite brand with their ideal social or ideal self concept. Materialistic adolescents also linked their favorite apparel brand to their ideal self concept. Research limitations/implications: Focusing on congruency between brand and self concept is an important strategy in marketing targeting adolescents. Family and peer group influences played an important role in congruency adolescents identified between self and apparel brands. Originality/value: This research demonstrated application of self-brand congruency theory to adolescents and to apparel products. Adolescent consumers, like adults, identify a preference for apparel brands that they can link to some aspect of self.