LIMITATIONS
While the results of this study have the potential to add onto past research, many limitations arose. The largest limitation in this study is the sample itself - all participants were from the state of Massachusetts, a demographic with the potential to express the same interests based off of geographical social norms. Perhaps future research could include more locations in their sample to feature a variety of geographical preferences. That being said, marketers can still use the results of this study to strengthen their influencer collaborations and increase brand awareness. While responses were primarily positive, probe questions were often disregarded or answered previously, leading to some questions being completely disregarded during some of the interviews. That being said, responses were still generally strong and there weren’t any substantial gaps in the research results.
CONCLUSION
The results of this study can assist fashion marketers in the influencer-collaboration process. We now know what consumers want from fashion influencers, and the creation of guidelines and a stricter influencer selection process can make this happen. Despite having many limitations, this study outlines the pros and cons of influencer marketing in the fashion industry and illustrates how marketers can effectively use influencer marketing to strengthen their brand.