Effective Fashion Blogs

Purpose- The purpose of this paper is to determine the factors, which define an effective fashion blog by investigating the opinions and perceptions of fashion followers and those working in fashion PR. Design/methodology/approach- The study research question was addressed using a semi-structured interview method. The sample consisted of 9 participants. Findings- The findings suggest that an effective fashion blogs possess these qualities: authenticity and personalisation, two-way communication and immediacy, social media presence, professionalism, trust and credibility. It was also found that blogs have transformed PR into 'PR 2.0'. Practitioners recognised that blogging as a corporate communication tool is time and cost effective, allows widespread outreach and builds stronger relationships with stakeholders. Research limitations- In order to generalise the findings, the collection of data by means of surveys of larger random samples is strongly encouraged. Practical implications- The paper contributes to a better understanding of the contemporary fashion blogosphere. This contribution is valuable because PR professionals can establish more effective outreach strategies, which directly address the needs of fashion followers [stakeholders]. Originality value- This research is particularly valuable because it provides insight into the factors that determine an effective fashion blog. The study also contributes to the literature on fashion PR by determining the impact that blogs have had on the fashion PR sector, which was previously found to have lack of academic interest. Keywords Social media, Blogs, Fashion industry, PR 2.0ba_pubrelmedunpub1595_ethesesunpu