The Influence of the Thin-Ideal appearing in Fashion Magazines on the Female Fashion Consumers, from a Marketing Ethical Perspective

Purpose: Previous research has shown the influence of the thin ideal appearing in fashion magazines on the female fashion magazine consumers. Building on Swiattkowski’s (2016) research work on fashion magazine’s influence on body dissatisfaction and women’s tendency for thinness, the aim of this research is to explore how the exposure to the fashion magazines and the “thin ideal” influence the female consumers’ perception around their body image and how unhealthy body standards are communicated. The fashion magazines, as a reflection of the fashion world and what is in trend, can cause a great impact on the consumers’ perception around themselves and their body image. Moreover, there is effort to investigate the part of responsibility that the marketers carry in the fashion magazines industry, so to recommend strategies for the future marketers and advertisers to use, avoiding the negative effects on consumers’ self-esteem and health. Methodology: A qualitative research was accomplished, and the data were collected through interviews in focus groups. The participants answered and discussed on open ended questions about the definition of a good and bad body image, the thin ideal, the influence of the thin ideal and the parties of responsibility for promoting thinness. Overall, 5 focus groups, with 3 female fashion magazine consumers in each, were conducted for the purposes of this study. Findings: The results gave a clear definition of what is considered to be a good and a bad body shape, according to three main factors: health, personality and feelings. Moreover, all the focus groups admitted they were negatively affected when exposed to the thin ideal, while many participants were found to unconsciously (downward) compare themselves to the models shown during the process, even if that was not asked by the moderator. The findings were analysed and discussed through the adoption of three theories used for this study: self-determination theory, communications theory and social comparison theory. When it comes to the parties of responsibility, the respondents blamed the fashion designers, the marketers and the consumers themselves for promoting such unhealthy and unrealistic beauty standards. Originality/Value: Previous research has been done so far around the thin ideal appearing in fashion magazines and its negative effects on women’s 6 health and health issues developed (e.g. eating disorders) due to the exposure to thinness and unrealistic beauty standards. However, not much is said from a marketing ethical perspective, exploring the marketing responsibilities implemented in such processes. This study seeks to fill this gap, explore how the marketers are involved in promoting the thin ideal and, moreover, develop further understanding on the reasons for which they would choose to use such tactics, despite the negative effects on the consumers