THE ROLE OF CONSUMER'S NEED FOR UNIQUENESS AND BRAND NOSTALGIA IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF BRAND ATTACHMENT IN FASHION INDUSTRY

Današnja konkurentska situacija na tržištu dovela je do sve veće potrebe za usvajanjem novih znanja i spoznaja iz područja upravljanja markom. Prepoznavši navedenu činjenicu u diplomskom se radu obrađuju tri teorijska koncepata koja su usko povezana s upravljanjem markom: nostalgija kao obilježje marke, povezanost potrošača s markom i potrošačeva potreba za jedinstvenošću. Cilj diplomskog rada je istražiti povezanost navedenih koncepta i ulogu varijabli nostalgije kao obilježja marke i potrošačeve potrebe za jedinstvenošću u razvoju povezanosti s markom u modnoj industriji. Za potrebe istraživanja provedeno je opisno istraživanje na uzorku od 150 ispitanika. Primijenjena je kvantativna metodologija prikupljanja primarnih podataka putem anketnog upitnika distribuiranog putem interneta. Prema rezultatima istraživanja, potrošači u prosjeku ne pokazuju visoku razinu nostalgije prema odabranim modnim markama koje ih asociraju na prošlost i nisu povezani s njima te nemaju visoku razinu potrebe za jedinstvenošću. Međutim, rezultati također pokazuju kako ispitanici s umjerenom i visokom povezanosti s odabranim modnim markama, izražavaju i veću nostalgiju za istim u odnosnu na ispitanike s niskom razinom povezanosti s odabranim modnim markama uz koje ne vežu ni nostalgiju. S druge strane, istraživanje je rezultiralo negativnom korelacijom između potrošačeve potreba za jedinstvenošću i povezanosti potrošača s markom. Istraživanjem se došlo do spoznaje o specifičnim karakteristika današnjih potrošača koji se prema dobivenim rezultatima ne povezuju više toliko s modnim markama, ne izražavaju potrebu za jedinstvenošću te su umjereno nostalgični kada su u pitanju modne marke.Today's competitive situation in the market has led to an increasing need to adopt new knowledge and insights in the field of brand management. Recognizing this fact, the study deals with three theoretical concepts that are closely related to brand management: brand nostalgia, brand attachment and the consumer's need for uniqueness. The aim of the study is to explore the relationship between these concepts and the role of variables of brand nostalgia and the consumer's need for uniqueness in the development of brand attachment in the fashion industry. For the purposes of the research, a descriptive research was conducted on a sample of 150 respondents. A quantitative methodology of collecting primary data through a survey questionnaire distributed via the Internet was applied. According to the survey results, consumers on average do not show a high level of nostalgia for selected fashion brands that associate them with the past, they are not attached to them and they do not have a high level of need for uniqueness. However, the results also show that respondents with moderate and high attachment to selected fashion brands also express a greater nostalgia for that brands compared to respondents with a low level of attachment to the selected fashion brands to which they do not even associate nostalgia. On the other hand, the research resulted in a negative correlation between the consumer’s need for uniqueness and the consumer’attachment to the brand. The research revealed the specific characteristics of today's consumers who, according to the results, are no longer attached to fashion brands, do not express the need for uniqueness and are moderately nostalgic when it comes to fashion brands