Analysis on the Marketing Strategy of Fast Fashion Brand Zara Based on 4c Theory

Abstract

Fast fashion brands with “fast, fashion, affordable” three magic weapons to seize the market opportunities, opened up by the global consumer popular emerging clothing market. Although Chinas fast fashion clothing enterprises are aware of this market opportunity, there is still a big gap in marketing strategy compared with foreign fast fashion. In view of this, this paper takes ZARA, a typical representative of fast fashion brand, as an example, analyzes ZARAs marketing strategy with 4C marketing theory, summarizes the reasons for ZARAs success, and puts forward some useful Suggestions for Chinas clothing enterprises, hoping to provide some enlightenment and help for the development of Chinas fast fashion clothing industry.

Key words: Fast fashion, Zara, 4c marketing strategy, Consumer demand

1.Introduction

ZARA was founded in 1975 by Amancio Ortega, founder of the Spanish INDITEX group. As of October 31, 2019, ZARA is the number one clothing brand in Spain and the top three in the world. The design of ZARA keeps up with the trend, but the price is very low compared with those fashionable big brands. It is a High Fashion that can be affordable for the common people, and it is pursued by the young people who pursue the global ball fashion trend. In 2006, ZARA began to enter the Chinese market, successively opening chain stores all over the country. Two years later, ZARA has 123 stores in more than 50 cities in 21 provinces. On September 5, 2012, ZARA officially entered Taobao and started online sales.

2. Concept Definition and Theoretical Explanation

2.1 Definition of Fast Fashion

Fast Fashion was originated in Europe at the end of the 20th century. It is a clothing sales mode that quickly captures the fashion by imitating the design of big brands, and then introduces the clothing styles that keep up with the trend and update quickly, and sells to consumers at a lower price. Fast fashion features can be summarized as “fast, fashionable, affordable”. Fast means that fast fashion brands respond quickly to fashion trends. It takes only 2 weeks for the entire lead time of clothing from design, production and distribution to store delivery and sales, and the fashion style is updated very quickly.

2.2 4C Marketing Theory

The Marketing Theory of 4Cs, also known as “4C marketing theory”, was put forward by professor R.F Lauterborn (1993), an American marketing expert, in 1990. It is the 4C theory corresponding to the 4P of traditional marketing. Guided by consumer demand, it redefined the four basic elements of the marketing mix: Customer, Cost, Convenience, and Communication. The theory holds that satisfying customer demand and improving customer satisfaction are the top priorities, followed by reducing customer purchase costs, providing convenience to customers in the purchase process as much as possible, and finally implementing effective marketing communication with consumers as the center.

3. Marketing Strategy Analysis of Zara in Theory 4c

3.1 Meet Customer Needs

3.1.1 Imitate the Big Brands and Follow the Fashion Trend

In order to meet the target customers pursuit of fashion trends, ZARA chooses to imitate the design of international brands in clothing design. At the same time, we will learn the preference of consumers according to the feedback information and sales data of customers, and then improve the products. This strategy allows ZARA to quickly design and produce clothing that meets the needs of consumers to keep up with fashion trends by quickly following the fashion trends of major brands.

3.1.2 A Small Number of Items, Creating a Sense of Scarcity

ZARAs clothing not only has high fashion degree, but also has the ability to launch as many as 20,000 styles every year, on average, more than 30 kinds of rich and varied product update ability every day. Unlike other clothing retailers, ZARA produces certain styles in small quantities, and even when they are popular, they sell them in limited quantities. ZARA makes use of the product strategy of creating a sense of scarcity with a small number of items to meet consumers personalized needs for diversified and unique clothing products.

3.1.3 Civilian Price, Popular Fashion

The main target customers of ZARA are young consumers who are keen on fashion but have limited consumption capacity, and their income is not enough to afford luxury brands. They are willing to pay for fashion, but are relatively sensitive to price. In order to meet the needs of these consumers, ZARA adheres to the price strategy of “affordable fashion”. Its prices range from tens of yuan to thousands of yuan, allowing consumers to wear designer clothes for less than a tenth of the cost of luxury brands.

3.2 Reduce Customer Cost

3.2.1 Reduce Design Cost

ZARAs design comes from the sharp capture and unique interpretation of fashion trends. Its design is not completely based on originality, but not completely copied. ZARA designers draw inspiration from major fashion shows, celebrity wear, and street fashion, and combine it with the cost consumers are willing to pay to eliminate some overpriced design elements. This kind of diversification absorbs the latest fashion elements and combines with the consumer consumption level to make a choice effectively reduces the design cost.

3.2.2 Reduce Procurement and Production Costs

ZARA sources its raw materials from two parts, one made by a subsidiary of Inditex and the other supplied by external suppliers. This can not only shorten the transportation time of raw materials, to solve the problem of raw materials cannot be supplied in time, but also can flexibl

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