Newswise — TORONTO, July 31, 2012 --- For decades, designers, retailers and fashion houses of all styles and price points have used size 2 models, the industry standard, to sell their wares. New research from Ryerson School of Fashion professor Ben Barry reveals that a shift in industry behaviour towards more equitable representation could result in better sales.
Ben Barry, a modeling agent by trade, is as an Assistant Professor of Equity, Inclusivity and Diversity at Ryerson’s School of Fashion. Having worked in the industry for more than 15 years, Barry is well versed in industry attitudes and standard practice when it comes to hiring models. As a result, Barry was intrigued by the potential impact that the use of such models had on the decision of the purchaser.
“Very little research had been done on how models—depending on their size, age and race—influence purchasing decisions. Instead, marketers rely on long-established industry norms to guide their casting choices,” says Barry. “I wanted to challenge those norms to see if there was a business case to support a more diversified approach. The big question was: How would consumers change their purchase patterns if they saw models who reflected a variety of sizes, ages and races in fashion ads?”
Barry completed his PhD in Marketing at Cambridge University’s Judge School of Business. His doctoral research, which was funding by an Ogilvy Foundation grant, explored how the use of diverse models in fashion advertising affected women’s consumer behaviour. His research study was entitled A Dream We Can Believe In: A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Models and Promotional Copy in Fashion Advertising. A summary of his North American research results was recently published by Elle Magazine.
He began with the creation of mock ads displaying models of different races, ages and sizes yet wearing identical clothing, hair and makeup. His research methods were two-fold; his first means of data collection was a survey. Three thousand women from Canada, the United States and China, between the ages of 14 and 65, were asked to review the ads and then rate the ads in response to questions such as would they compare themselves to the model, would they buy the dress and whether or not they were skeptical of the model.
A smaller, separate group of 600 women, of the same demographic, participated in focus groups. These women looked at the same ads and were asked the same questions in a group setting – the goal of which was to illicit reasoning behind each response.
“Surveys are great for identifying patterns and identifying relationships but the focus groups gave us the ‘why’ – The reasons for the relationships, the patterns, the purchase decisions,” says Barry.
The findings were varied according to age and culture. Barry found that North American women increased their purchase intentions when they saw models that reflected their size, age and race. In China, however, the results were somewhat divided along generational lines.
“In China, women increased their purchase intentions when they saw models who reflected the Western beauty ideal. But that was mainly among younger Chinese consumers – older consumers actually preferred to see a Chinese model,” says Barry. “Much of this comes down to one’s particular lived experience. Older Chinese women lived through the Mao era, and so they were very concerned about American influence and associated Caucasian models with the destruction of Chinese culture.”
The focus groups, specifically, revealed an interesting aspect of women’s reaction to fashion advertising. There is a common assumption that women simply aspire to reflect the current beauty ideal—to be thin and young—in fashion advertising; Barry found that the aspiration had more to do with the creative elements associated with the model—the artistry and the glamour—rather than looking like an idealized model. “The underlying message is that fashion needs to sell aspiration, but it is not a standardized model’s age, size or race that is aspirational; it is the clothes, styling and overall creative direction of the shoot—the fashion.”
Ultimately, Barry believes that it is not as simple as replacing thin models with curvy models or swapping young models for older models.
“Diversity means everyone, and fashion brands have to be strategic around incorporating it. The findings suggest that designers and marketers need to match the characteristics of their models with their characteristics of their target market,” says Barry. “Don’t cast diversity for the sake of diversity, if you sell from size two to size twelve and from age 18 to 25, cast models that reflect that age and size range.”
Barry has recently signed a book deal that will see his research published by Palgrave Macmillan in April 2014.
Ryerson University is Canada's leader in innovative, career-oriented education and a university clearly on the move. With a mission to serve societal need, and a long-standing commitment to engaging its community, Ryerson offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate programs. Distinctly urban, culturally diverse and inclusive, the university is home to more than 28,000 students, including 2,300 master's and PhD students, nearly 2,700 faculty and staff, and 140,000 alumni worldwide. Research at Ryerson is on a trajectory of success and growth: externally funded research has doubled in the past five years. The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education is Canada's leading provider of university-based adult education. For more information, visit www.ryerson.ca
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