Conceptualising online fashion brand recognition: scale development and validation

Purpose – This study aims to develop and validate a scale for measuring online fashion brand recognition (OFBR). Design/methodology/approach – Given the existing literature on brand, multiple stages of studies were conducted as a part of the scale development process. The OFBR scale was validated by a step-by-step process following the scale validation methodology suggested in the specialised literature. Findings – The results demonstrate the 25 items of five unique factors that form the OFBR construct and confirm the strong validity of the construct. This finding suggests that the five-dimensional approach (online brand familiarity, online visual simplicity, online aesthetic attraction, online brand emotion and online social reputation) plays important role to form OFBR. Practical implications – A valid and reliable OFBR scale provides a foundation for broadening the understanding on the important constructs that form OFBR, which is essential for online fashion retailing. Knowledge of the crucial antecedents that influence consumers towards online fashion products can enhance marketers’ capability to position their brands towards their target markets. Originality/value – The relevance of this study lies in validating the scale for measuring OFBR for the first time in the literature on online fashion brand.