Social media marketing over traditional media marketing for Sri Lankan emerging apparel brands: An exploration on generation Z

Digitalisation has transformed the business market, especially the apparel industry. In the Sri Lankan context, apparel brands have engaged with Generation Z consumers through social media to build their online presence. Although brands have adopted social media marketing strategies, there is limited research exploring how Generation Z consumers interact with and respond to these marketing approaches within the local retail apparel market in Sri Lanka. In this context, the present study aimed to examine how social media marketing strategies outperform traditional media marketing in attracting and engaging Generation Z consumers of emerging apparel brands in Sri Lanka, focusing on interactive engagement, youth-centric targeting, and strategic content optimisation. A qualitative approach was employed, incorporating face-to-face semi-structured interviews with 12 participants who had purchased from emerging apparel brands at least three times during 2024. The data collected were analysed, and emerging themes and data patterns were identified through thematic analysis. The findings revealed that social media marketing strategies foster interactive engagement among consumers through two-way communication and personalised targeting. Furthermore, Generation Z interviewees expressed a preference for active, relatable, engaging, and readily accessible content over passive forms of content generated via traditional media marketing. Social media marketing strategies used to engage Generation Z consumers are more effective and relevant compared to traditional media marketing strategies. In the Sri Lankan setting, emerging apparel brands can align and optimise their strategies to further benefit from engaging Generation Z consumers.