June 2025 Edition
EFFECT OF CONTENT MARKETING ON BRAND PREFERENCES OF MILLENNIAL FASHION INDUSTRY AMONG LAGOS STATE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS
Tijani Usman Moyosore PhD., Opele, Adedayo Mathias PhD., Oyekunle, Olubusola Temiloluwa PhD., Kazeem, Moshood Tolulope
Abstract
This study investigates the effect of content marketing on brand preferences among millennial consumers in the fashion industry, using students of Lagos State University as a case study. With the increasing fashion consciousness and digital engagement among millennials, the research focuses on three key components of content such as; corporate image, celebrity endorsement, and social media and their influence on brand preference dimensions such as; price discount, perceived quality, and brand experience. Descriptive research design was used with a sample of 399 students was selected from a population of 43,362 using the Taro Yamane formula and convenience sampling technique. Data were analyzed through multiple regression analyses. Findings reveal that content marketing significantly influences brand preferences among millennials. Celebrity endorsement consistently showed the strongest impact across all dimensions, while social media had mixed effects positively influencing brand experience but negatively affecting perceptions related to price discounts. Corporate image also demonstrated a positive but varied influence across outcomes. The model explained 11.6% of the variance in price discount, 40.8% in perceived quality, and 13.9% in brand experience. These results suggest that fashion brands can enhance millennial engagement and loyalty through strategic use of content marketing, especially by leveraging celebrity endorsements and strengthening corporate image. The study concludes with practical recommendations for fashion marketers to improve brand awareness and preference through targeted content strategies.
Keywords
Brand preference, celebrity endorsement, corporate image, content marketing, fashion industry, millennials purchase decision, social media.
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