Bethan Alexander, Course Director of MA Fashion Retail speaks at the International Conference on Fashion, Retail and Management in Hyderabad, India
Bethan Alexander, Course Director for MA Fashion Retail, has returned from a recent trip to India, where she presented the Sonic Branding within Fashion Retail paper, which was co-authored by LCF alum, Benny Heyd.
Bethan attended the Reflections 2014: International Conference on Fashion, Retail and Management at the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) in Hyderabad, India.
Bethan told LCF News:
“One of my research interests is sensory branding within the retail space and how that delivers heightened consumer engagement.”
The paper she presented looked specifically at the sense of sound, examining how fashion retailers can reinforce their brand though what consumers hear.
As well as engaging with international academics, Bethan was also able to network and build links with other universities and businesses that may help shape LCF’s future teaching and learning collaborations.
“Meeting lots of local and international academics and industry professionals was one of the many highlights of the conference,” Bethan said, especially “discussing the rapidly changing retail environment within India and how local brands are responding to international fashion entrants, especially Europeans.”
Attending international conferences allows LCF’s course directors and academics to engage in the practice of key issues and trends that are shaping the future of the industry; keeping LCF one-step ahead of the curve.
Bethan also remarked on the new retail and consumer insights she had gained from her trip:
“I discovered the culture [of India] and how it impacts on Indian consumer behaviour by exploring the Indian shopping malls.”
- MA Fashion Retail
- Written by Nicole Mullen, BA (Hons) Fashion Journalism