A commercial ethnography on Diesel Spa

Abstract

The aim of this thesis is to carry out a commercial ethnographic study in order to collect relevant information, useful to take the right marketing decisions, and find actual on-field evidences that support, shape and deny older findings. To carry out this study has been considered Diesel Spa as practice case in the fashion industry. This thesis has been divided in two main parts: a theoretical and a practical part. The theoretical part is a study regarding the ethnography science and how this is implemented in order to take marketing decisions (commercial ethnography). A particular emphasis is on the commercial ethnography in the fashion industry. The methodology of this first part has been mainly based on literature: books, journal articles, newspapers articles, reliable websites. The second part is the practical part and it takes as example Diesel Spa. Here the major point is to apply the previously studied theory in order to carry out an actual ethnographic study on the commercial field. The literature has been used as starting point to find actual on-field evidences that support and deny it. The theory has also been applied to understand preferences and needs of the Diesel’s customers. Also the loyalty of Diesel’s customers’ has been analyzed, this was possible developing an effective screener (questionnaire) and interviewing 38 customers in the Diesel’s retail stores. The methodology of this second part has been based on the direct observation in two Diesel retail stores (the Rialto and the Marco Polo airport Diesel stores) and interviews at the shops’ employees and customers. Moreover, some literature about Diesel company and studies about customers’ behavior in retail store has been examined. The results of the ethnography shows evidences that support and, in some ways, shape the older literature based on retail studies. The ethnographic theory has been applied to understand the unmet needs of Diesel’s customers, to understand the interaction between customers and retail stores and the relationship between customers and the shopping assistants. Moreover, ethnography has been implemented also to understand the Diesel corporate structure and culture. Finally, after having analyzed the results of the ethnographic study (the observed behavior + the Diesel customers’ loyalty) I have been able to introduce some suggestions that will help Diesel to remain in line with its customers’ needs and preferences. Such as: open more retail stores overseas, open a cheaper product line, invest more in the women collection and enlarge the too small retail stores (like the analyzed ones).