Identity representation in customization : A case of Nike shoes
Abstract
Customization has been well-studied in perspective of manufacturers in the context of developed countries, however, are not well-explored in developing countries like Vietnam. The present research was conducted to address customization as a value creator, associated with particular case of Nike shoes, for consumers in Vietnam. Based on prior studies, a model was built to examine customization through the meaning of customized products. The purposes of this research were to determine important factors influencing the meaning that young Vietnamese consumers build into their Nike customized shoes through customization, and to examine how the meaning affect their evaluation of the products. Following survey-based quantitative approach, analysis procedures including CFA and PLS-SEM were conducted in SmartPLS 3 for examination of 267 collected responses, leading to findings that personal identity-based motivation, social identity-based motivation, need for uniqueness, and aesthetic impression are important predictors of customized Nike shoes’ meaning, which has influences on consumer evaluation of the products.