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Standing out in the Crowd: The Rise of Exclusivity-Based Strategies to Compete in the Contemporary Marketplace for Music and Fashion

Author

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  • Brian J Hracs

    (Department of Social and Economic Geography, Uppsala University, Kyrkogardsgatan 10 plan 4 (Ekonomikum) Box 513, 751 20, Sweden)

  • Doreen Jakob

    (College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Geography, University of Exeter, Amory Building, Rennes Drive, Exeter EX4 4RJ, England, and Department of Communication Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 115 Bingham Hall, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3285, USA)

  • Atle Hauge

    (Eastern Norway Research Institute, Skolegata 1, 2317 Hamar, Norway)

Abstract

Geographers have studied the complex relationships between cultural production, consumption, and space for some time, but the marketplace for cultural products is being reconfigured by digital technologies and broader societal trends. For producers of fashion and music the contemporary marketplace is a double-edged sword featuring lower entry barriers and fierce competition from an unprecedented number of producers and ubiquitous substitutes. Global firms and local entrepreneurs struggle to stand out in the crowd and command monopoly rents for their unique goods and services. This paper examines how independent cultural producers use ‘exclusivity’ to generate attention and distinction. Drawing on qualitative research with independent musicians and fashion designers in Toronto, Stockholm, Berlin, and New York it presents three mechanisms through which exclusivity can be created. These include exploiting consumer demand for uniqueness, enrolling consumers into the production and promotion process, and manipulating physical and virtual space.

Suggested Citation

  • Brian J Hracs & Doreen Jakob & Atle Hauge, 2013. "Standing out in the Crowd: The Rise of Exclusivity-Based Strategies to Compete in the Contemporary Marketplace for Music and Fashion," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 45(5), pages 1144-1161, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envira:v:45:y:2013:i:5:p:1144-1161
    DOI: 10.1068/a45229
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Paula Guerra, 2022. "House of Golden Records: Portugal’s Independent Record Stores (1998–2020)," Societies, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-15, December.
    3. Cheng‐Yi Lin, 2021. "State Strategy in the Trans‐Local Branding of a Creative Industry Cluster: A Case Study of the Product Design Industry in Taipei," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 112(3), pages 274-287, July.
    4. Cheng-Yi Lin, 2017. "The reputation-building process and spatial strategies of creative industries: A case study of product design firms in Taipei," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 49(1), pages 186-204, January.
    5. Sebald, Anna Kathrin & Jacob, Frank, 2018. "Help welcome or not: Understanding consumer shopping motivation in curated fashion retailing," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 188-203.
    6. Afshin Omidi & Cinzia Dal Zotto & Esmaeil Norouzi & José María Valero-Pastor, 2020. "Media Innovation Strategies for Sustaining Competitive Advantage: Evidence from Music Download Stores in Iran," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-17, March.
    7. Oliver Ibert & Suntje Schmidt, 2014. "Once You Are In You Might Need to Get Out: Adaptation and Adaptability in Volatile Labor Markets—the Case of Musical Actors," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 3(1), pages 1-23, January.
    8. Müller, Felix Claus & Ibert, Oliver, 2014. "(Re-)Sources of Innovation: Understanding and Comparing Innovation Dynamics through the Lens of Communities of Practice," IRS Working Papers 52, Leibniz Institute for Research on Society and Space (IRS).
    9. Hilde Heim & Tiziana Ferrero-Regis & Alice Payne, 2021. "Independent fashion designers in the elusive fashion city," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 58(10), pages 2004-2022, August.

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