Purpose
As consumers of the modern day fashion industry, more specifically Gen Z, search for meaning and shared values in brands they choose to invest in, business are being pushed more than ever to provide a clear and honest sense of purpose. As questioned by Dr Nina Van Volkinburg in her lecture on fashions purpose, ‘what would the world lose if your organisation disappeared?’; suggesting that modern day fashion brands must provide some sort of action for positive social change, and initiatives that benefit both the consumer personally, and our community generally: purpose.
She suggested that there are four key characteristics of successful brand purpose: portfolio strategic and products, people and culture, processes and systems, positions and communications. By aligning with this framework, Volkinburg suggests brands should question why they’re operating the way they are, and subsequently create mission statements that help provide meaning. With this comes clarity over the exact purpose of the brand and company; not only does this unite employees in working towards specific collective goals, but it also creates a feeling of commitment from gen z consumers, who demand purpose and accountability from the brands they wish to invest in. (McKinsey 2023)
Brands are seemingly becoming more aware of how to communicate with gen Z audiences, with the most popular being celebrity endorsements and influencer collaborations; by selecting public figures with a strong sense of personal identity, as well as a commitment to having a positive impact on society, brands are suggesting to their audiences that they are both aware of the fast paced nature of pop culture, and abreast of current social issues; they are carefully selecting a figure to help enforce the brands purpose and strengthen their commitment to addressing social issues. For example, Nike collaborated with pop star and climate activist Billie Eilish, creating a limited edition AF1 Low sneaker, that not only was completely accurate to the trend demands at the time of the shoes release, but also pieced with leftover material waste from the prior AF1 High, essentially ‘bring[ing] aesthetic and narrative together’ (Nike 2022). Furthermore, by adopting and mirroring the values of gen z, such as their urgency in taking climate action to save the planet, brands are able to connect with their audience, and make them feel part of a community for change; when they buy a garment consumers want to say more than simply ‘this is a t-shirt’, they want to say ‘this is an ethically sourced garment, purchased from a B corporation that not only aligns with my personal values, but makes me feel part of a larger, more important movement in our modern fashion landscape’.
As suggested by Aaker, who developed the brand personality framework, there are five key characteristics that contribute to the success of a brand: sincerity, excitement, competence, sophistication and ruggedness, and he claims that these can be used to gauge if a consumer and brand are well aligned in terms of values, and to gain insight into the consequences of a brands personality (Mitterfellner, 2023) Essentially, these can be used as measures to help us understand how accurately a brand is understanding their customer, and if their purpose is honest enough to truly have impact on their audience.
McKinsey & Co, 2023, Meet Generation Z: shaping the future of shopping, available at https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/meet-generation-z-shaping-the-future-of-shopping – date accessed 25/10/23
Nike, 2022, Nike X Billie Eilish AF1 Low 2, available at https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/nike-x-billie-eilish-af1-low – date accessed 25/10/23
Mitterfellner, O, 2023, Luxury Fashion Brand Management: unifying with sustainability, available at https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/ual/reader.action?docID=7260416 – date accessed 25/10/23