PURPOSE IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY:
purpose is a huge role within the fashion industry. How do brands thrive without purpose? Purpose should be the core of a brand/business. Having a clear purpose allows brands to connect with their consumers, by showing their vision, their reasoning and their mission. For example, ASOS – like many others – have a page dedicated to their brands purpose: ‘Focused on four key goals – Be Net Zero, Be More Circular, Be Transparent and Be Diverse – it reflects our commitment to doing business responsibly, delivering benefits for people and reducing our impact on the planet, building on the decade of progress since we first launched Fashion with Integrity in 2010.’ (Matt Dunn, ASOS). This allows ASOS to communicate their brands purpose to consumers and allows them to share their business goals.
WHY BRAND PHILOSOPHY (MISSION, VISION, VALUE, PROPOSITION) IMPORTANT?
‘As a brand, your philosophy stems from how your business defines itself. This existence determines how your identity is developed and eventually presented to the masses.’ (Pia Silva, Forbes). Philosophy is at the core of a brand, it defines why their business runs, what their goals are and what they want to focus on. Philosophy gives a brand a purpose, this is why it is so important. A businesses philosophy allows consumers to understand their mission, vision, value and proposition – ultimately allowing consumers to connect themselves with the brand, making the consumer brand relationship more meaningful.
WHY PURPOSE IS IMPORTANT TO GEN Z:
Gen Z consumers are a new wave of climate conscious consumers, who care about the planet and shop more ethically than past generations, therefor having a purpose linked to the environment connects with Gen Z and ultimately makes the brand more popular. Gen Z care about where they buy their clothes, more than other consumers. Gen Z look beyond the physical profit and want to understand more about the brand: ‘What’s its mission? What’s its purpose? And what is it actually trying to build for us as a society? ‘ (Bo Finneman, Mckinsey) Having a strong brand purpose allows Gen Z to align their shopping ethics with the brand. For example, ASOS having the goal to have net zero carbon emissions by 2030, allows Gen Z to remain ethically conscious while shopping with them, therefor benefiting the brand economically and further crediting it’s brand image.
Bibliography
MATT DUNN. (APRIL 2022). Fashion with Integrity Progress Update. [Online]. ASOS. Last Updated: APRIL 2022. Available at: https://asos-12954-s3.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/files/9316/4974/2308/Fashion_With_Integrity_-_Progr [Accessed 28 October 2023].
Lucia Rahilly. (4th august 2022). “Meet Generation Z: Shaping the future of shopping”. Meet Generation Z: Shaping the future of shopping. 2022. [Podcast]. Available at https://op. [Accessed 26th October]
Pia Silva. (2020). Why Philosophy Has Much To Do With Brand-Building (And What That Looks Like). [Online]. Forbes. Last Updated: Nov 19, 2020. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/piasilva/2020/11/19/why-philosophy-has-much-to-do-with-brand-building-a [Accessed 30 October 2023].