Purpose
A brand must have a purpose in terms of its aims and ideologies, in order to ensure it stays on its original intended trajectory. The purpose of a company speaks to why it was started and what its desired impact is on the world. By solidifying its purpose, a brand can create a Unique Selling Point (USP) to outline what gap it fills in the market, and should ask itself what its contribution is to society, as well as what society may stand to lose if the brand was to disappear.
The philosophy of a brand can be summed up by its Mission, Vision and its Values. A mission statement focuses on why a brand exists in the first place, and its initial purpose. A vision statement is based on the future goals and ambitions of the company, asking the question ‘Where do we want to be?’. Lastly, the values of a brand revolve around its core beliefs, which in turn shape how it operates. Brand philosophy is vital in order to target specific markets, especially as modern generations focus their attention on a brand’s values and how it positively impacts society. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), which was defined by the 2017 European Commission as ‘companies taking responsibility for their impacts on society’, relates heavily to sustainability, as Gen Z in particular has become increasingly considerate of the importance of keeping the future of the planet in mind, instead of fulfilling current goals with no regard to the maintenance of society.
Brands use different methods to communicate their purpose to Gen Z, and in this digital age naturally these tend to fall under social media. For example, musicians, who are arguably some of the most powerful influencers due to the hold they have on their fanbases, may be posted on an Instagram page having been seen in public in a new outfit. Dedicated fans, in the hopes of feeling more connected to their idols, will then strive to recreate similar outfits, often by purchasing the same pieces worn by the celebrity in question. Pages like @whatsonthestar on Instagram exist for this purpose, giving rundowns of what an artist is wearing and even providing links to purchase the exact outfit. In addition, rappers often brag about the expensive things they own, and this extends very much so to luxury clothes, for example with Ken Carson’s lyric ‘Watch his body drop through my Balenciaga glasses’ on his hit song ‘I Need U’. Brands such as Balenciaga and Rick Owens, which of course were popular beforehand, have in recent years attracted younger generations as a result of lyrics such as the aforementioned.
European Commission ‘Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)‘ (2017) https://ec.europa.eu/growth/industry/corporate-social-responsibility_en
Londrigan, M.P. & Jenkins, J.M. ‘Fashion Supply Chain Management’ (2018) https://arts.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://doi.org/10.5040/9781501317798?locatt=label:secondary_bloomsburyFashionCentral
Instagram Page @whatsonthestar https://www.instagram.com/whatsonthestar/
Genius ‘Ken Carson – I Need U – Lyrics’ https://genius.com/Ken-carson-i-need-u-lyrics