Wenqing Cai

A brand purpose is essentially a brand’s reason for being beyond making money – it’s a framework that guides business decisions and thought processes. （Don’t Panic,2022)Purpose is an attempt to show a brand’s value proposition in terms of its personification and describe it as a proposition and pursuit. This is something that many brands are currently trying to shape and promote.

Brand Philosophy can be defined as the set of values, code of ethics, and principles that define the overall ambience and culture of the organization and formulating the business practices of the firm.（Hitesh, 2023)A brand philosophy can help a brand to find its own reason for being and to identify with the values of its consumers. It builds a bridge of trust with consumers and brings a positive impact on society.Therefore, brand philosophy is a direct or indirect expression of a company’s social responsibility. In the process of fulfilling its social responsibility, a company not only enhances its brand value, but also realizes comprehensive benefits through the positive impact it brings to the society.Generation Z is already the most promising consumer of this era, and they need to find identity in brands.Bo Finneman: ‘I think there’s a real authenticity to the Gen Z generation in saying they want to breathe new life into what corporate responsibility looks like. And one of the biggest elements that’s come out of the research in the last few years has been the focus on values. They’re looking beyond tangible products and actually trying to understand what is it that makes the company tick.（McKinsey & Company, 2020)For example, Nike has partnered with Billie Eilish in an effort to advance solutions to sustainability issues. They released a shoe that was pieced together from leftover waste materials from the previous AF1 High. This collaboration not only emphasizes the importance of recycling, but also reminds consumers of the need to better protect the environment and take care of our planet. (Nike, 2022) In this way, the company took on social responsibility while also promoting the brand’s philosophy and deepening its connection with consumers.

First, brands need to pay attention to social hotspots related to their values, proactively take on social responsibility, and strengthen their positive influence on society so as to further consolidate consumers’ trust in the brand. Secondly, as Generation Z is highly active in the internet and social media, brands should reasonably utilize social media to reach a wider range of Generation Z people. And find the right influencers (Janet, 2023) to export the brand’s philosophy by telling the brand’s own story, establishing a reliable and solid connection with young Gen Z in a personally relevant and authentic way. Finally, brands can also bring together people who share common interests and values, encouraging them to share their inspiration and voice in such intimate circles, and then launching targeted guides for these small groups of people gathered to inspire them to make branded content their own, thus capturing more potential customers.

Don’t Panic. (2022) What is brand purpose?[Online] Available at: https://www.dontpaniclondon.com/what-is-brand-purpose/[Accessed 29.10. 2023]. 

Hitesh, Bhasin. (2023) What is brand .[Online] Available at: https://www.marketing91.com/what-is-a-brand/[Accessed 29.10. 2023]. 

McKinsey & Company. (2020) Meet Generation Z: Shaping the future of shopping . [Online] Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/meet-generation-z-shaping-the-future-of-shopping[Accessed 29.10. 2023]. 

Hitesh, B. (2023) What is brand .[Online] Available at: https://www.marketing91.com/what-is-a-brand/[Accessed 29.10. 2023]. 

Nike. (2022) Nike x Billie Eilish AF1 Low.[Online] Available at: https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/nike-x-billie-eilish-af1-low[Accessed 29.10. 2023]. 

Janet, B. (2023) How the best brand-influencer partnerships reach GenZ .[Online] Available at: https://artslondon-my.sharepoint.com/personal/r_zilkha_fashion_arts_ac_uk/_layouts/15/onedrive.aspx?id=%2Fpersonal%2Fr%5Fzilkha%5Ffashion%5Farts%5Fac%5Fuk%2FDocuments%2FFBS%20Intro%20To%2FFBS%2DIntro%20To%202023%2FLectures%20and%20Seminars%2FWeek%205%2FHow%20the%20Best%20Brand%2DInfluencer%20Partnerships%20Reach%20Gen%20Z%20new%2Epdf&parent=%2Fpersonal%2Fr%5Fzilkha%5Ffashion%5Farts%5Fac%5Fuk%2FDocuments%2FFBS%20Intro%20To%2FFBS%2DIntro%20To%202023%2FLectures%20and%20Seminars%2FWeek%205&ga=1[Accessed 29.10. 2023]. 

Profit is important for company development and survival. It supports enterprises in achieving sustainable economic development, providing returns to investors, improving product and service quality, and promoting innovation and research and development. Profit should therefore be maximized through effective business management.

In its 2017 State of Fashion report, McKinsey stated that “Fashion is one of the world’s most important industries, driving a significant part of the global economy. It is one of the key value-creating industries for the world economy. If it were ranked alongside individual countries’ GDP the global fashion industry would represent the seventh-largest economy in the world,’’(McKinsey, 2016)Before the Covid-19 pandemic, the fashion industry global revenue was estimated between $1.7 trillion and $2.5 trillion according to two different research reports by Euromonitor and McKinsey.

The fashion industry consists of four levels: the production of raw materials; the production of fashion goods by designers, manufacturers, contractors and others; retail sales; and various forms of advertising and promotion. These levels are made up of a number of separate but interdependent sectors, all of which are committed to meeting consumer demand for apparel on terms that enable industry participants to make a profit. (Valerie, 2023)

To remain competitive in uncertain economic times, brands should adapt to the current environment and cater to current consumer behaviors. For example, in post-Covid-19, the global fashion industry is facing its biggest challenge since the 2008 financial crisis. Some brands have shared a little bit of barely surviving capital, while others have simply gone bankrupt. During this period of global isolation, which has lasted more than half a decade, the fashion week system, which is at its core, has taken a huge impact during this period.So in the post-Covid-19 era, brands need to look for new opportunities. For example, Francesco Risso, the creative director of Marin, sends his garments by mail to his family and close friends living in New York, Shanghai, Tokyo, Los Angeles, London, Paris and other cities after he has finished designing them, and puts them on the street. The fashion is presented to the watchers in a way that is broadcast live online. After Covid-19, in addition to having an impact on fashion week, it has an impact on consumer behavior and patterns of receiving information. Brands need to take into account the shopping style of today’s main consumers, Generation Z, and flexibly apply the influence of social media. After covid-19’s impact consumers focus on health and sustainability, and should seek unity with the emotional values of the current consumers when building brand culture.

The creative director need to understanding the brand’s visual DNA and reinterpreting it with a modern touch to meet the aesthetic needs of the current custom- ers and the business outlook of management. It is this reinterpretation and continuity which forms the brand’s heritage and sustains it from decade to decade. (Mitterfellner, 2023) In the fast-changing fashion industry, the combination of creativity and marketing is the key to profits. The perfect combination of creativity and marketing can help fashion brands build a unique image and establish their brand personality and style. Through the power of creativity, fashion brands can think outside the box. Business helps brands to grasp the psychology and behavior of the target customer and realize the recognition and purchase conversion of the target customer. The perfect combination of creativity and commerce can help fashion brands stand out in the fierce market competition.

Bibliography

McKinsey (2016). The State of Fashion.[Online] Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/McKinsey/Industries/Retail/Our%20Insights/The%20state%20of%20fashion/The-state-of-fashion-2017-McK-BoF-report.pdf [Accessed 22. 10. 2023]. 

Valerie,S (2023). Fashion industry.[Online] Available at: https://www.britannica.com/art/fashion-industry [Accessed 22. 10. 2023]. 

Mitterfellner,O (2023). Luxury Fashion Brand Management.[Online] Available at: http://arts.idm.oclc.org/ebrary/ual/unauthorized&url=https%3A%2F%2Febookcentral.proquest.com%2Flib%2Fual%2Freader.action%3FdocID%3D7260416  [Accessed 22. 10. 2023]. 

People play different roles in the fashion industry, which relies heavily on customer engagement for market research. Generation Z comprises people born between 1996 and 2010. This generation’s identity has been shaped by the digital age, climate anxiety, a shifting financial landscape, and COVID-19. Statistics indicate that Generation Z presently contributes to around 5% of spending in the United States. Nonetheless, predictions imply that this number will surge to 17% by 2030. (EcoCart, 2023) Currently, Generation Z is a highly promising market segment, with projections showing an even more significant share of the market in the future.

As the first real digital natives, Generation Z primarily relies on the internet to seek information. They skillfully navigate various online platforms, including websites, applications, and social media. TikTok in particular currently rules trends, feelings, and culture for Generation Z, who make up 60 percent of the app’s one billion-plus users. Generation Z congregates across the internet to engage in dialogues with individuals who share similar hobbies and interests. (McKinsey & Company, 2023) There is strong cohesion and loyalty in this type of interest-based social circle. Generation Z believes that hobbies provide value in the form of self-confidence, fulfillment, and companionship, and these inner needs serve as the drivers for their hobby-centered consumption logic. Generation Z has a strong sense of purchasing power and independent consumption, has the right to decide and dominate shopping, and they often use spiritual consumption to drive physical consumption.Therefore, when brands use emotional link marketing, Generation Z will be more easily persuaded to consume.

Diversity in society is driving the weight of inclusivity and diversity in marketing, and Generation Z consumers expect brands to take on greater social responsibility, which includes respect for diversity and inclusion. They value the impact of brand values when making purchasing decisions. For example, in 2013, Lululemon became an example of size discrimination, setting a warning for brands to follow. Wilson, the chairman of Lululemon, refused to make products in plus sizes (12+) as early as 2005, and in an interview with Bloomberg TV, Wilson attributed the problem with the fabric to the size of the female consumer. Wilson said “Frankly, some women’s bodies just don’t actually work for it.” which puts the brand on par with fat shamming. (Brad, 2013) So brand behavior like Lululemon is contrary to the idea of brand diversification, which also means that the opportunity to expand the market will be lost and will face the crisis of being eliminated from the society with the coming of the diversified society. In contrast to Lululemon, Old Navy and Athleta, a yoga brand within the Gap brand matrix, already offer plus-size yoga clothing. Thus fashion brands need to focus on building diversity and inclusion to avoid making similar brand behaviors.

Therefore, fashion brands need to establish an emotional connection with their customers to increase loyalty and identification between the brand and its customers. When a brand’s target customers identify with the brand’s concept and vision, it will positively contribute to the customer’s purchasing decision, thus boosting sales. Diversity and inclusiveness of a brand will help attract a wider range of customers, and the brand can better improve its products and provide services to meet newfound needs based on extensive feedback. At the same time, inclusive and diverse marketing is not the same as just finding a few pictures and writing a few captions. Brands should take real action and use the right approach in order to gain consumer acceptance.

Bibliography

EcoCart (2023). 42 Statistics on Gen Z Shopping Habits.[Online] Available at: https://ecocart.io/gen-z-spending-habits/ [Accessed 14 10. 2023]. 

McKinsey & Company (2023). What is Gen Z? [Online] Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/mckinsey/featured%20insights/mckinsey%20explainers/what%20is%20gen%20z/what-is-gen-z.pdf  [Accessed 14 10. 2023]. 

Sara, L (2022). How Gen Z consumes media in 5 charts. [Online] Available at: https://www.insiderintelligence.com/content/how-gen-z-consumes-media-5-charts [Accessed 14 10. 2023]. 

Brad, P (2013). Lululemon Founder To Women: Your Thighs Are Too Fat. [Online] Available at: https://www.throughlinegroup.com/2013/11/12/lululemon-founder-to-women-your-thighs-are-too-fat/ [Accessed 14 10. 2023]. 

Planets, People, Profit, and Purpose are the four pillars of the fashion industry. Let us explore the first pillar, Planets.The fashion industry has experienced significant growth in productivity, causing a range of environmental problems. Overproduction is a prime example, leading to water and land resource pollution and waste.The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 2020 calculated that the fashion industry is responsible for ten percent of global CO2 emissions each year. It is estimated that the fashion industry uses approximately 1.5 trillion liters of water per year. (Davis, 2020) Therefore, the environmental issues and social responsibility of the fashion industry are receiving more attention and people are more actively seeking sustainability in the fashion industry.

In this context, the circular economy is preferable to the overproduction economic model. The circular economy is a system where materials never become waste and nature is regenerated. In a circular economy, products and materials are kept in circulation through processes like maintenance, reuse, refurbishment, remanufacture, recycling, and composting.Therefore, the fashion industry can implement the circular economy to achieve sustainable development, leading to environmental protection and pollution reduction.(Ellen Macarthur Foundation,2022)

The United Nations has established 17 Sustainable Development Goals, of which UN SDGs 12 emphasizes the importance of responsible consumption and production. Consumers are becoming more aware of the impact of their purchases, which is driving the adoption of more sustainable consumption patterns. Many have adopted reusable products, such as cotton tote bags, but statistics show that these products would need to be used more than 7,000 times to equal the environmental impact of their plastic counterparts each time they are used, as they require more resources to produce and distribute. (Chris, 2020) From the consumer’s point of view, first of all, consumers can change their consumption habits and stop blindly following trends, allowing the cheapness of fast fashion brands to ignore its quality, which leads to wear and tear without wearing it a few times, and start throwing the clothes away. Go to actively support sustainable development, relatively good quality clothing brands, do “buy less, buy better”, so as to establish a rational and environmentally friendly consumption.

Fashion sustainability should focus on reducing material waste at the source, rather than solely on the post-consumer stage. According to Circular Economy (2018), only 30% of garments produced are sold at the suggested retail price, with another 30% used for sales and 40% left unsold and unable to reach stores. The mass production of garments leads to overproduction and creates waste, so production methods should be organized scientifically to avoid wastage and pollution.

Throughout the entire product life cycle of the fashion industry, starting from production planning and manufacturing processes, to consumer use and disposal, the handling of chemical substances, waste, etc. is always managed in an environmentally responsible manner. In this way, it significantly reduces the environmental burden on air, water, and soil, thereby promoting sustainable development.

Davis, S (2020). Fast fashion speeding toward environmental disaster. [Online] Available at:

https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2020/apr/07/fast-fashion-speeding-toward-environmental-disaster-report-warns [Accessed 6. 10. 2023]. 

Ellen Macarthur Foundation(2022). What is a circular economy? [Online] Available at: https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/topics/circular-economy-introduction/overview [Accessed 6. 10. 2023]. 

Chris, Ma (2020). Living in a material world: Thoughts for 2020.[Online] Available at: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/living-material-world-thoughts-2020-chris-lefteri [Accessed 6. 10. 2023]. 

Koszewska, M. (2018) Circular Economy — Challenges for the Textile and Clothing 

Industry. [Online] Available at: https://doi.org/10.1515/aut-2018-0023 [Accessed 20. May. 2023].