People
From the producer to the consumer people are at the forefront of the fashion industry, and communication between the is a pillar which fundamentally ensures that a brand is met with a positive reception.
Gen z are a culmination of digital natives (marc Prensky, 2001), soon to overtake millennials as the most influential generation. Born between 1995 and 2010 they are the generation newest to the work force, now the largest generational group, constituting for 32% of the global population (New York post, 2020). They are highly interconnected though means such as social media allowing them to be more technologically adept than their predecessors. as more conscious buyers this suggests that the purchasing intentions of ethical consumers are driven by attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control (Carrington et al., 2010). In the digital age gen z have had a much higher exposure to current events and are hyper aware of issues on an environmental, humanitarian and political basis combined with exposure to Black Lives Matter movements, increased terrorism, and LGBTQ+ hate crime (Bitterman & Hess, 2021). This culminates in gen z’s consumerist behaviours being influenced dramatically by these issues.
From the producer to the consumer people are at the forefront of the fashion industry, and communication between the is a pillar which fundamentally ensures that a brand is met with a positive reception.
Gen z are a culmination of digital natives (marc Prensky, 2001), soon to overtake millennials as the most influential generation. Born between 1995 and 2010 they are the generation newest to the work force, now the largest generational group, constituting for 32% of the global population (New York post, 2020). They are highly interconnected though means such as social media allowing them to be more technologically adept than their predecessors. as more conscious buyers this suggests that the purchasing intentions of ethical consumers are driven by attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control (Carrington et al., 2010). In the digital age gen z have had a much higher exposure to current events and are hyper aware of issues on an environmental, humanitarian and political basis combined with exposure to Black Lives Matter movements, increased terrorism, and LGBTQ+ hate crime (Bitterman & Hess, 2021). This culminates in gen z’s consumerist behaviours being influenced dramatically by these issues.
It is imperative for corporations to deeply consider the environmental, ethical and social ratifications when it comes to both their production being ethical , and their products and campaigns also aligning with pressing issues. an example of this could be the increased acceptance of sexual fluidity to which the Calvin Klein advert in 2019 responded to controversially.in the video supermodel Bella Hadid appears to make out with the computer-generated influencer, Lil Miquela as a part of the “#MYTRUTH campaign” which functioned to promote freedom of expression for a wide range of identities. Despite the causality of the campaign aligning with the needs of gen z , it appeared to read as a harmful example of queer baiting , while using sexual liberation to form as an act of clickbait or misinformed publicity ; to which the brand responded by deleting the campaign and released a statement apologising to the LGBTQ+ community. However despite this it is certainly worth considering the role of models and influencers upon the reception of a brand to gen z. models such as Kendal Jenner, singers such as Jung Kook , and the plethora of TikTok influencers have collaborated with the brand to reflect authenticity, transparency and relatability to younger consumers , who through their own social platforms appeal to the needs of gen z.
Bibliography
Marc Prensky (2001) digital natives digital immigrants
[Accessed 15/10/23]
The New York post (2020) Generation Z is bigger than millennials — and they’re out to change the world
[Accessed 15/10/23]
Carrington, M. J., Neville, B. A., & Whitwell, G. J. (2010) Why ethical consumers don’t walk their talk: Towards a framework for understanding the gap between the ethical purchase intentions and actual buying behaviour of ethically minded consumers.
[Accessed 15/10/23]
Bitterman, A & Hess,D. B. (2021) The life and afterlife of gay neighbourhoods
https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/48214
[Accessed 15/10/23]
