People

People play a vital role in the global fashion economy as consumers, and understanding what drives spending habits can aid businesses in profit growth. Sub-group Generation Z is increasingly gaining spending power (USD$360 Billion as of 2021), thus brands are increasingly creating targeted marketing toward them (Pollard, 2021). As digital natives, a unique emphasis on online fashion, namely social media, has unfolded (Francis & Hoefel, 2018). As of 2023, 80% of US TikTok users are between the ages of 16-34. With an average watch time of 95 minutes per day, users are highly influenced by fads on the platform (Doyle, 2023). For example, the top two search results under ‘fashion’ on TikTok is ‘#fashion’ and ‘#sustainablefashion’ with a collective 339.2 billion views.(#fashion n.d.; #sustainablefashion n.d.).

This hyper-interconnectivity has led to rapid turnover with trends (Poncelin, 2023). In response to this, fast fashion retailers have become popular amongst Gen Z, with 90% of British youth stating they have purchased from [them] before (Duffy, 2022). Contrary to this, the same study found that ‘only 3% of participants stated that they were not concerned…about [its]…social or environmental implications’ (Duffy, 2022). This discrepancy has opened a market for greenwashing, a phenomenon that aims for consumers to believe a company is sustainable when it isn’t (Greenwash, n.d.); a technique used to attract Gen Z buyers (Crumbie, 2023).

Another technique used is having an online presence, specifically interacting with popular trends and memes, this is due to brands having a ‘somewhat seamless existence with our relationship with human others. [Putting] the responsibility on brands to be as “likable” and engaging as any other “friend” in one’s social media space’ (Dimofte et al., 2016). As well as deepening the relationship between brand and consumer, ‘increased reach…can be obtained. Most people can relate to memes, and when hashtags are used well, they…spread quickly and widely. Meme content [is] is much more shareable than advertisements and can therefore help you expand your brand’s reach.’ (Chanana, 2022).

Communication, a people skill, is thus essential in social media management as brands must effectively convey their values and beliefs, brands with strong identities often perform better. For example, Nike endorsed American football player Colin Kaepernick for an advertising campaign after he controversially knelt in tribute to the Black Lives Matter movement, this was met with both backlash and a 31% short-term rise in sales (Pengelly, 2018).

Regarding social sustainability, Gen Z has also expressed a desire for more body-inclusive representation (IZEA, 2023). Nike has been quick in taking this feedback onboard, for instance, in their flagship store in London, plus-size mannequins were installed, generating a 200% increase in clicks on Nike One Luxe Tights online, the garment displayed on the mannequin (Taylor, 2019). Likewise, in 2018 Nike introduced the first sports hijab seen on professional athletes Zahra Lari and Amina Hanif (BBC, 2017; Guardian News and Media, 2023).

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References:

Pollard, A. (2021, November 17). Gen Z Has $360 Billion to Spend, Trick Is Getting Them to Buy. Bloomberg. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-11-17/gen-z-has-360-billion-to-spend-trick-is-getting-them-to-buy 

Francis, T. and Hoefel, F. (2018, November 12). True Gen: Generation Z and its implications for companies. McKinsey & Company. https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/true-gen-generation-z-and-its-implications-for-companies

Doyle, B. (2023, September 8). TikTok Statistics – Updated Sep 2023. Wallaroo Media. https://wallaroomedia.com/blog/social-media/tiktok-statistics/#:~:text=60%25%20are%20between%20the%20ages,data%20comes%20straight%20from%20TikTok

#fashion. TikTok. (n.d.). Retrieved October 12, 2023, from https://www.tiktok.com/tag/fashion

#sustainablefashion. TikTok. (n.d.). Retrieved October 12, 2023, from https://www.tiktok.com/tag/fashion 

Poncelin, C. (2023, August 30). Harness the power of social media to anticipate fashion trends. Heuritech. https://www.heuritech.com/articles/trends-on-social-media/#:~:text=Social%20media%20has%20led%20consumers,for%20commercial%20and%20creative%20success

Duffy, M. (2022, September 12). Generation Z members say they want sustainable clothes but buy fast fashion instead – new research. Sheffield Hallam University. https://www.shu.ac.uk/news/all-articles/latest-news/fast-fashion

Greenwash. Cambridge Dictionary. (n.d.). https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/greenwash

Crumbie, A. (2023, May 12). Gen Z targeted by “greenwashing” fast-fashion retailers. Ethical Consumer. https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/fashion-clothing/gen-z-targeted-greenwashing-fast-fashion-retailers

Dimofte, C. V., Haugtvedt, C. P., & Yalch, R. F. (2016). Consumer Behavior in the Social Space. In Consumer psychology in a Social Media World (p. 95). essay, Routledge.

Chanana, T. (2022, September 24). Why brands should use memes for customer engagement and not product selling. The Financial Express. https://www.financialexpress.com/business/brandwagon-why-brands-should-use-memes-for-customer-engagement-and-not-product-selling-2689656/

Pengelly M. (2018, September 08). Nike sales surge 31% in days after Colin Kaepernick ad unveiled, analyst says. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/sep/08/colin-kaepernick-nike-ad-sales-up.

IZEA. (2023, March 16). Why Gen Z Values Diversity. The Consumer Intelligence Platform for Consumer Research. https://www.quantilope.com/resources/insight-studies-consumers-expectations-around-diversity

Taylor, K. (2019, June 12). Nike’s controversial plus-size mannequin is a brilliant business decision. Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/nikes-plus-size-mannequin-is-a-brilliant-business-decision-2019-6?r=US&IR=T

BBC. (2017, March 8). Nike becomes first major brand to launch Hijab for Women. BBC News. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-39205965

Guardian News and Media. (2023, June 7). “I like being different”: Amina Hanif on playing football with the hijab. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/jun/07/amina-hanif-hijab-chesham-united-pakistan

Images:

Guest, R. (2018). EMEA Product Campaign, Middle East Region. [Image]. In Nike. https://ryanbelmont.co.uk/Nike-Pro-Hijbab