Undressing Sustainability Communication: An exploratory study of sustainable fashion brands’ online messages
(2018) BUSN39 20181Department of Business Administration
- Abstract
- Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to provide an understanding of how successful sustainable fashion brands communicate online, since communicating sustainability efforts effectively has been identified as essential to contribute towards closing the attitude-behaviour gap. Therefore, the company perspective is taken, exploring message content and composition on corporate websites and Facebook. This thesis further takes brand identity as a basis for developing a communication strategy.
Methodology: A qualitative method with an abductive approach is guiding this thesis, allowing to develop an in-depth understanding of the sustainable fashion brands’ online communication. A twofold material collection process is applied, namely... (More) - Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to provide an understanding of how successful sustainable fashion brands communicate online, since communicating sustainability efforts effectively has been identified as essential to contribute towards closing the attitude-behaviour gap. Therefore, the company perspective is taken, exploring message content and composition on corporate websites and Facebook. This thesis further takes brand identity as a basis for developing a communication strategy.
Methodology: A qualitative method with an abductive approach is guiding this thesis, allowing to develop an in-depth understanding of the sustainable fashion brands’ online communication. A twofold material collection process is applied, namely semi-structured interviews with experts in the field of sustainable branding and communication, as well as, an analysis of sustainable fashion brands’ communication on corporate websites and Facebook, the focus of this work.
Findings: The findings cover nine themes illustrating the message content and composition of sustainable fashion brands’ online communication. The themes unfold the imperative of aligning brand identity to fashion’s sustainability communication, connecting the message elements to ensure credibility. Further, the study reveals the brands’ approach to counteract the attitude-behaviour gap, conveyed by communicating to the respective interests of the consumer while staying true to their own purpose. The themes disclose that this twofold ambition is communicated by balancing sustainability and fashion content.
Research implications: This thesis provides a modified theoretical framework illustrating how fashion brands with sustainability at the core can devise and communicate their efforts, while ensuring to appeal to consumers’ wants and needs. Further, this work introduces the sweet spot as an emerged concept and enhances existing knowledge on the importance of brand identity in communication by revealing how both elements are connected.
Practical implications: This thesis implies that a credible sustainability communication in fashion is aligned with the brand identity. With regard to the content, mingling fashion and sustainability content fulfils the imperative to make sustainability communication inspirational and fun in order to keep the consumer engaged. The study further indicates that great efforts need to be made regarding explicitness of messages to support the perception of trust and comprehensiveness.
Originality/value: With regard to the attitude-behaviour gap, this thesis enriches literature from the company perspective, highlighting the role of sustainable fashion brands’ communication towards solving this paradox. Another noteworthy value lies in the rich empirical material, enabling a better understanding of sustainability communication and gaining latest practical knowledge. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/8945609
- author
- Langguth, Jasmin LU and Schnee, Stefanie LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- BUSN39 20181
- year
- 2018
- type
- H1 - Master's Degree (One Year)
- subject
- keywords
- sustainability communication, online communication, sustainable fashion brands, brand identity, attitude-behaviour gap
- language
- English
- id
- 8945609
- date added to LUP
- 2018-06-28 14:38:43
- date last changed
- 2018-06-28 14:38:43
@misc{8945609,
abstract = {{Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to provide an understanding of how successful sustainable fashion brands communicate online, since communicating sustainability efforts effectively has been identified as essential to contribute towards closing the attitude-behaviour gap. Therefore, the company perspective is taken, exploring message content and composition on corporate websites and Facebook. This thesis further takes brand identity as a basis for developing a communication strategy.
Methodology: A qualitative method with an abductive approach is guiding this thesis, allowing to develop an in-depth understanding of the sustainable fashion brands’ online communication. A twofold material collection process is applied, namely semi-structured interviews with experts in the field of sustainable branding and communication, as well as, an analysis of sustainable fashion brands’ communication on corporate websites and Facebook, the focus of this work.
Findings: The findings cover nine themes illustrating the message content and composition of sustainable fashion brands’ online communication. The themes unfold the imperative of aligning brand identity to fashion’s sustainability communication, connecting the message elements to ensure credibility. Further, the study reveals the brands’ approach to counteract the attitude-behaviour gap, conveyed by communicating to the respective interests of the consumer while staying true to their own purpose. The themes disclose that this twofold ambition is communicated by balancing sustainability and fashion content.
Research implications: This thesis provides a modified theoretical framework illustrating how fashion brands with sustainability at the core can devise and communicate their efforts, while ensuring to appeal to consumers’ wants and needs. Further, this work introduces the sweet spot as an emerged concept and enhances existing knowledge on the importance of brand identity in communication by revealing how both elements are connected.
Practical implications: This thesis implies that a credible sustainability communication in fashion is aligned with the brand identity. With regard to the content, mingling fashion and sustainability content fulfils the imperative to make sustainability communication inspirational and fun in order to keep the consumer engaged. The study further indicates that great efforts need to be made regarding explicitness of messages to support the perception of trust and comprehensiveness.
Originality/value: With regard to the attitude-behaviour gap, this thesis enriches literature from the company perspective, highlighting the role of sustainable fashion brands’ communication towards solving this paradox. Another noteworthy value lies in the rich empirical material, enabling a better understanding of sustainability communication and gaining latest practical knowledge.}},
author = {{Langguth, Jasmin and Schnee, Stefanie}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Undressing Sustainability Communication: An exploratory study of sustainable fashion brands’ online messages}},
year = {{2018}},
}