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Social Media & Influencer Marketing
Social Media & Influencer Marketing
RQ 1: How does the social media marketing of fast fashion brands impact Gen Z consumers?
RQ1a: Does fast fashion ads on social media influence Gen Z?
RQ1b: Does influencer marketing change how Gen Z shop?
Image from: CGT
Findings
Findings
Influencer Marketing
According to the study, 54.5% (n=61) of participants are 'occasionally 'and 15.2% (n=17) of participants are 'frequently' persuaded by social media influencers' recommendations (Figure 4).
With this powerful persuasion in mind, 51.9% (n=58) of participants have purchased a product based on an influencer recommendation through social media. While, products sold on Instagram, TikTok shop, and Amazon are usually lower quality as a result of the incredibly low price, 30.4% (n=34) of respondents claimed the product looked and worked as the influencer promised.
Sponsored Posts
Every participant has experienced looking at a social media ad at some point. Participants were mostly indifferent or neutral in their feelings when they saw sponsored clothing on social media (68.75%, n=77). When asked if a post being sponsored on social media impacts their buying intention the results were split three ways. In Table 1, it can be determined that 47.3% (n=53) of respondents said that a post being sponsored may impact their buying intention.
The top three most persuasive posts that persuade participants to like, follow, or buy from fast fashion brands: are outfit ideas, UGC, and clothing hauls.
Discussion
Discussion
According to Fontein (2019), Generation Z heavily relies on their family and friends for recommendations before making purchases. Knowing this reliance and trust they have in loved ones, it could be inferred that as more people have good experiences buying from influencers on platforms like TikTok shop, the number of people that have never bought from the platform will only grow smaller in the future. Generation Z likes to be adventurous and be ahead of trends, so they may be the first generation that switches to having 100% of participants experience shopping through social media in the future.
Fashion's Environmental Impact
Fashion's Environmental Impact
RQ 2: Does awareness of the environmental impact the fashion industry makes on the planet affect Gen Z consumers' buying intention?
Findings
Findings
Gen Z is aware of the high amounts of pollution the clothing industry produces and, according to this study, highly considers sustainability when shopping (Figure 5). Gen Z considers sustainable clothing but does not make it to the decision stage of actually investing in high-quality pieces.
Screenshot from Shein
Yet, when participants were asked if they would continue to shop for fast fashion brands like Shein, 38.4% (n=43) said they would continue buying from these brands even after learning about the harmful environmental impact the clothing industry has on the planet (Figure 6).
According to Figure 7, a large number of the participants are still shopping in person primarily, regardless of gender.
Discussion
Discussion
Quality clothing is more expensive upfront but lasts much longer than a piece of fast fashion, so if Gen Z chose to invest in their wardrobe they would be saving money in the long run.
Marketers for sustainable fashion need to look at their campaign deliverables and focus on improving all of the pieces that encourage consumers to decide to purchase. Generation Z makes it to the consideration stage in the customer journey but falls off at the last second when it comes down to pulling the trigger and purchasing.
Image from: Single Grain
It was a surprise to see how much of Generation Z still shops in person at clothing stores post-pandemic when so many people could only shop online. Marketers should continue providing significant resources to print, ambient, or digital display ads in storefronts.
Continue to engage Gen Z with influencer or celebrity collaborations to bring the artist's fan base to the clothing brand. Don't be afraid to think outside of the box and be wild! This was a successful tactic for the Jacquemus x Bad Bunny campaign where the fashionable Puerto Rican rapper partnered with the French designer.
Awareness of Greenwashing in Fashion
Awareness of Greenwashing in Fashion
Q3: Does awareness of greenwashing marketing impact Gen Z consumers' buying intention?
Findings
Findings
Greenwashing: a marketing ploy of advertising a product as “eco-friendly” without any evidence of its sustainability claims that is utilized by fast fashion brands (Marko & Kusá, 2023, p. 90).
According to the study, 43.8% (n=49) of the respondents had never heard of greenwashing in marketing before this survey. With greenwashing still being an unfamiliar concept to almost half of Generation Z, this population is vulnerable to falling for these false environmental claims.
Table 2
Table 3
After reading about greenwashing, 88.4% (n=99) of respondents claim they will be more wary when buying products that claim to be sustainable in the future. While 8.9% (n=10) of survey participants were unaffected and did not plan on letting this affect their buying habits.
Participants' trust in the clothing brand's marketing, after learning about greenwashing, was very undecided (Figure 8). 34.8% (n=39) of respondents trust a brand when it makes claims about being environmentally friendly. The majority of Gen Z has become skeptical and 37.5% (n=42) feel neutral or indifferent about sustainable campaigns.
Discussion
Discussion
Companies are capable of making false statements that aren't entirely true do to the way things are worded. The context really does change information, but often people reading a quick headline don't read much into the idea or fact-check the information. Education of greenwashing in marketing campaigns is an important step that must be made so consumers are a little more weary of company claims.
To read to full 'Research Results, Discussions, Limitations, and Visuals' click this link.
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