By Harold Weghorst
When brands talk about sustainability, they often cite that the primary objective is to “raise awareness”. By “raising awareness” brands can better engage customers, communicate their initiatives and better promote their sustainable products and ethos. But now it’s time to evolve the conversation. To remain competitive and more importantly, achieve greater sustainability results, brands should look to evolve their messaging from awareness to action.
Actioning sustainability goals and objectives is the only way forward to achieve the results needed to be truly eco-friendly. Consumers today will prioritize fashion brands that embed sustainability into their operations, set realistic ambitions, and make positive change. Brands that create sporadic and ineffectual campaigns, which function as an extension of greenwashing, will be left behind.
可持续性具有多米诺骨牌效应
变化始于品牌和制造商在纺织供应链的开头，当他们采取行动时，他们的努力创造了多米诺骨牌效应，从而通过供应链级联到客户身上。减少碳排放和遏制对化石燃料的依赖的努力并没有被消费者注意到。实际上，“有意识的消费者”的出现使品牌能够调和满足业务目标的需求，同时为环境做好。改变消费者习惯可以证明这一点。
According to a survey conducted by Global Web Index, nearly two in three consumers who describe themselves as fashion-conscious would rather pay more for an eco-friendly product.* Sustainable shoppers are guided by a myriad of factors, but three factors are highlighted as the most important considerations when making a purchase decision — no harmful chemicals, use of natural/organic materials and eco-friendly/carbon-neutral shipping. The challenge for brands is how they justify an increased cost on their products as a result of catering to these factors. Only by being transparent about their manufacturing and communicating their sustainable value proposition to consumers can they differentiate. Consumers should be shown exactly how an increased cost for their garment, yields mutual benefits for their wardrobe and their planet.
绿色的品牌，使绿色
Fast fashion is easy to produce, it provides an abundance of choice and can be made in mass quantities. Many brands often turn to man-made fibers like polyester to produce their garments. However, in order to really preserve our environment, the industry has a collective responsibility to adopt sustainability in all levels of the supply chain, from fiber, consumption, recycling and disposal.
To implement sustainability for brands, action is key. Half measures and reputational band-aids do little to alleviate the disastrous impact that fossil fuel reliant synthetic fibers have on both the environment and people[2]. Instead, brands and manufacturers must calibrate their revenue approach to include sustainable consumers with big pockets. They can do this by developing impactful campaigns, setting achievable sustainability goals and finding creative ways to involve their consumers beyond just selling clothing to them. This post-sale brand interaction and ongoing education to consumers is where sustainable brands can gain a competitive advantage and really perform in the market for the long run.
我们如何进行广告系列：#MakeItFeelright行动
When Lenzing’s TENCEL™ brand’s #MakeItFeelRight campaign launched back in 2019, it did so with the firm objective to raise awareness around the negative environmental impacts caused by the fashion industry. Last year, the campaign sought to garner social media pledges from consumers who created fun and exciting posts that showed off their sustainable clothing. For the initiative, TENCEL™ partnered with One Tree Planted, an environmentally conscious NGO which planted a tree for every pledge generated.
这项努力揭穿神话的努力是，可持续时尚并没有产生超过8,000美元的承诺，这对全球造林工作做出了巨大贡献。
任何想要维护其可持续性承诺的品牌都应该激发其供应链合作伙伴效仿，过渡意识到真实行动，最重要的是实践他们所讲的内容！
* GWI, Fashion for good: why sustainability is on trend https://blog.gwi.com/chart-of-the-week/sustainable-fashion/
** Changing Markets Foundation: Fossil Fashion Report https://changingmarkets.org/portfolio/fossil-fashion/
Editor’s Note: Harold Weghorst is global vice president, Marketing & Branding, Austria-based Lenzing AG
January 28, 2022
