People
“As consumers we have so much power to change the world by just being careful in what we buy” (Watson, 2023). This pillar appears to be the most essential of them all since it shares a similar denominator with the others: “it is a form that intertwines culture, identity, and creativity” (Quora). Fashion, in general, allows all consumers to freely express themselves, feel confident, and share something in common with others; it bears a great value. It is more than just trends and appearances.
Gen Z was born between 1997 and 2010, even though the exact dates vary depending on who you ask. Gen Z currently ranges in age from 11 to 24. The elder half of the generation is now legally classed as adult, and many individuals have already entered the workforce. The tail end of the generation, on the other hand, is still in school. These younger zoomers won’t gain any sort of financial independence for quite a while, and they’ll probably change our current understanding of their generation as they get older. In terms of consumption and finances, most of this generation, with the exception of the younger half, has been through defining events such as COVID-19 and the Great Recession (2007-2009). Both of these events had long-lasting consequences on the market, but many brands were able to deal with it and make it work by working with the effects that these events caused rather than working around them. Brands were able to add many more services, and online shopping was and continues to be the most popular alternative for the majority of consumers. Nonetheless, in-store purchasing retains a high value due to the increased engagement between store personnel and customers. This creates a safe environment for consumers, allowing them to accomplish more than what online buying provides. Overall, Gen Zs are well-informed and do a lot of research and weighing possibilities before committing to a brand. Because this generation is more inclined to shop online, a lot of research goes into selecting the ideal piece.
Gen Z’ers share many consumer characteristics with Millennials. In this sense, brands shouldn’t worry too much about having to completely reinvent their marketing strategy just for a specific generation. There’s no clear benefit to reactively marketing to Gen Z, and ignoring things that have worked well. However, there are some key things to consider when dealing with the Gen Z market. The best chance of capturing as many consumers as possible is being social media aware. Gen Z spend most of there time on social media, being able to engage with them in digital platforms increase the chance of them engaging back
Brands have a huge influence on consumers. It starts with what we would consider little details, but brands as a whole should emphasise their marketing approach; the way they choose to portray and display their products has a lot of value. Building partnerships with diverse artists, models from all cultural backgrounds, all shapes and colours, as well as their current brand community, they would not be able to sell and generate as much profit as they do without their consumers.”Diversity and inclusion are important in marketing because they help celebrate audiences of different backgrounds”told Amazon Ads prior to the 2022 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.Displaying clothing items on larger models, for example, does not demonstrate a commitment to a larger person; it is not inclusive of what plus-size is; rather, it is an attempt to make it appear as if they genuinely offer this range of clothing when, in fact, they do not, and this is something they could work on. Another important area that they would benefit from and could concentrate on is creating and attempting to make more sustainable things. That is, our target audience in this case is Generation Z; they are our future, and they will research and participate in this. This would imply that they will perhaps transmit this one down to the following generation in the near future.
Overall, the key to a company’s success is consistency and a consistent brand message across every platform. Developing a consistent and recognisable brand identity. This reinforces a company’s views and message, which leaves a lasting impression on customers and helps establish loyalty among clients.
Bibliography ~
Quora.com. (2021). Why Is Fashion Important ? [online] Available at:
https://www.quora.com/Why-is-fashion-important-to-you#:~:text=fashion%20is%20not%20just%20about,and%20the%20world%20around%20us. [Accessed 13 Oct. 2023].
Talon.one. (2023). Gen Z consumer behavior: What you need to know. [online] Available at:
https://www.talon.one/blog/gen-z-consumer-behavior-what-you-need-to-know#:~:text=to%20Gen%20Xers.-,Gen%20Z%20consumer%20characteristics,and%20a%20strong%20individualistic%20streak. [Accessed 13 Oct. 2023].
Amazon (2022). The Importance of Diversity and Inclusion in Marketing and Advertising. [online] Amazon Ads. Available at: https://advertising.amazon.com/library/guides/inclusive-marketing#:~:text=Why%20are%20diversity%20and%20inclusion,they%20are%20interested%20in%20doing. [Accessed 13 Oct. 2023].
United Nations. (2023). Ensure Inclusive and Equitable Quality Education and Promote Lifelong Learning Opportunities for All. [online] Available at: https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal4. [Accessed 13 Oct. 2023].