Week 5 – Purpose

The final pillar “purpose” can be understood as “the meaning of what we can do to change something”. In the fashion industry, members will consider about the goal of the company and revise current practises to strive for a better industry.

According to Silva (2020) philosophy can be defined as ”fundamental nature” and if we put “brand” next to “philosophy it can be understand as the true identity of the brand. Having a clear brand message can be a powerful tool that enables strong bond to the audience as it requires the understanding of the corporate social responsibility and what the brand can provide for customers (Londrigan, M.P., & Jenkins, J.M., 2018). Because in the current market strong consumer-facing brands that is transparent on their website and communicates their vision increases customer engagement and trust especially in a time where customer put high weight on the ethos of the brand and hence paves a road to globalization and growth (ASOS, 2022).

For example, the Patagonia “Don’t Buy This Jacket” Black Friday campaign where it highlights social issues of consumerism and overconsumption shows the success of Patagonia as a clothing brand since the campaign is cohesive to their brand philosophy of producing high-quality products while being thoughtful of the planet. This action can strengthen authenticity of the brand and encourages customer advocacy (Deshmukh, 2011).

Additionally, there are a lot of considerations to make in order to draw in a broad range of customers, such as the purpose of a product’s release, the brand’s marketing strategy, and the ethical choices brands make during photo shoots. In order to create a community where they collaborate and transform the industry, it is crucial that each employee comprehends the company’s mission and makes an effort to communicate it to customers.

Adapting to the new generation is probably the biggest challenge for companies, because in this “digital day and age” where Gen Z have a strong mindset of social awareness and put higher importance on the brand’s purpose unlike previous generations (Pinas, 2020). We have to consider the volume of media presented to customer nowadays and it is evident that emotional connection, storytelling beside statistics and numerical evidence are necessary to draw in positive feedback from the Gen Z, it is also important to stick and show your purpose consistently as it increases credibility (Finneman et al. 2020).

Bibliography

ASOS. “Acceleration of ASOS Brands Strategy.” ASOS Plc, 2022, www.asosplc.com/news/acceleration-asos-brands-strategy/.

Deshmukh, Rohan. “Patagonia’s Purpose-Driven Marketing Strategy.” The Strategy Story, 14 Sept. 2021, thestrategystory.com/2021/09/14/patagonia-marketing-strategy-mix/#google_vignette. Accessed 27 Oct. 2023.

Finneman, Bo, et al. “Meet Generation Z: Shaping the Future of Shopping | McKinsey.” McKinsey, 4 Aug. 2020, www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/meet-generation-z-shaping-the-future-of-shopping.

Londrigan , M.P. , and J.M. Jenkins. Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability. 1 Jan. 2018, pp. 41–60, https://doi.org/10.5040/9781501317798.ch-003.

Patagonia. “Don’t Buy This Jacket, Black Friday and the New York Times – Patagonia.” Eu.patagonia.com, 25 Nov. 2011, eu.patagonia.com/gb/en/stories/dont-buy-this-jacket-black-friday-and-the-new-york-times/story-18615.html.

Pinas, Max. “How Millennials and Gen Z Are Shifting the Essence of Branding.” Dept Agency, 29 Aug. 2020, www.deptagency.com/en-gb/insight/how-millennials-and-gen-z-are-shifting-the-essence-of-branding/.

Silva, Pia. “Why Philosophy Has Much to Do with Brand-Building (and What That Looks Like).” Forbes, 19 Nov. 2020, www.forbes.com/sites/piasilva/2020/11/19/why-philosophy-has-much-to-do-with-brand-building-and-what-that-looks-like/.