PURPOSE

Purpose is the last of the four pillars being introduced at London College of Fashion. It underlines the reason of brand’s existence as well as delivering the message directly from the design and production to the customers.

Brand philosophy, also known as the mission; vision; value; proposition of brands. Brand philosophy is also the key on making effective communication with their costumer, especially Gen Z who would intentionally seek for information behind each products. Bo Finneman stated in the Mckinsey podcast: “They’re looking beyond tangible products and actually trying to understand what is it that makes the company tick.” (2020). This presents the individuality of identity that Gen Z customers would hold, which illustrates the amount of information that brands are required to output in order to attract this specific group of customers. The importance of brand philosophy has been picked up by more brands, this can be noticed from brand’s website. Lululemon has included a section named community, containing sustainability; social impact; inclusivity and diversity, which are the fields that Gen Z customers would seek for in order to resonant with the brand.

By having more active customers in the fashion market, brands are encouraged to give firm stands on political and social views, as audiences, especially Gen Z customers have the habit of agreeing the brand values when it comes to purchasing items. In response to the change of consumption method, brands have started to publicly support events and activities which are in relation to equality and inclusivity. From famous street brands, such as Fear of Gods, designing merchandises only allocated for supporting minorities; to designer brands, such as Beepy Bella, selected specific items for raffle to support BLM events, are all examples of showing attention and care that has been delivered from brands (Vogue, 2020). Collaborations are also the skills that brands use these days to communicate their purpose from a different perspective. The collaboration between Nike and Ambush has been a success as it has successfully delivered its message on self- expression, which is the interested field of Gen Z customers, as well as making a decent profit. The written content included in the collaboration page can deliberately deliver the message from the designer to the customers which allows a deeper connection to be made.

Bibliography

1. Farra E. , Yotka S. Auctions, Raffles, and Other Ways Independent Fashion Brands Are Supporting the Black Lives Matter Movement. Published on 9 June 2020. https://www.vogue.com/article/auctions-raffles-and-other-ways-independent-fashion-brands-are-supporting-the-black-lives-matter-movement
2. Lululemon Community page. Lululemon official website. [online] Available at: https://www.lululemon.co.uk/en-gb/c/community/about-us/our-sustainability Accessed at 6 November 2023.
3. Meet Generation Z: Shaping the future of Shopping (2020) McKinsey & Company. [online] Published on 4 August 2020. Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/meet-generation-z-shaping-the-future-of-shopping
4. Nike Official website, collaboration section. [online]Published on 25 July 2023. Available at: https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/the-nike-x-ambush-collection-amplifies-sport-style-self-expression

This pillar introduces the ‘why’ of fashion business’ existence and questions the ethics and responsibility of a brand. As stated by Liz Gee: ‘Ethical and responsible fashion businesses operate with genuine transparency and clear purpose.’

A brand philosophy is the mission, vision and value proposition of the fashion business, it plays an important role in explaining the value and clear purpose of why a fashion business exists and what it wants to achieve. The brand philosophy decides the corporate culture of a fashion business and what messages or values they express which communities with consumers. This value being expressed could build the identity of the brands and create an impression of the brand in the consumer’s mind called the brand image. By building brand image, they could effectively communicate with the audience about the personalities and characteristics of the brand, allowing the purpose of fashion business to be easily communicated.

As stated in the first paragraph, the purpose of a fashion business nowadays is more than just the brand’s intentions of establishing or the messages they want to communicate through fashion. They are asked to be responsible in their CSR and have an ethical aim which contributes the planet to being a better place. Referring to CSR, it stands for Social Corporate Responsibility, which the European Commission (2017) defined as ‘Companies taking responsibility for their impact on society.’ (Londrigan, M.P., Jenkins, J.M., 2018, pp.Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability, Pages: 41–60). Brands should consider their impact on society, taking action on their part to avoid unfairness in humanity and the environmental damage caused by their operations. Such as, protecting the life quality of workers in industry, taking sustainability into practice etc.

Gen Z is the largest percentage of the world’s population, they are more sensitive to the world environment and social events, expecting their favourite brand to stand for something (Forbes, Jeff Fromm, 2019). Therefore, to connect with this young generation communicating the purpose is significantly important, brands should use their purpose to create societal, functional and emotional benefits, being a purpose-driven brand (Forbes, Jeff Fromm, 2019). Fashion brands often collaborate with trends in the younger generation to introduce themselves to Gen Z. For example, the collaboration between Nike and AMBUSH tends to tell their value in sportswear and femininity, creating a connection spot for Gen Z and Nike. 

Reference list

Fromm, J. (2019). Gen-Z And The Three Elements Of Purpose Brands. [online] Forbes. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jefffromm/2019/07/26/gen-z-and-the-three-elements-of-purpose-brands/ [Accessed 29 Oct. 2023].

Gülmez, E. (2021). Brand Purpose and Purpose-Driven Marketing: The New Digital. [online] Handbook of Research on IoT, Digital Transformation, and the Future of Global Marketing. Available at: https://www.igi-global.com/chapter/brand-purpose-and-purpose-driven-marketing/286288 [Accessed 29 Oct. 2023].

Londrigan, M.P. and Jenkins, J.M. (2018). Fashion Supply Chain Management. Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. doi:https://doi.org/10.5040/9781501317798.

Nike.com. (2023). The Nike x AMBUSH Collection Amplifies Sport, Style, Self-Expression. [online] Available at: https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/the-nike-x-ambush-collection-amplifies-sport-style-self-expression [Accessed 29 Oct. 2023].

Wilson, S. (2021). Where Brands Are Reaching Gen Z. [online] Harvard Business Review. Available at: https://hbr.org/2021/03/where-brands-are-reaching-gen-z [Accessed 29 Oct. 2023].

Picture taken by student at Gucci ‘Cosmos’ exhibition, exploring the purpose and history of the brand.*

The purpose pillar was introduced to us through the Japanese concept of Ikagai: a reason for being. The purpose is at the core of the brand as it shapes its image, mission, and vision. Everything is a result of the Purpose, even profit, as pointed out by Dr. Nina Van Volkenburg. It could be argued that a brand’s purpose is more aligned with that of human philosophy explicitly aligned with the psychological literature on human purpose than with the language of marketing or corporate strategy. This could be so that the consumer is able to empathize with it and observe the product beyond the material good. According to the paper Modern Business Philosophy: The Brand as a Phenomenon of Culture(2018), there are two key similarities in almost all brand purposes: One is the clear connection to the ethos of the brand. Thus, by defining the ethos it defines the reason for existing and outlines the brand’s image. For example, Stella McCartney’s ethos is to create sustainable circular fashion. The second common denominator is the focus on benefitting others. This second point is what shapes the brands’ mission and vision which often has the generation of profit as a result. In the case of Stella McCartney, their ethos derives from their vision to follow the ideal presented by the UN SDGs. It also shapes their mission as they strive to create sustainable products that will reshape the fashion industry into a circular economic model. The outcome is a proposal for the consumer to continue purchasing fashion but in a more sustainable way. Therefore, we can see how the purpose gives a brand not only its image but ultimately its business model.

According to Sara Wilson, founder of SW Projects, the best way to reach Gen Z is through campfires. GenZ is commonly known for having multiple niche interests for which large broadcasts result in ineffective. A brand should use these “campfires” to really capture their target audience quickly. These digital campfires refer to small communities within social media, like broadcast channels on Instagram, Discord groups, or Geneva Groups. They usually are run by a public figure (an influencer) who has formed a community around a niche interest, like gaming or a love for pilates. Subsequently, by directly reaching these small communities a brand can ensure that they will be promoting the product through an audience that is 100% likely to engage because they resonate with the brand.

1. Bäcklund, E. and Martin, K., 2019. Reaching Generation Z: A qualitative study examining marketing communication channels for targeting Generation Z to establish brand awareness.
2. Carvalho, I., Mendes, A. and Pereira, M., 2022, July. Sustainability Strategies in Luxury Fashion Brands as a Relevant Factor in the Development of Brand Love. In International Fashion and Design Congress (pp. 707-716). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
3. Golik, N.V. and Izvekov, A.I., 2018. Modern business philosophy: The brand as a phenomenon of culture. International Journal of Engineering & Technology, 7(3.5), pp.94-97.
4. Londrigan, M.P., & Jenkins, J.M. (2018) “Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability.” Pages: 41–60
5. Meet Generation Z: Shaping the future of Shopping (2020) McKinsey & Company.
6. Mitterfellner, O. (2023) Chapter 3- Luxury Brand Qualities, Brand Construct and Brand Touchpoints
7. Sipari, J., 2022. Sustainability in luxury fashion: case: Stella McCartney.

Williams, P., Escalas, J.E. and Morningstar, A., 2022. Conceptualizing brand purpose and considering its implications for consumer eudaimonic well‐being. Journal of consumer psychology, 32(4), pp

First of all, the meaning of purpose is obvious to see that it refers to the subject according to their own needs to take advantage of the intermediary role of consciousness, concepts of pre-conceived goals and results of behavior. Its pillar is to set expectations in advance as a goal to strive for.

Secondly the three most important points for the brand’s philosophy are vision, mission and values these are the three most important parts of the brand as they guide all other decisions made by the brand in the future. They are what guide the brand in developing its business as well as the brand in attracting an audience that supports the brand’s goals and shares the brand’s values.

The brand’s vision explains what the company is aiming for when it comes to achieving its mission. It’s all about visualizing the future of your company, your audience or the world as you do what you’ve set out to do. The mission is an explanation of what the brand wants to do, how it wants to do it, and for whom it wants to do it. While a brand’s vision explains where the brand’s business will go, a brand’s mission explains exactly what the brand wants to do in order to realize that vision. Brand values, on the other hand, are actionable principles that are important to the brand as a business and describe what the brand supports or believes in. While the brand’s vision explains where your business is going and the brand’s mission talks about what the brand is doing to achieve that vision, the brand’s values are all about how the brand will operate and act. Brand vision helps brands make decisions as well as bringing the brand’s team together and attracting the right customers, etc. so brand philosophy (mission, vision, value proposition) is important for brands.

Finally on how brands can communicate their purpose and vision to Gen Z. How to appeal to Gen Z is to understand the specificities of Gen Z. They are digitally savvy.

Older generations think they know what it means to be “digitally savvy” but it goes further than older generations think. gen z is the first generation to grow up with smartphones, tablets, and platforms such as social media and YouTube as the norm. when the iPhone was first launched, the oldest gen z was 11 years old (2007), followed soon after by the iPad (2010), and then the iPad (2010), and then the iPad (2010). Shortly after that was the iPad (2010). So the most important way for brands to try to get Generation Z to be attracted is online This is why traditional advertising is being phased out, because attracting Generation Z requires novelty and they are driven by celebrities on the internet. They are willing to be influenced by people they really trust like celebrities and online bloggers because of their high traffic.

Reference

Mintel (2022). Three Things Brands Need to Know About Marketing to Gen Z Consumers | Mintel. [online] www.mintel.com. Available at: https://www.mintel.com/consumer-market-news/three-things-brands-need-to-know-about-marketing-to-gen-z-consumers/.

Generation Z (no date) McKinsey & Company. Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/generation-z (Accessed: 29 April 2024). 

Northwestern University Press, (1979) Results of search for ‘an:230792’ ’ UAL homepage catalogue. Available at: https://libsearch.arts.ac.uk/cgi-bin/koha/opac-search.pl?q=an%3A230792 (Accessed: 29 April 2024). 

Gomez, R. (2023). How to make sure you’re marketing to gen Z the right way. [online] Sprout Social. Available at: https://sproutsocial.com/insights/marketing-to-gen-z/.

Johnson, B. (2020). Brand Strategy: Mission, Vision, Values & Brand Personality | LimeLight Marketing. [online] Limelight Marketing. Available at: https://limelightmarketing.com/blogs/brand-strategy-mission-vision-values-brand-personality/.

In the midst of the dynamism associated with modern marketing, Gen Z stands out as both the ultimate challenge and opportunity. This is a generation brought up in the digital era characterized by the use of smartphones, the internet, social media and instant connectivity. Understanding the mindset and preferences is integral to successful marketing strategies in the 21^st century. This blog post focuses on the intricacies of brand marketing for Gen Z, with the motif of revealing the secrets to capturing their attention while fostering brand loyalty. Their immense spending power today shows that this generation is not just the future but also the present. An exploration of the psychology behind their brand choices decodes the significance of the authenticity of brand narratives. It is essential for brands to resonate with the discerning audience in a world cluttered with advertisements. It is no longer enough for brands to offer services, it is essential to incorporate a philosophy that resonates with this special generation.

Understanding that people do not just buy products but also buy experiences and emotions is paramount to the creation of a strong brand philosophy. A well-defined brand philosophy creates an emotional connection with the target audience tapping into their feelings and beliefs hence enhancing a sense of loyalty and trust. When the audience resonates with the philosophy, it strengthens the brand’s reputation. A philosophy is the soul of the brand. With a vision and mission statement, it guides every decision, interaction and service associated with the brand. It provides a framework for consistency and hence adaptability through the provision of a stable foundation that helps the brand navigate dynamic marketing challenges. A clear philosophy gives the brand a unique identity that the target audience can relate to and create a connection with. Authenticity and transparency in the brand’s philosophy yield customer trust and hence loyalty. 

Gen Z is a socially conscious generation and tech-savvy hence highly skeptical of traditional advertisement methods. In light of this, brands must focus on authenticity in marketing while staying relevant on social media platforms. Brands engage with them on social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok using creative and visually appealing content. Gen Z’s perception of market trends is dependent on peer influencers they look up to. Thus, brands collaborate with influencers who align with their brand values to create a connection with Gen Z members. Finally, to keep up with their technological preferences, brands are investing in the development of smartphone-friendly online platforms to enhance user experience. In the age of Gen Z, a brand is not just a logo and name. it is a philosophy that communicates purpose hence a connection.

Figure 1: Gen Z and Smartphones (Khaira-Hanks, 2018)

Reference

Clarke, L. (2023). TikTok: how the West has turned on Gen Z’s favorite app. The Observer. [online] 5 Feb. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/feb/05/tiktok-how-west-turned-on-gen-z-favourite-app.

Khaira-Hanks, P. (2018). Teenage flicks: how ‘phone boredom’ became Gen Z’s answer to passing the time. [online] The Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/shortcuts/2018/apr/04/teenage-flicks-how-phone-boredom-became-gen-zs-answer-to-passing-the-time.

Rees, T. (2018). Crazy spending? Not for Generation Z. The Telegraph. [online] 7 Aug. Available at: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2018/08/07/crazy-spending-not-generation-z/

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/.

The purpose pillar talks about brand strategies in branding and marketing, the pillar focuses on how brands intend to gain consumers through a progression in values. Generation Z is integral to how this progression can be made, as consumer values and needs change so does the brand itself. 

Figure 1: Nudie Jeans Gritty Jackson Dry Selvage (Nudie Jeans, Unknown)

The philosophy of the brand, its mission and vision, represents the brand in the eyes of the consumer. In 2020 Asos stated “Fashion with Integrity drives us to be a company that cares for people, while working to reduce our impact on the planet.” (Asos, 2021), the idea of integrity drives the brands values towards that of the importance of the individual. When a brand recognises their importance within the world and society huge change be made. As Generation Z are beginning to realise this, it can be detrimental if a brand does not have a goal that proves they are conscious of their place in the world and its ultimate future. Generation Z is the target consumers of today, as the generation has a huge influence on older generations “we’re really looking at them as the core influencers today that have a really big impact on both millennials and Gen Xers in terms of what they buy.” (Finneman, 2020). Stella McCartney makes huge strides towards ethical and conscious garment making with the nod towards the social responsibility the brand has, “We believe that fashion should be equated with fairness, respect and equality.” (McCartney, Unknown). Nudie Jeans is striving towards their own core values, “We want sustainable and healthy development for people and the environment.” (Nudie, Unknown). Nudie Jeans proves that having core values and sticking to them is meaningful within a brand for not only being a part of a better future, but for having solid ethics that consumers can relate to in a society of growing conscious consumerism.

Figure 2: Nike Air Force 1 Low x Billie Eilish Mushroom (unknown)

For a brand to communicate their purpose to Generation Z they need to understand where the generation gets their information from; whether that be through friends, social media, their education etc. Brands such as Nike take into consideration the popular influences of the generation through other industries, such as music. Nike’s collaboration with Billie Eilish, that focuses on the sustainability of the shoe itself, not only nods in the direction of who Generation Z listen to but also what the generation asks of influential people, to use their platform to speak up and make change in the world. Nike ultimately uses Billie Eilish herself to market the product and bring in sales by reaching Generation Z, instead of potentially creating adverts and using social media influencers. ““I want my collaboration with Nike to tell a story that not only highlights the importance of recycling but also reminds us that we need to take better care of our planet, ”says Eilish” (Nike, 2022). Eilish’s social standing within Generation Z as a loved, trusted and relatable artist is used to the brands advantage of speaking on the brands values.

Bibliography:

Asos. (2021). Fashion with integrity. Available at: https://www.asosplc.com/fashion-with-integrity/. (Accessed 27 October 2023).

Chow, Aaron. (2022).Take a First Look at the Billie Eilish x Nike Air Force 1 Low. Available at: https://hypebeast.com/2022/5/billie-eilish-x-nike-air-force-1-low-release-info. (Accessed 27 October 2023).

McCartney, Stella. (Unknown). Social Responsibility & Human Rights. Available at: https://www.stellamccartney.com/gb/en/sustainability/social-sustainability.html. (Accessed 27 October 2023).

Mckinsey. (2020). Meet Generation Z: Shaping the future of shopping. Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/meet-generation-z-shaping-the-future-of-shopping. (Accessed 27 October 2023).

Nike. (2022). Nike X Billie Eilish AF1 Low. Available at: https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/nike-x-billie-eilish-af1-low. (Accessed 27 October 2023).

Stockx. (unknown). Nike Air Force 1 Low SP Billie Eilish Mushroom. Available at: https://stockx.com/en-gb/nike-air-force-1-low-billie-eilish-mushroom. (Accessed 27 October 2023).

Nudie Jeans. (Unknown). Gritty Jackson Dry Selvage. Available at: https://www.nudiejeans.com/product/gritty-jackson-dry-selvage. (Accessed 27 October 2023).

Nudie Jeans. (Unknown). Production. Available at: https://www.nudiejeans.com/sustainability/sustainable-production. (Accessed 27 October 2023).