A trend is a direction of interest, usually caused by a dramatic change or increase in popularity. Sustainability has long been an important factor, but in the past year it has become more influential in the decisions of producers and consumers. People have always cared, but now that care has become a necessity.
On October 31st, Kim Kardashian's brand SKIMS released a commercial for her product, the Nipple Push-up Bra, which features built-in raised nipples. In the commercial, Kardashian wore a bra and used her climate change as a selling point. She argued that with warmer temperatures, people need to invest in clothes that always look cold.
The commercial sparked controversy by capitalizing on serious climate change concerns to sell a product that does nothing for the environment. Additionally, SKIMS has been accused of “greenwashing,” or misleading consumers into believing that a product is sustainable when it is not.
Brands like SKIMS find what people care about and engage consumers, knowing that brand loyalty and love are key factors that keep people buying. In McKinsey & Company's video on the future of sustainability, senior partner Karl Hendrik Magnus says that the future of brand loyalty will increasingly depend on the sustainability attributes brands offer. He said it would be.
For fast fashion brands like Temu and Shein, which are suspected of using child labor and producing tons of plastic waste, brand loyalty is fickle and fragile. When weighing the pros and cons of moving to loyalty, sustainability comes first.
With the effects of climate change now being seen in real time, sustainability has more impact than brand loyalty. According to NOAA, 2023 is the hottest year on record, the first since 1850. Severe weather and weather-related deaths are causing more people to worry.
Recent climate change is 100% more likely to have caused a heat wave in South America in August and September that killed four people and affected crops, according to a study by Scientific American. Elephants are dying from drought and baby birds are falling from the sky and dying from extreme heat. This constant supply of environmental destruction ends any debate about the plausibility of climate change.
In November, Bain & Company released a report to guide companies in their sustainability efforts. According to the report, 64% of consumers around the world are very concerned about environmental sustainability, with the majority sharing that their concerns have been exacerbated by the onset of severe weather over the past two years.
When we hear bad news, we sympathize, but often don't take action until we see the impact. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people understood its severity, but fear kept them from taking action or imagining the changes it would cause to their lives. As the problem escalated and the pandemic became a reality, the sentiment turned to active concern. The same thing is happening with climate change, whose effects are no longer just a matter of theory or the future, but of reality.
As the issue escalates, the best way to stay informed and engaged is through social media, where new information is constantly circulating across various platforms. Gen Z has the ability to navigate the digital world and has an advantage in sustainability trends.
According to a report from First Insight, 62% of Gen Z shoppers want to shop sustainably. From metal straws like the Stanley trend and reusable water bottles to the popularity of thrifting online and in-store, Gen Z has made sustainability chic.
In addition to media exposure, new technologies in all areas of production bring more opportunities for change. Shampoo and conditioner bars are popular alternatives to plastic packaging, energy efficient is expanding, and circular business models are working to reduce product overproduction. According to a McKinsey report, 40% of his clothing sold is on sale, and many don't sell at all. By reducing this overproduction and switching to a circular resale system, we can remove the huge amount of waste that is piling up in landfills.
With the Internet at our fingertips, it has never been easier to stay informed about news and environmental issues. Although climate change will continue to worsen, the hope is that people will become increasingly motivated to make real changes. Some brands are using sustainability to attract buyers without showing evidence of sustainable practices, or using awareness of new realities to raise concerns about the impact of every choice. .
Libby Evans is a second-year journalism student at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions expressed by columnists do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of columnists. post. Want to talk more about it? Please email Libby. le422021@ohio.edu.