People
‘People’ refers to one of the four pillars that is discussed within the fashion business; it focuses on how the fashion industry impacts their consumers and the society, whilst also looking at how society changes the way fashion businesses may operate such as their marketing techniques.
There are different generations within society, each with different behaviours and consumption patterns. This will affect how a brand will market their products and who their target audience is as each generation responds differently to different approaches and the beliefs a brand stands behind.
Fig. 1 – (McKinsey, 2019)
Gen Z has been described as ‘digital natives’ who have grown up with the internet and social networks, this has affected how Gen Z consume the media and how they shop. With the increase of social media and its influence on Gen Z about 60% of the US Gen Z have used Instagram to discover new brands and products, however, they are much more aware of overconsumption, their impacts on the earth and diverse and inclusive brands. Due to this generation having access to and being comfortable with the use of the internet, they can easily find out information and the history of a brand and therefore, they can seek out brands that align with their beliefs much easier than previous generations; this will affect how fashion brands will market their products. ASOS is amongst one of the most inclusive brands according to Gen Z, throughout their marketing and their product photos, they use models of different sizes, skin tones and disabilities (Fig 2 and 3)
Fig. 2 – (ASOS, 2022)
Fig. 3- (ASOS, 2018)
By being a more inclusive brand, Gen Z are more likely to purchase from their store; according to a survey conducted by the UNiDAYS network around 49% of students are more willing to purchase from brands that have more gender representation and inclusivity.
For a brand to be successful in this generation, they need to be able to communicate what they stand for such as sustainability or inclusivity, whether if it is through their actions or marketing campaigns. It allows for their consumers or potential customers to be able see whether their ideologies align with the brand they want to buy from and therefore it may increase a brands sales due to the increase importance from Gen Z about being educated about a brand before purchasing from them.