Mission marketing finds receptive audience among UK fashion shoppers - report

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Sep 26, 2019

UK consumers are buying more and more fashion products that have a direct link to a mission or a cause with a new survey showing that 46% of them have bought such a fashion item.

Marketing commerce cloud company Yotpo spoke to 2,000 UK fashion shoppers and found that charity is the cause that most resonates with them (56%).  

But they’re also driven by sustainability (49%), diversity (36%) and female empowerment (31%) when buying fashion, all of which suggests that the numerous good-causes launches from brands and retailers are finding a receptive audience.

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The reverse of this is that as many as 43% of the shoppers said they would stop buying from a brand if it didn’t align with their values, and those numbers are likely to rise as the youngest consumers coming into the market seem even more inclined to judge a brand harshly. Some 50% of those aged between 14 and 24 said they’d boycott a brand.

The survey comes in the same month that Oxfam has launched its Secondhand September campaign and as a raft of global brands are rushing to unveil sustainability initiatives. H&M for instance, recently unveiled the Restore collection from its Cos brand that consists of restored pieces that have been sourced from the Cos supply-chain or returned by customers. The selected items have been mended and cleaned by its partner, The Renewal Workshop, making them suitable to sell again. 

With the fashion conscious consumer becoming increasingly aware of the impact of their wardrobe choices on wider society, there’s clearly opportunity through 'mission marketing' to drive customer engagement and deliver brand value, while also driving loyalty and increasing customer lifetime value. 

Yotpo director Talia Shani said the research “confirms the significance of being on the same wavelength as your audience when it comes to building a trusted brand. Bolstered by social media and celebrity influences, eco fashion is being seen more and more as a desirable option, with an influx of new brands energising the market and many young celebrities championing the cause."

Shani cited actress Emma Watson’s Instagram account, which documents her eco-friendly fashion style and has 51.8 million followers, adding: "It follows that fashion brands with ethical credentials are likely to engage more profoundly with their customers, garnering long-term interest and faithfulness.”