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2023-24

Business Research Methods II: Applications and Analysis (CSME10003)

Group 4 Research Portfolio

Word count: 3193

Section 1: Introduction

The preferences of the modern day consumer are changing rapidly. Consumers are now paying more attention to factors besides the quality or appearance of goods, such as the sustainability of materials, supply chains, and corporate social responsibility initiatives of the manufacturer. Therefore, branding that emphasises the sustainability of products has become increasingly common, particularly within the fashion industry. University students represent a particularly unique group for fashion brands as they are a highly promising consumer group with a strong sense of fashion and high environmental concern. Therefore it is important for fashion brands to have effective marketing strategies which specifically target this consumer group. Existing research has investigated a range of sustainable marketing tactics as well as consumer preferences, however, there is limited research on the effectiveness of sustainability branding in generating the willingness of student consumers to purchase fashion products. Our study aims to help fashion brands explore the effectiveness of sustainable branding on University students and identify the most effective ways to market the sustainability of fashion products. This research will help fashion brands develop more effective sustainability marketing campaigns aimed at University students.

Section 2: Literature Review

1.1 Effects of Sustainable Branding

The fashion industry is undergoing a revolution as a result of the increased necessity for sustainability. With consumer preferences shifting, the reported 2.1 billion metric tonnes of greenhouse gases emitted by the fashion industry annually is a key point of concern for modern customers (Wren, 2022). The shift in focus towards sustainability is a major challenge for many fashion brands, but it has also become a key selling point for brands that have been able to successfully implement sustainable practices. As a result, research has been conducted into the most effective methods of marketing sustainability within fashion products.

A study by Roozen et al. (2021) identified that nudges, defined as “any aspect of the choice architecture that predictably alters people’s behaviour” (Thaler and Sunstein, 2008) have a significant impact on a consumer’s sustainable fashion choices, thereby suggesting that introducing sustainability with verbal and visual nudges can increase a consumer’s willingness to buy sustainable items. The effects of sustainable marketing tactics like this were investigated by Amatuli et al. (2021) in a study which considered whether sustainability (rather than service) focused marketing communication for luxury hotels led to an increased consumer willingness to book a room. Their findings suggested that sustainability-focused marketing led to increased consumer perception of brand integrity and therefore increased willingness to book a room, concluding that sustainability should be one of the core themes within organisational marketing material. These results are consistent with similar studies which looked at sustainable branding in foods (Sigurdsson et al., 2024)  and laundry detergent (Cho and Taylor, 2019) indicating a general preference trend towards products that are actively branded as sustainable.

Despite this, both studies found that consumers face challenges regarding their understanding of sustainability labels. Cho and Taylor’s (2019) study found that the scale and magnitudes used in sustainability labels can appear ambiguous to consumers, making it difficult for them to gauge the relative sustainability of a product. Furthermore, Sigurdsson et al. (2024) found no significant difference between consumers’ willingness to buy products with a fake sustainability label compared to a certified B-Corp label. Along with this, a qualitative study of fashion consumers (Pierson-Smith and Evans, 2017) found that they often misunderstood or were overwhelmed by the sustainability-focused lexicon used in fashion advertising. These studies highlight the need for more data regarding how sustainable branding impacts fashion consumers and particularly their willingness to buy products. With more information on this topic, fashion brands will be able to identify the most effective forms of sustainable marketing, which offer information and clarity to consumers as well as generating sales.

1.2 University Student Consumer Preferences

Consumer preferences are central to the demand for fashion products and are therefore an important consideration for brands within the fashion industry. Consequently, there are numerous studies whose aim is to identify trends and relationships between consumer values, preferences, and purchase intentions. For example, Habib et al. (2023) found that consumer values are positively related to their food waste reduction intentions, whilst also highlighting that the values held by consumers were associated with social norms for age and gender. In the fashion industry, findings regarding the preferences of younger consumers are also similar with studies like  Jang et al. (2012) and Pierson-Smith and Evans (2017) concluding that the new generation of fashion consumers is concerned about the sustainability of their fashion products.

Despite the shift in preferences, studies like McNeill and Moore (2015) found that while fashion consumer attitudes towards sustainability  are positively associated with purchase intentions, this is not always reflected in their purchasing behaviour. Similarly, Jeong and Ko (2021) and Hur (2020) suggest that the sustainability of fashion products only provides secondary value to consumers. As a result, McNeill and Moore (2015), Jeong and Ko (2021), and Hur (2020) all concluded that Generation Z consumers want fashion products that bring both intrinsic (through self-expression) and extrinsic (through sustainability) value.

 Some studies have attempted to identify ways to bridge the gap between purchase intentions and purchasing behaviour by appealing to both intrinsic and extrinsic consumer values. Vehmas et al (2018) identified that using an online platform can increase consumer willingness to participate in the circular consumption model. Brandão and Magalhães (2023) suggest using sustainability labels in advertising to provide extrinsic value to consumers, whilst emphasising quality or exclusivity to satisfy their intrinsic values.

While these studies provide solutions they do not identify the specific forms of sustainable branding that consumers respond to best. Furthermore, the University student consumer segment is under-researched, despite being a  particularly unique segment, as both age and education level are associated with an increased inclination to value sustainability (Habib et al, 2023). Therefore, specific research into this consumer segment can provide valuable information to marketers within fashion brands.

Section 3: Methodology

First we identified our research question. We then decided to do quantitative research and use a questionnaire to collect our data. Our sampling method was convenience sampling through our social media accounts. Convenience sampling is collecting data from respondents who are conveniently placed. We used convenience sampling because this was the easiest way for us to collect reliable data without additional funding, and due to our population being students, we had easy access to potential respondents. We posted our questionnaire on our social media ‘stories’ allowing those who saw them to ‘swipe up’ and respond to the questionnaire quickly and conveniently. We deemed that this method would maximise our response volume and quality since it was optional and therefore nobody would feel pressured into responding, creating poor data. Our sample size was between 150-200. We chose this size because we believe that it is roughly as large as we will be able to make it, without risking us running out of time to collect data. The short length between the beginning of our research and the deadline makes it difficult for us to reach more than 200 people and still ensure that all data comes from the target respondents. We asked each respondent to read the participant information sheet, giving them additional information on what the purpose of the study is, why they are involved, and what their data may be used for. We then asked students to consent to our proposed use of their responses, before taking 5-10 minutes alone to complete the questionnaire. We settled on questions that collected demographic information such as age and income, consumer sustainability awareness, and consumer perception of the effects of sustainably branding products. These questions are designed to give us an overview of students' attitude towards brands that actively strive to create their products in a sustainable way. For our study, we took an objectivist positivist approach to our research philosophy. This means we assume social phenomena and their meanings exist whether we are aware or not, as well as hold the position that reality exists objectively and externally, meaning the correct way to collect data is to measure using surveys (Bell et al., 2019).  We recognized that our methodology’s reliance on social media to collect respondents and data could lead to the occurrence of voluntary response bias. This is an issue where during voluntary questionnaires, those who choose to respond tend to have stronger views on the subject. This can lead to extreme views, and dilute the number of moderate responses within the data.