Written by: Ulyana Sarana, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Conscious consumerism is a behaviour associated with having knowledge about a product and its manufacturing conditions, which influences purchase decisions. Ethical shoppers have the ability to analyze and recognize the positive social, environmental, or economic impact of a desired item. The result of this analysis can lead to a deeper trust in the brand and greatly affect brand loyalty, as well as potential boycotts of the brand's products.
Which factors contribute to increased brand loyalty and what is a new way to communicate with your clients, prioritizing transparency and durability of your product?
Socially or environmentally conscious consumers first consider whether their consumption is even necessary. If they do decide to make a purchase, they will extensively research how the product was made and under what conditions it was produced. If a consumer cannot find relevant, open, and transparent information on a brand's website, they will simply leave.
Research has shown that providing customers with truthful answers and making their research journey enjoyable is likely to lead to a purchase and increased brand loyalty. Therefore, once brands have established their sustainable products, they should focus on clearly and openly communicating their values.
What is modern brand loyalty and what psychological aspects does it involve?
Modern brand loyalty is a psychological approach that is connected to how consumers demonstrate their love and commitment to a brand through engagement, support, promotion, and trust. This commitment can be both subconscious and intentional, involving cognitions and behaviours in maintaining the relationship.
Brand loyalty is defined as the consumer's faithfulness to a brand, demonstrated through a combination of behaviours such as accommodation/forgiveness, willingness to sacrifice, and cognitions such as derogation of alternatives, cognitive interdependence, and positive illusions. These customers contribute to relationship stability and durability.
What can I do as a brand to engage conscious customers and raise awareness about my product?
The primary focus for modern sustainable brands is to work towards reducing the environmental impact of their product manufacturing and to draw attention to this matter by introducing durable alternatives. These alternatives are often associated with excellent craftsmanship, respect for ancient techniques, and being driven by industry innovations.
There are companies like ecofabrics.eu and Ardore Studio that provide initial support to brands in optimizing manufacturing and sourcing processes, as well as introducing influential technology and research and development partners for valuable collaborations.
Sustainability is reshaping the industry and changing traditional patterns of garment production, extending product lifespan, and implementing more controlled processes.
How can I effectively communicate with modern-conscious customers?
The key lies in honesty, engagement, adopting innovation-led platforms, and rethinking business-to-consumer communication and sales strategies.
One startup, Eco-Showroom, based in Paris, aims to influence positive changes, showcase buying possibilities, and cater to conscious customers. They organize exclusive art and fashion experiences during Paris Fashion Week in September, capturing the attention of influential buyers. Eco-Showroom's goal is to facilitate open conversations between contemporary sustainable brands and conscious customers by introducing partner solutions that are available to all brands.
"We aim to redefine the new normal, demonstrate modern solutions for sustainable businesses, and promote honest brands that utilize scalable sustainable solutions accessible to everyone. We want to showcase brands' ability to create high-quality garments and ensure consumer satisfaction through transparent communication," says Ulyana Sarana, curator of Eco-Showroom.
"Sustainability possesses a powerful ability to showcase a new paradigm of traceability and transparency in the garment manufacturing process. This is the main focus of conscious consumer research, so why not make this experience pleasant and collaborative?"
It is the responsibility of both online and offline B2B buyers to conduct quality research and direct customers' attention towards valuable products and healthy practices employed by selected brands.
To achieve this, the brands showcased in the Eco-Showroom will demonstrate the following options:
Calculation impact reporting solution: This solution analyzes primary and secondary data of textile products and generates reports based on the analysis outcome (https://bawear-score.com).
SANE is the new generation certification for fashion products. It guarantees that a product has been made with the highest standards in terms of working conditions, environmental impact, and consumer safety. Products selected in our Eco showroom shall be in line with SANE requirements. (https://sane-standard.com)
Moreover, the showroom aims to merge sustainable fashion brands with contemporary artists who address sustainable causes, such as Talia Luvaton.
We are at the forefront of shaping the rules regarding conscious consumer behaviour and engagement with brand loyalty. It is crucial for us to collaborate in this dynamic ecosystem in order to foster positive change and redefine the new normal. Customers want to be heard, and it is our role to provide all the necessary information even before they ask for it.
Sustainability has taught us a great deal, and we have evolved into conscious customers who care about brand identity, quality, processes, and transparency. As customers, we desire to purchase clean, genuine, and special products that connect us with the beliefs and vision of the designer and brand values.
By understanding customers' evolving beliefs, we have discovered that conscious buyers are driven by innovation and a desire to be heard and considered. Collaboration, the introduction of new scenarios, digital involvement of innovations, and providing detailed traceable descriptions of products are the tools at our disposal that hold real value in an ever-changing market.
Ulyana Sarana, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Ulyana Sarana is a sustainability sourcing and smart product development expert for fashion and design sectors. Being passionated by innovation and idea to improve current design industry system, Ulyana has developed database of eco materials and product development solutions through effective collaboration R&D leaders. Ulyana is leading Ecofabrics-an agency, that operates in circular design approach, offering effective solutions for product improvements and manufacturing optimisation. Addressing modern generation of designers, who are willing to direct future of fashion and design in the only relevant way-sustainability. Her Mission is to provide brands with healthy tools and help to achieve sustainable performance
