Emotional value drives consumer adoption of circular fashion, outweighing perceived risks.
Category: Sustainability · Effect: Strong effect · Year: 2021
Consumers are more motivated by the positive emotional benefits of circular fashion (like feeling good about their choices) than by concerns about economic or performance risks associated with secondhand, upcycled, or recycled clothing.
Design Takeaway
Prioritize emotional resonance and ethical storytelling in the design and marketing of circular fashion products, rather than solely focusing on functional or economic aspects.
Why It Matters
Understanding this emotional driver is crucial for designers and marketers aiming to promote sustainable fashion. By emphasizing the positive feelings and ethical satisfaction associated with circular fashion, brands can more effectively engage consumers and encourage adoption.
Key Finding
The study found that consumers' positive feelings and the emotional satisfaction derived from choosing circular fashion were the most significant factors influencing their attitudes and purchase intentions. Concerns about money or product quality were less important.
Key Findings
- Emotional value had the greatest influence on product attitudes towards circular fashion.
- Economic and performance risks did not significantly affect product attitudes.
- Individualism moderated the relationship between perception dimensions and product attitudes, and between product attitudes and behavioral intention.
Research Evidence
Aim: To investigate consumers' value and risk perceptions, product attitudes, and behavioral intentions towards different types of circular fashion (reused, upcycled, recycled clothing) and explore the moderating role of individualism.
Method: Quantitative survey research
Procedure: A survey was administered to collect data on consumers' perceptions of value and risk, their attitudes towards circular fashion products, and their intentions to purchase or engage with them. Statistical analysis was used to test hypotheses regarding these relationships and the moderating effect of individualism.
Sample Size: 850 participants
Context: Consumer behaviour in the fashion industry, specifically related to circular economy principles.
Design Principle
Design for emotional value and ethical satisfaction to drive sustainable consumer choices.
How to Apply
When developing new circular fashion lines or marketing campaigns, focus on the narrative of positive impact, personal expression, and the feel-good factor associated with sustainable choices. Consider how to appeal to both collectivist and individualistic consumer mindsets.
Limitations
The study was conducted in Korea and focused on consumers in their 20s and 30s, which may limit generalizability to other demographics or cultural contexts. The specific types of circular fashion products examined were limited to reused, upcycled, and recycled clothing.
Student Guide (IB Design Technology)
Simple Explanation: People like buying clothes that make them feel good about helping the environment more than they worry about the price or if the clothes are perfect.
Why This Matters: Understanding consumer motivations is key to creating designs that people will actually want to use and buy, especially for sustainable products.
Critical Thinking: How might a designer balance the communication of emotional value with the need to address any lingering consumer concerns about the practical performance of circular fashion items?
IA-Ready Paragraph: Research indicates that emotional value significantly influences consumer attitudes towards circular fashion, often outweighing concerns about economic or performance risks (Kim, Jung, & Lee, 2021). This suggests that design and marketing efforts should focus on evoking positive emotions and ethical satisfaction to encourage adoption of sustainable products.
Project Tips
- When researching sustainable products, consider how they make users feel emotionally.
- Think about how to communicate the 'feel-good' aspect of your design to potential users.
How to Use in IA
- Reference this study when discussing consumer attitudes towards sustainable design choices, particularly if your project involves circular economy principles or ethical consumption.
Examiner Tips
- Demonstrate an understanding of how emotional factors influence design adoption, especially in the context of sustainability.
Independent Variable: ["Emotional value","Economic risk","Performance risk","Individualism"]
Dependent Variable: ["Product attitudes","Behavior intention"]
Strengths
- Large sample size provides statistical power.
- Investigates multiple facets of consumer perception (value, risk, attitude, intention).
Critical Questions
- To what extent do these findings apply to other sustainable product categories beyond fashion?
- How can designers proactively design for emotional value in a way that is authentic and not perceived as manipulative?
Extended Essay Application
- An Extended Essay could explore how different cultural contexts influence the emotional value perception of circular fashion, or investigate the design of communication strategies that effectively leverage emotional drivers for sustainable products.
Source
Consumers’ Value and Risk Perceptions of Circular Fashion: Comparison between Secondhand, Upcycled, and Recycled Clothing · Sustainability · 2021 · 10.3390/su13031208