Abstract vs. Concrete Sustainability Messaging in Fashion Drives Stakeholder Perception
Category: Innovation & Design · Effect: Moderate effect · Year: 2023
The level of psychological distance (abstract vs. concrete) in sustainability communications significantly influences how stakeholders perceive a fashion brand's authenticity and commitment.
Design Takeaway
Designers and marketers should critically assess whether their sustainability communications are too abstract or too concrete for their intended audience and ensure they align with demonstrable brand actions.
Why It Matters
Designers and brand strategists must carefully consider the construal level of their sustainability messaging. A mismatch between abstract communication and concrete actions can lead to skepticism, while overly concrete messaging might lack aspirational appeal.
Key Finding
Fashion brands need to align the abstractness or concreteness of their sustainability messages with their actual practices and their target audience's understanding to build trust and positive brand perception.
Key Findings
- Managers' construal levels and their perceptions of stakeholder construal levels shape communication approaches.
- The perceived authenticity of sustainability claims is crucial for effective communication.
- A mismatch between brand practices and communication can negatively impact stakeholder evaluations.
- Three communication strategies identified: amplification, quiet activist, and populist coupling.
Research Evidence
Aim: How does the construal level of sustainability communication by fashion brands influence stakeholder perception and evaluation?
Method: Qualitative research
Procedure: The study involved interviews with fashion managers about their sustainability communication strategies and with consumers to assess the persuasiveness of different types of sustainability messages (abstract vs. concrete).
Sample Size: 26 participants (10 managers, 16 consumers)
Context: Fashion industry
Design Principle
Match the construal level of sustainability communication to the psychological distance of the issue for the target audience and the brand's actual practices.
How to Apply
Before launching a sustainability campaign, consider whether the messaging is abstract (e.g., 'We are committed to a better future') or concrete (e.g., 'We have reduced water usage by 20% in our manufacturing process') and how this aligns with your brand's current efforts and your audience's likely perception.
Limitations
Generalizability is limited due to the qualitative nature and focus on the UK fashion industry.
Student Guide (IB Design Technology)
Simple Explanation: How you talk about being 'green' in fashion matters. If you talk big but don't show small, real actions, people won't believe you. You need to match your words to what you actually do.
Why This Matters: Understanding how to communicate sustainability effectively is crucial for any design project aiming to be environmentally or socially responsible. It helps ensure your efforts are recognized and valued by users.
Critical Thinking: To what extent should a brand prioritize abstract, aspirational sustainability messaging versus concrete, verifiable claims, and how does this balance shift across different product categories or market segments?
IA-Ready Paragraph: This research highlights the importance of aligning the construal level of sustainability communication with stakeholder perceptions. For this design project, abstract messaging focusing on future impact was chosen to inspire users, supported by concrete examples of material sourcing to build credibility.
Project Tips
- Consider the audience for your design project: are they likely to respond better to big ideas or specific details about sustainability?
- When communicating about your design's sustainable features, think about whether to use abstract or concrete language.
How to Use in IA
- Use this research to justify your choice of communication strategy for your design's sustainable features, explaining how it aligns with user perception.
Examiner Tips
- Demonstrate an understanding of how communication style impacts user perception of sustainability claims.
Independent Variable: Construal level of sustainability communication (abstract vs. concrete)
Dependent Variable: Stakeholder perception (e.g., persuasiveness, authenticity, brand evaluation)
Controlled Variables: Industry sector (fashion), geographical context (UK), perceived authenticity of claims
Strengths
- Provides a theoretical lens (Construal Level Theory) to understand a complex communication issue.
- Combines perspectives from both industry managers and consumers.
Critical Questions
- How might cultural differences influence the effectiveness of abstract versus concrete sustainability messaging?
- Can a brand effectively use both abstract and concrete messaging simultaneously, and if so, how should it be structured?
Extended Essay Application
- Investigate how different levels of construal in sustainability reporting affect investor confidence in fashion companies.
- Explore the application of Construal Level Theory to communicating sustainability in other industries beyond fashion.
Source
Communicating about sustainability in fashion: a construal level theory approach · European Journal of Marketing · 2023 · 10.1108/ejm-09-2021-0701