Heather Iwanow: Greenwashing in the fashion sector: The consumer’s perception of ethical issues in the global supply chain
Senior Lecturer in Fashion Business, in the Department of Clothing, Design and Technology, at Manchester Metropolitan University.
The Make Poverty History (MPH) campaign, which was linked to the G8 conference in the summer of 2005, focused global attention on the issues surrounding international trade policy.
The call for change in the way nations’ trade was proclaimed by both celebrity endorsers and members of the general public alike. Campaign organisers used celebrities to promote the issues, generating worldwide publicity, and mobilising consumers to demonstrate their support for a re-evaluation of trade policy by the governments of the richest nations. However, government trade policy is not the only influencing factor in the process of change. In the fashion sector, there are three stimuli; government trade policy; business marketing strategy; and consumer buying behaviour.
Increasingly, businesses in the fashion sector are promoting their ethical credentials in an effort to influence the consumer. A range of initiatives are being used to espouse the need for Corporate Social Responsibility in the supply chain. This approach is becoming progressively popular as a method of differentiating providers in increasingly saturated markets.
Greenwashing is a pejorative term used to describe a marketing strategy aimed at giving a business, organisation, or sector, an ethical or environmentally friendly image. It implies that there is little depth to its motivation and is, therefore, disingenuous in its aim. However, it is not only business that could be accused of Greenwashing. The consumer’s construction of their ideal social self-image could also be a factor.
This research considers the consumer perspective on ethics in the fashion sector. It investigates the depth of their understanding, involvement, and commitment to ethical issues in the global fashion supply chain. It forms the theoretical underpinnings for the development of a questionnaire, which will be used in a larger study. The questionnaire was pilot tested for relevance and ease of use as a research tool by 100 respondents, between the ages of 18-26 and based in Manchester (United Kingdom). All the respondents stated that they had purchased an item of clothing within the 31 days preceding the survey.
The research found that, whilst there was a high level of recognition of the World Trade Organisation, few respondents could identify the countries that constitute the G8 committee. Their understanding of the terms least-developed, developing, and developed countries, was limited, and there was uncertainty over the status of countries like China in these categories.
The celebrity endorsers named by the participants of the study focused on those who performed in the MPH associated Live 8 music concerts. None of the respondents identified the celebrity involvement in the media advertising that supported the campaign. Respondents, who had purchased promotional items, also disclosed that they now either rarely or never used the items, and they could not identify any ongoing initiatives related to the campaign.
Ethical issues were not identified as a main factor affecting choice in garment purchase and a limited number of respondents reported that they look at garment labels to ascertain where it was manufactured. Style, fit, and price were seen as more important.
This paper argues that the respondents’ involvement with the MPH campaign was transitory and the power to stimulate lasting change through the ongoing debate is limited by the lack of depth in their understanding of the issues.