Twentieth International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic & Social Sustainability

Abstract

Greenwashing, a pervasive issue in the fashion industry, entails fashion brands making deceptive claims about sustainability with the aim of achieving financial gains while simultaneously upholding an environmentally responsible image. These greenwashing tactics are intricately integrated into the social media communication of fashion brands, and Instagram has prominently emerged as a platform of choice for showcasing their sustainability initiatives. To address the pressing issue of the deceptive marketing practice of greenwashing, both the UK and EU work toward initiatives aimed at tackling greenwashing claims and promoting responsible corporate behaviour. The primary objective of this research is to examine the legislation efforts that EU and UK are recently adopting to enhance consumer protection, and next to analyse the greenwashing strategies implemented by fashion brands. For this purpose, a content analysis of Instagram posts is employed to investigate the communication practices and greenwashing strategies used by fashion brands on the platform. The results shed light on an escalating trend of fashion brands resorting to greenwashing strategies. Despite legislative efforts, challenges persist in companies that claim to follow responsible business practices which translates into communication practices on Instagram. Furthermore, the adoption of emotionally resonant positioning strategies that capitalize on the satisfaction elicited by altruistic behaviour is found to be common approach among fashion brands. It seems that the emotionally positioning strategy is being utilized by fashion brands to effectively communicate their commitment to sustainable values and establish a meaningful, positive and lasting connection with their audience.