Unbridled consumerism: communication strategies to limit it

Compared to twenty years ago, the era of anti-globalization protests and the release of the critical consumption bible "No Logo" by Naomi Klein, people now make purchases 60 percent more often and keep them for half the time. This is according to a McKinsey study on excessive consumption, a trend that has become strongly characteristic of our society. Today's trends, aided by tools like TikTok, have very short lifespans, negatively impacting both the environment and consumer culture. This is evident in all sectors but is most glorified in textiles, where the rise of ultra-fast fashion brands has led to the release of a product drop every week, amounting to 52 micro-collections each year. Brands have clearly capitalized on this excessive consumption trend, but now is the time to reverse course and promote healthier and more sustainable buying habits. This is not only beneficial for the environment but also crucial for maintaining business health in the long run. Brands that not only fail to publicly commit to a more sustainable approach but also promote senseless consumption or unnecessary spending are at a higher risk of facing boycotts and protests.

While the European Union is considering tightening the reins on fast fashion, with proposals to make clothing more durable and easily recyclable, consumers themselves are now keeping an eye on how retailers address excessive consumption. Over a quarter of Americans are openly boycotting Black Friday, and many consumers, in general, are reducing their consumption simply because they can't afford it.

Creating value for one's community

In the near future, access to exclusive events, services, and experiences will surpass the purchase of products. Over 60 percent of young Americans prioritize spending on unique life experiences over other purchases or even saving. Brands can leverage this shift in the market by creating exclusive events and services for their communities, applying a membership concept to a brand rather than a service. Offering services that add value to purchases is also proving to be a winning choice, such as repair or styling services. The French down jacket brand Early Majority, for example, runs an affiliate program that offers product exchanges, custom-made items, self-defense courses, and pre-orders. Lifetime membership costs $358, with the long-term goal of completely closing sales to non-members.

Products from the past are generating a lot of hype

In the United States, a third of Gen Z members admit to being addicted to fast fashion, with more than two in five stating that they buy clothes to wear only once. Brands now have the opportunity, and responsibility, to appeal to consumers by making conscious shopping as exciting, relevant, and cool as fast fashion. Some are succeeding with surprising results, such as the outdoor brand Patagonia, which not only encourages consumers to repair garments before buying new ones but has also equipped its stores with a permanent repairing station. On Black Friday 2022, the brand ran a strongly provocative ad featuring one of their most iconic and sold fleece jackets with the caption "Don't buy this jacket." Valentino, one of the leading luxury fashion houses, plans to acquire seven vintage stores worldwide to sell historical or archive collections, while Gap has launched its first vintage collection of 80s, 90s, and 2000s garments curated by designer and artist Sean Wotherspoon.

Quiet luxury is the way

Consumers with spending power are already gravitating towards purchases of higher quality, more durable, and long-lasting items. However, according to many, the overall quality of products, of any kind, is decreasing. Customer satisfaction with Amazon continues to drastically decline, with complaints about increasingly low-quality items, while declining Netflix subscribers lament having more content available but of lower quality. In an increasingly cheap and mass-produced world, brands that invest in and go to great lengths to demonstrate their level of quality will gain a significant advantage. It is useful to invest in the training of store staff and highlight the brand's heritage through campaigns that tell its story, perhaps emphasizing its unique artisanal vocation or entrepreneurial flair. Livestreamers practicing quiet selling, for example, capture viewers for hours by reading poetry or discussing color theory related to a product.

Discouraging Cheap Copies

Many successful brands see numerous copies of their most iconic products emerge—items that resemble them but are inferior in quality and, therefore, lack the same durability or environmental impact as the originals, for example. A winning strategy is to address copies of one's products directly, demonstrating how the cheaper imitations are in no way comparable to the real ones. To do this, it could be useful to draw inspiration from de-influencers, content creators known for advising consumers on what not to buy. Brands can apply a similar de-influence approach to the low quality of their poor copies, highlighting unethical production or, in some cases, potential health risks. A CBC Marketplace laboratory test on copycat clothing from famous brands found that some of these items contained nearly 20 times the safe amount of lead. The athleisure brand Lululemon, with the "Lululemon Dupe Swap" initiative, invited its consumers to exchange copied products with the originals for a period, allowing consumers to realize the significant gap between the original and the imitation firsthand. Heinz's "Ketchup Fraud" campaign, on the other hand, mocked restaurants that filled Heinz bottles with cheaper ketchup substitutes, accompanying the images with the caption: "Even when it's not Heinz, it must be Heinz."

Shop Local

While our every whim becomes increasingly accessible, at least in terms of search and a click away, a rewarding marketing strategy in the future will be to focus on retail locations aiming to offer increasingly exclusive shopping experiences. The offering of curated, local, and unique stores will increasingly provide an opportunity to challenge the mentality of "everything, immediately, and everywhere" with discoveries of fresh, rare products and unique shopping experiences. The food and beverage sector is leading this trend with the rise of carefully curated local grocery stores, such as Big Night in Brooklyn: a highly sought-after shop where you can find sardine milk for $24 or packages of french fries for $39. The beauty and hospitality sectors are also quite receptive to this approach: Equinox Hotels, a U.S. hotel chain, offers guests the RoomBar, a minibar designed for all beauty and wellness needs. Available for purchase instead of mini bottles of super alcohol are a selection of dyes, treatments, snacks, and supplements.