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There is no point in over-promoting any possible environmental commitment, as consumers are not fooled and expect real action and transparency.
That’s the finding of a new study conducted in the United Kingdom, which reveals that the fashion industry is perceived as one of the least trustworthy sectors in this regard.
From greenwashing and pinkwashing to rainbowwashing and sportswashing, since the Covid-19 pandemic, these terms have been everywhere, proliferating rapidly to denounce the deceptive practices of some brands seeking to boost their reputation in certain areas, such as environmental action.
Many companies still talk about their commitments to help sell products that are supposed to be eco-responsible or ethical or whatever, when they really aren’t.
And this phenomenon has led to another, erosion, which describes the fear or reserve of brands that really produce in an eco-responsible way to communicate about their approach.
Consumers are at a loss as to who to trust in this maelstrom of information. As a result, mistrust of brands is more prevalent than ever.
Such are the findings of a survey conducted by Sensu Insight of 1,682 adults in the United Kingdom, which reveals that the fashion industry is among the least trusted sectors in the eyes of consumers.
Read more: If you already have a mountain of clothes, can you resist buying more this year?
Total lack of trust
Across all sectors, just under a quarter of UK consumers (23%) say they take brands’ environmental claims at face value.
Among the least open, a minority simply do not believe the claims (14%), three in ten (30%) believe they are exaggerated and an overwhelming majority (71%) believe they may not have been verified or checked by an independent. expert or regulator.
However, some sectors fare better than others.
Supermarkets, large retailers, the technology sector and food and drink manufacturers appear to have more credibility with consumers than airlines, car manufacturers or fashion brands, for example.
Specifically, only 35% of respondents say they are likely to believe fashion brands’ claims.
Only two sectors are worse: airlines (32%) and travel agencies (33%). On the other hand, supermarkets and big retailers are trusted by more than half of the respondents (51%).
As an example in the fashion sector, Sensu Insight recalls the greenwashing denounced by internet users after the Swedish giant H&M appointed Maisie Williams as ambassador for sustainable development.
“Critics felt the measure was a marketing ploy and the money would have been better spent fulfilling its commitments to provide a living wage for garment workers,” the report’s authors say.
Read more: Can fast fashion still fuel overconsumption in the second-hand market?
The need for transparency
Make no mistake about it, consumers are not being fooled and they don’t like it when certain firms try to pull the wool over their eyes with misleading communications.
More than nine in ten respondents (93%) consider that they have seen what they thought was an example of greenwashing in the last month.
These include supposedly sustainable brands that don’t back up their claims with facts or figures (33%), misleading advertising (32%) and false or exaggerated product recycling claims (30%).
As a result, consumers are changing their behavior (59%) by reducing their spending on a particular brand (23%), boycotting it (15%) or switching to a truly ethical or eco-responsible company (13 %).
According to the study, to regain public trust, brands need to show more transparency and (true) commitment to the environment, which is currently not the case for 92% of respondents.
But if transparency is the key for the majority of respondents (86%), this should also be achieved through concrete actions, such as providing stable versions of existing products (24%).
This study, although it only concerns Great Britain, proves that companies still have a long way to go to gain public trust when it comes to ecology. – AFP Relaxnews
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