Abstract
Green marketing is a practice of promoting products or services that are eco-friendly and meet the demand for sustainable consumption. As environmental concerns gain traction globally, the fashion industry, a sector responsible for significant water use and carbon emissions, utilises digital platforms to showcase its sustainability efforts. TikTok, an influential platform attracting audiences to lifestyle video content, offers unique possibilities for fashion brands to employ the sustainable imaginary through green marketing strategies. However, the social and cultural implications of these digital strategies, particularly in constructing eco-conscious identity, remain underexplored. Drawing on theories of green marketing, consumer behaviour, and social identity, this research investigates how sustainable fashion brands implement green marketing strategies on TikTok. The study focuses on the strategic construction of alternative lifestyles and social identities by analysing how brand content segments the audience, implicitly promoting behaviours as desirable or aspirational. To investigate the practices employed by fashion brands, a thematic content analysis of TikTok videos is used. The findings reveal that green marketing on TikTok relies on emotionally resonant positioning strategies, utilising aesthetic cues, narrative framing, and influencer endorsements to foster a distinct, exclusive social group. This communication strategy, designed to drive engagement and tap into the desire for connection and the symbolic benefits of sustainable behaviours, creates a “sustainable divide.” This research critically examines how digital marketing practices construct sustainable consumption as a distinct, elite identity. It addresses the question, “Whose Sustainable Future?” by exploring the social and cultural boundaries being drawn within the sustainable movement.
Presenters
Caroline GlowkaLecturer, Marketing, Languages and Tourism, University of Lincoln, United Kingdom
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Economic, Social, and Cultural Context
KEYWORDS
GREEN MARKETING, TIKTOK, SOCIAL IDENTITY, SUSTAINABLE FASHION, CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR
