Organizational communication and social marketing strategies targeting Spanish consumers of fashion. Sustainability as a form of happiness management

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/CG-05-2021-0187
• Published date: 23 August 2021
• Date: 23 August 2021
• Pages: 506-520
• Subject Matter: Strategy,Corporate governance
• Author: Gloria Jiménez-Marín,Araceli Galiano-Coronil,Luis Bayardo Tobar-Pesántez

Organizational communication and social

marketing strategies targeting Spanish

consumers of fashion. Sustainability as a

form of happiness management

Gloria Jiménez-Marín, Araceli Galiano-Coronil and Luis Bayardo Tobar-Pes

antez

Abstract

Purpose –The purpose of this study is to understandthe perception and purchase intentions of Spanish

consumerstowards sustainable fashion and to see if this can guide the marketingstrategy for sustainable

fashion.

Design/methodology/approach –A mixed methodology has been designed to test the categories:

knowledge,environmental concern, product-relatedfeatures and social influence.

Findings –The results of this study suggest that some implications and advice on sustainability

marketingstrategy could help companies todevelop sustainable fashion for Spanishconsumers.

Originality/value –The originality of this study liesin the focus on sustainability to achieve happiness

and satisfactionof people as a form of governance froma social point of view.

Keywords Marketing, Communications, Happiness, Sustainability, Advertising, Social, Companies

Paper type Research paper

1. Introduction

More and more fashion companiesare incorporating sustainability into their business model

and opting for slow fashion as a formula compatible with the interests of consumers.

However, there is an open debate about the profitability for the industry of this production

process, and many experts are skeptical and consider that fashion brands are still

dependent on hyper-consumption and low prices to achieve their commercial goals

(Jime

´nez-Marı

´n, 2016;Hansenand Schaltegger, 2013;Fletcher and Grose, 2012).

The development of sustainable products and business practices are a way for fashion

companies to react to criticism of their unsustainable behavior (Grant, 2011), with negative

consequences for environmental quality and human well-being, by producing carbon

emissions, poor working conditions, excessive waste and chemical use (Han et al.,2010).

Pui-Yan and Choi’s (2012) study confirms that a large proportion of organizations believe

that green efforts benefit brand reputation andattract new customers. The role of consumers

and their buying attitudes are aspects that do not go unnoticed in communication and

marketing strategies as it seems to be proven that social media users express greater

concern about who produces and how fashion is produced (Ha-Brookshire and Norum,

2011). More and more people prefer to buy fair trade clothes, with higher quality and

exclusivity in the garments, at better prices and which are produced with materials that are

less harmful to the environment (Puig, 2017). In parallel, there is growing expert interest in

analyzing ethical, environmental and sustainability issues related to affordable, trend-

Gloria Jime

´nez-Marı

´nis

based at Department of

Audiovisual

Communication and

Advertising, University of

Seville, Seville, Spain.

Araceli Galiano-Coronil is

based at Department of

Marketing and

Communication, University

of Cadiz, Jerez de la

Frontera (Cadiz), Spain.

Luis Bayardo Tobar-

Pes

antez is based at

Universidad Polite

´cnica

Salesiana del Ecuador,

Cuenca, Ecuador.

Received 17 May 2021

Revised 1 June 2021

4 June 2021

10 June 2021

Accepted 13 June 2021

PAGE 506 jCORPORATE GOVERNANCE jVOL. 22 NO. 3 2022, pp. 506-520, ©EmeraldPublishing Limited, ISSN 1472-0701 DOI 10.1108/CG-05-2021-0187