{"id":3441,"date":"2022-09-04T16:10:33","date_gmt":"2022-09-04T14:10:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magazine.lineapelle-fair.it\/?p=3441"},"modified":"2022-09-07T10:43:12","modified_gmt":"2022-09-07T08:43:12","slug":"all-the-fog-engulfing-green-communication","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magazine.lineapelle-fair.it\/en\/green-corner-en\/all-the-fog-engulfing-green-communication\/","title":{"rendered":"All the fog engulfing green communication"},"content":{"rendered":"

An IFM-Premi\u00e8re Vision research outlines a very worrying scenario related to green communication. It concerns consumer ignorance and how many, too many brands play havoc with the information that should combat it<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Consumers are groping in the dark as they hunt for information <\/strong>to orient themselves in the tangled world of sustainable and responsible fashion<\/strong>. They do not find it, and if they do, it is often misleading<\/strong>, confusing<\/strong>, and incomplete<\/strong>. Thus, they are forced to rely on perception, emotion, cultural legacies, and incorrect messages. This is one of the salient aspects of the study conducted in April 2022 by IFM <\/strong>(Institut Fran\u00e7ais de la Mode) and Premi\u00e8re Vision <\/strong><\/a>and based on 6,000 interviews with <\/strong>consumers in Italy, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Result: the emergence of a fog engulfing green communication. Often (unfortunately) voluntarily.<\/p>\n

The fog that engulfs green communication<\/strong><\/h3>\n

9 out of 10 people <\/strong>involved in the survey say they want to change the way they buy clothes and accessories but are disoriented <\/strong>because they cannot find the information they are looking for. The survey asks what obstacles <\/strong>exist to buying a responsible product. The most common answer is not the price (only in Germany it is), but the lack of information<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

What’s wrong<\/strong><\/h3>\n

This is demonstrated by the answers to this question: which brands are eco-responsible<\/strong>? Here the ‘average consumer’ names the most well-known multinationals in the fashion industry, in particular sports equipment manufacturers and fast fashion chains<\/strong>. To the general public, the biggest names in the industry come to mind without delving into the real or supposed efforts <\/strong>of each of them. It results from a hammering communication campaign based on their (real or temporary) commitment to sustainable fashion.<\/p>\n

Cotton and leather<\/strong><\/h3>\n

According to the study, cotton is on the podium of the\u00a0most sustainable materials\u00a0<\/strong>because it conveys\u00a0a robust symbolic charge\u00a0<\/strong>related to\u00a0childhood\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0softness<\/strong>. Hence, consumers are particularly\u00a0forgiving of its production methods<\/strong>. “Cotton is judged rather positively, while we know that it has a significant impact related to water and pesticides,” observes\u00a0Gilles Lasbordes<\/strong>, general manager of Premi\u00e8re Vision. That respondents’ answers depend on\u00a0cultural perception\u00a0<\/strong>rather than\u00a0an objective assessment\u00a0<\/strong>of the true impact of materials becomes apparent\u00a0when it comes to leather<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Cultural relics<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Despite being historically the first example of circularity as it reuses food industry waste, it is among the five most criticised materials<\/strong>. Why? Only one in two people know that leather comes from animals destined for meat consumption<\/strong>. Next: not everyone knows the difference between leather and fur<\/strong>. Again: respondents cite ‘animal suffering<\/strong>‘. And finally, there is the rise of the vegan movement <\/strong>that rejects animal products. A choice, the latter that sees Italy leading the other four countries with 35.1% of responses.<\/p>\n

Correct ideas<\/strong><\/h3>\n

On synthetics, <\/strong>the public is quite informed<\/strong>. Among the materials cited as environmentally harmful are polyester<\/strong>, acrylic, <\/strong>and polyamide<\/strong>. The materials from which the garment or accessory was produced are often decisive criteria for consumer choice. 38.6% of Italians, the highest percentage, cited materials as the main reason for purchasing eco-responsible clothing. But alongside this, another belief is gaining ground: the made-in<\/strong>. If a product is made in the same country where it is sold, it is considered more sustainable than one from abroad. Reasons: CO2<\/sub> released during transport, compliance with national regulations in terms of ethics and safety. Factors that also give reliability in terms of social responsibility<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The moral of the study<\/strong><\/h3>\n

When buying clothes, the price remains the first purchase criterion <\/strong>in France, the UK, and the US. In contrast, product quality is <\/strong>in Italy and Germany. In all countries, comfort is in <\/strong>third place, ahead of design <\/strong>and even brand<\/strong>. But the IFM study tells us above all that the desire for sustainable fashion is a growing trend, but often not supported by the fashion system<\/strong>. There are high expectations from consumers, who are hungry for the clear and correct information to steer them towards items produced in a more responsible manner. Hence the great need for clarity on materials and production methods. The clarity that, perhaps, not everyone wants.<\/p>\n

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