Every passing day, consumers increasingly demand that brands openly declare their stance on the most relevant topics in the socio-political climate. Consumers no longer seem content with merely purchasing a specific product or service; instead, they seek an entire system of values with which they can identify. While brands taking a position on public interest issues is not a new phenomenon, new communication channels like social media have contributed to the emergence of a distinct phenomenon called Brand Activism. However, the phenomenon of Brand Activism, which is perceived positively by a significant portion of consumers, can easily transform into, or rather reveal itself as, a marketing ploy when the company's message, intentions, and values do not align. Brands that "talk the talk but don't walk the walk," creating a stark disconnect between their message and their actions, engage in what is known as Inauthentic Brand Activism, more commonly referred to as woke washing. Taking the fast fashion industry as an example, we find several brands that, in an attempt to remain relevant and attract young consumers, have created campaigns that fall into different facets of woke washing. From sustainability campaigns aimed at mitigating the industry's image problem resulting from pollution, to campaigns addressing social justice issues as a response to the Black Lives Matter movement. This phenomenon can have real consequences and implications for the brands involved. Engaging in woke washing tarnishes the brand's image in the eyes of consumers, resulting in plummeting sales or, in some cases, full-blown social media boycott campaigns. This thesis aims to analyze the history and mechanisms of woke washing, its evolution from mass media to social media, and explore consumer responses and the consequences for brands using case studies of both failed and successful campaigns. The fast fashion industry will be used as an example, as it showcases campaigns that touch on various aspects of the phenomenon. Through the research findings, the real repercussions that woke washing can have on a brand and the warning signs that consumers can look for in a campaign to assess its authenticity will be highlighted.
Ogni giorno che passa i consumatori pretendono sempre maggiormente che i brand dichiarino apertamente la propria posizione riguardante gli argomenti di maggior rilievo nel clima sociopolitico. Il consumatore sembra non limitarsi più a comprare un determinato prodotto o servizio, ma piuttosto un intero sistema di valori all’interno dei quali possano identificarsi. Sebbene lo schieramento dei brand riguardo a temi di interesse pubblico non sia una novità, i nuovi mezzi di comunicazione come i social media hanno contribuito alla nascita di un vero e proprio fenomeno a riguardo, chiamato Brand Activism. Tuttavia, il fenomeno del Brand Activism, che da una gran parte dei consumatori viene percepito come positivo, può facilmente trasformarsi, o meglio rivelarsi, in un espediente di marketing nel momento in cui il messaggio della compagnia, i suoi propositi e le sue value non coincidano. I brand che “predicano bene ma razzolano male”, creando una forte scissione tra il loro messaggio e la loro pratica, prendono parte in quello che è conosciuto come Inauthentic Brand Activism, più comunemente chiamato woke washing. Prendendo come esempio l’industria della fast fashion, troviamo diversi brand che, nel tentativo di risultare rilevanti e attirare giovani consumers, hanno creato campagne che sfociano nelle diverse sfaccettature del woke washing. Dalle campagne sulla sostenibilità ambientale volte ad arginare il problema di immagine derivante dall’inquinamento da parte di questa industria, alle campagne con temi di giustizia sociale studiate come risposta al movimento Black Lives Matter. Questo fenomeno può avere conseguenze e implicazioni reali per i brand che vi partecipano. Compiendo woke washing si va ad intaccare l’immagine del marchio agli occhi dei consumatori, traducibile in un crollo di vendite o, in alcuni casi, in vere e proprie campagne social di boicottaggio. All’interno di questa tesi si vuole analizzare la storia e i meccanismi del woke washing, il suo sviluppo dai mass media ai social media e andare ad indagare la risposta dei consumatori e le conseguenze per il brand utilizzando case study di campagne fallimentari e virtuose. Come esempio verrà utilizzata l’industria della fast fashion, al cui interno è possibile osservare campagne che vanno a toccare diversi aspetti del fenomeno. Con i risultati della ricerca si vogliono evidenziare le ripercussioni reali che il fenomeno del woke washing può avere su un brand e i campanelli d’allarme che un consumatore può cercare in una campagna per comprenderne la veridicità.
Il Woke Washing nella Fast Fashion, come tingere di wokeness i tuoi capi
Boschis, Carlo
2022/2023
Abstract
Every passing day, consumers increasingly demand that brands openly declare their stance on the most relevant topics in the socio-political climate. Consumers no longer seem content with merely purchasing a specific product or service; instead, they seek an entire system of values with which they can identify. While brands taking a position on public interest issues is not a new phenomenon, new communication channels like social media have contributed to the emergence of a distinct phenomenon called Brand Activism. However, the phenomenon of Brand Activism, which is perceived positively by a significant portion of consumers, can easily transform into, or rather reveal itself as, a marketing ploy when the company's message, intentions, and values do not align. Brands that "talk the talk but don't walk the walk," creating a stark disconnect between their message and their actions, engage in what is known as Inauthentic Brand Activism, more commonly referred to as woke washing. Taking the fast fashion industry as an example, we find several brands that, in an attempt to remain relevant and attract young consumers, have created campaigns that fall into different facets of woke washing. From sustainability campaigns aimed at mitigating the industry's image problem resulting from pollution, to campaigns addressing social justice issues as a response to the Black Lives Matter movement. This phenomenon can have real consequences and implications for the brands involved. Engaging in woke washing tarnishes the brand's image in the eyes of consumers, resulting in plummeting sales or, in some cases, full-blown social media boycott campaigns. This thesis aims to analyze the history and mechanisms of woke washing, its evolution from mass media to social media, and explore consumer responses and the consequences for brands using case studies of both failed and successful campaigns. The fast fashion industry will be used as an example, as it showcases campaigns that touch on various aspects of the phenomenon. Through the research findings, the real repercussions that woke washing can have on a brand and the warning signs that consumers can look for in a campaign to assess its authenticity will be highlighted.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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Il Woke Washing nella fast fashion _ Carlo Boschis _ 966715.pdf
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https://hdl.handle.net/10589/208402