BASCOS, APRIL JOY C.

M211 Marketing Management February 1, 2020

Reaction Paper on “Marketing Challenges for an Eco-fashion Brand:

A Case Study” (D'Souza, 2015)

Environmental sustainability is an ever-relevant attribute that is shaping businesses all

over the world. We live in an era where fast rate of environmental degradation is evident, to
the point where it costs lives of populations. Indeed, sustainable economic activities have
become integrated in people’s decision-making processes to improve our quality of lives,
budging business and industry to sustain efforts in transforming their production systems
from being exploitative to becoming eco-friendly.
The case study was focused on RANT Clothing and its marketing efforts as an eco-
fashion brand. Eco-fashion or sustainable fashion means clothing that protects society from
adverse environmental impact by using biodegradable or recycled materials. Without a doubt,
textiles and clothing are part of our daily lives, playing an important contribution to the
global economy. However, according to recent findings, the worldwide textile production
alone leaves large ecological footprint, with total greenhouse gas emissions of 1.2 billion tons
annually; much larger than the carbon footprints of international air transportation and
shipping combined (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2017). Therefore, it is only reasonable that
environmental sustainability can start with clothing and eco-fashion brands are innovative
gamechangers; except this advantage had not really worked effectively for Rant Clothing.
One reason for this is the increasing consumer preference on what’s considered to be
“fast” and cheap wears in the global market, resulting to growing tons of annual clothing
consumption and of products with shorter life cycle. More so, clothes have quicker change of
styles, as the concept of “trendy” has always been associated with fashion. In addition, most
clothing brands are targeting lower to middle income classes, in which they sell at budget
prices. Hence, consumerism is fueled and so does production of more waste that sequentially
and adversely affects the environment.
Moreover, consumer awareness on eco-fashion brands are weak. Such is true for Rant
Clothing, as their marketing strategies have minimal impact on customer consumption.

RANT Ethical and Sustainable Clothing

clothing slogan and Brand image “Feel good and enjoy building a wardrobe that showcases
the beauty of natural fibres and is made with a conscience”
quality driven clothes
3Rs: reduce, recycle, reuse principle, sustainability
conservation
CSR

functional benefits:
positioning - environmentally and ethically sound retailer
Rant produces durable quality and mixing and matching their design
clothing, with an emphasis on comfort
prices are top of the range, variety of fabrics and styles to choose from
has environmental attributes to choose from, making brand as strongly sustainable
functional benefits solve a consumption related problem, solve external needs of consumers
1. sustainable/ethical and 2 "Made in Australia"

A successful branding strategy expresses the brand’s benefits, both from a product’s point of
view and a sustainable
point of view. In branding, customer benefits fall into two categories,
functional and non-functional.

Non-functional benefits involve experiential and symbolic benefits

Symbolic benefits
Symbolic benefits (extrinsic) intend to satisfy emotional needs, ego-identification,
or group membership (Park et al. 1986); they express the inner individual
self by embracing external marks and symbols, brands, and status
items

sumbolic benefits > self image satisfied = important to individual

extrinsic, nonproduct related attributes. associated with needs for social approval, personal
expression, and outer-directed self-esteem
self-image and product congruency

Rant Clothing
orchestrates the link between self-congruity with an image to increase
consumers’ sustainable impetus because they believe that self-image is
central to a consumer’s buying behavior.

basis for establishing a relationship with consumers that is intellectually

satisfying and emotionally persuasive

The above paragraph shows that Rant Clothing takes its brand identity
construction process to another dimension by including sustainable
and ethical sensitivity. Equally, Rant incorporates the functional,
symbolic, legal, and strategic aspects parallel to branding situations (de
Chernatony and McDonald 2003) which allows customers to associate
emotionally with logical facts and rational advertising appeals (Ottman
2003).

Despite Rant having a good branding

strategy, the ultimate aim is to attract consumers. This logic can
be transcended through marketing that acts as a catalyst to influence
consumers to use eco-fashions that support environmental causes.

Marketing is a philosophy that identifies customer needs and attempts

to meet them.

astute marketing, "must-have" over-indulgence

Marketing seems to have the power to bewitch consumers with a kind of urge to consume.

suggest that to be a successful brand you

are either at the high end of the market, a luxury brand or a commodity
at the low end. Thus, to survive marketers can either use a low-cost
strategy by introducing a cheap brand or serve the high end of the market
by introducing an iconic eco-fashion brand.

Perceived consumer effectiveness (PCE) is critical for understanding

consumer behavior. PCE is said to be effective when individuals believe
that their actions make a difference in solving an environmental problem
(Ellen et al. 1991). It is similar to the concept of internal locus of
control (Kinnear et al. 1974) such that consumers often link their own
abilities, actions, and psychological framework (Rotter 1954, 1990) to
make a difference to the environment. PCE is also affected by knowledge,
direct experience, and the experiences of others (Kim and Choi
2005). There is an inherent possibility that the intrinsic values felt by
consumers are often driven by PCE and if this is not clearly distinct in
the branding process or appropriately marketed by Rant Clothing it is
highly likely that the brand may lose its appeal.

The concepts of branding are explored and

applied to show how eco-fashions can create brand value in a systemic
way by pursuing marketing efforts, which can be pursued for a fuller
enrichment of eco-fashions. These radical changes will sooner or later
take effect as the need for sustainability increases. While eco-fashions
are slow-moving, by proper branding and marketing there may be a
wealth of opportunity waiting for fashion designers to what currently
presents a rather limited market.