The social media platform TikTok has established itself as one of the leading Gen Z social media channels with over a billion monthly active users. The fast-paced, easy-to-consume content enables people to upload memorable videos that suit both their interests and their ever-shrinking attention spans.
One element that is growing steadily on the platform is content that focuses on sustainability. Brands have started to incorporate the topic into their strategies in order to reach the desired Gen Z customers via a new communication medium.
“Brands use TikTok as a platform to expand their definition of sustainability,” said Emily Huggard in an interview with FashionUnited. The assistant professor at Parsons University in New York has dealt intensively with the TikTok platform and examined how brands use it for sustainable purposes.
“I think it affects the connection brands have with their audiences when it comes to creating a lifestyle and an aesthetic. [Die Menschen] buy brands that match their general values and goals in terms of sustainability and responsibility, ”says the expert.
Believing TikTok changed the aesthetic of sustainability, Huggard noted that the content shared isn’t just about consumption and purchase. The advent of do-it-yourself tutorials and vintage shopping has led to a shift in content, making sustainability an aesthetic lifestyle choice.
As part of her study, Huggard recorded the roles that brands play in communicating this newly discovered sustainability to the digitally savvy users of the popular app. When analyzed, five functions stood out as the most widely used communication methods.
education
“Education is a central part of promoting sustainable consumption on social media. However, it is not nuanced and is often used by brands as a stepping stone to inspire consumers to look for more information. ”
Brands easily fall into the habit of spreading apocalyptic statistics on environmental degradation, which Huggard confirms, while important, do not necessarily attract the attention of the younger generation.
Brands like For Days instead use their platform to provide information to their fans along with other videos that are more entertaining. The brand, which asks its customers to send goods in for recycling and receive a credit, provides both statistical information and details about the recycling of discarded clothing.
The clothing brand Alohas, which sells clothing on demand, also shares data about the industry in a relaxed manner and at the same time promotes its sustainable business model. The label tells of the advantages of on-demand shopping and at the same time gives tips on how other areas of your life can be redesigned in an environmentally conscious way.
Emotional engagement
“Funny and engaging content approaches a topic that is educational in a way that it is for [die Menschen] makes relevant. ”
Often times, approaching such a topic can come across as heavy bogus, so a brand needs to adapt to Gen Z’s particular interests in order to retain audiences. Stella McCartney, for example, took up the subject by running people dressed in animal heads through town to start a casual conversation.
Pangaia also took to the streets and asked citizens with entertaining and exciting questions, for example about the ideal material for a puffer jacket – to which one participant replied: “Marshmallows”. This relaxed way allowed them to approach the topic of innovation and biomaterials in an optimistic way and make the topic more accessible to the audience.
Another aspect that Huggard noticed was the tendency for brands to work with design and style first before taking on an educational role. As soon as the desired aesthetic is achieved, they go into the origin and care of the garments.
The purpose of this method is likely to be related to the specific use of the app as a entertainment-based platform. Videos that are either aesthetically pleasing or entertaining tend to be better accepted than instructional videos. Addressing the audience on a more emotional level bridges the gap between the two.
“Brands often approach overly educational content that is sometimes too shallow,” noted Huggard. “TikTok is a place where people have fun and interact with friends, so they want that kind of entertainment.”
Product-oriented
“There is a clear contradiction between fashion and sustainability, which is why most brands talk about a product that is supposed to be sustainable, but it is not quite,” says Huggard.
The product-related content is often an integral part of the platform, with brands looking for ways to inform consumers about specific items.
For its cashmere collection, Pangaia has posted videos with clear details about the materials behind the products, with subtitles such as: “This recycled cashmere is made from pre- and post-consumer materials.” The simplicity of the posts ensures that the users can easily follow the message while getting enough information about the clothing.
Other ways to target people with a product-related method could also be to provide additional information or refer to a link in the company’s TikTok bio that offers the opportunity to do further research without targeting the audience with a short video overwhelm.
Interactivity
“Focusing on interactivity enables brands to include parts of the platform that are being hyped.”
Audience generated content is a trustworthy addition to a label’s platform, and with the added effectiveness of viral marketing, interactivity is a great way to reach environmentally conscious people. TikTok dances, challenges and special hashtags are components of the app that motivate the audience to create content in line with a brand’s message.
Pangaia has made use of this strategy and introduced the #PangaiaChallenge. With its own soundtrack, the brand urged fans to submit a video of themselves dancing in typical TikTok fashion, with each entry resulting in a tree being planted. As an additional motivation, a handful of people were able to win a set from the brand. The associated hashtag alone was accessed over four million times and is still used almost a year later.
The upcycling label Vintage Stock Reserve became a hit on the platform as the user base began to discover the brand’s easy-to-watch content. The brand focuses on answering audience questions through informative yet entertaining videos, while also showing a behind-the-scenes look at their upcycling process and tutorials.
Thought leader
“Many brands work with thought leaders, people from the field of sustainability or other creative people who do not come from this sector. Pure educational content usually has the lowest level of engagement, while content that is produced in collaboration with influencers has the highest level of engagement. “
The shoe brand Thousand Fell favors content from creatives who already have a large following. Videos posted by the likes of Mark Edward and Styledbysoleil offer either style tips or facts about the label’s shoes.
Andagain, a Los Angeles-based apparel brand, showcases its TikTok videos from the perspective of co-founder Morgan Young, a thought leader in sustainable fashion. In addition to behind-the-scenes shots and garment design processes, Young shows a deeper connection with the garments she makes.
The use of creative people in the field of sustainability enables a different perspective on the sustainable aspects of a brand. People may find this additional third source more reliable while receiving product-oriented inspiration at the same time.
Of course, fashion is not the only area that needs a sustainable restart. Pangaia introduced its audience to food sovereignty through a collaboration with zero-waste chef Max La Manna. Pangaia deviated from its typical product-oriented method, took an influential person from another industry and developed a new direction for its information.
TikTok and beyond
“TikTok is a platform where people have more confidence in the content, they feel like it’s a more accessible view of sustainability,” said Huggard. “People often do not find the aesthetics of sustainability accessible on Instagram because the lifestyle portrayed is often something they cannot identify with.”
Trust is also related to the rise of live streaming sites like Twitch, which are promoting niche communities. The platforms that are becoming increasingly popular with young consumers offer continuous visual content that is often more personal and provided by people they know and trust.
“The idea of a social platform on which people get involved with a community – I don’t see that going away,” concludes Huggard.
This article was previously published on FashionUnited.uk. Translation and editing: Barbara Russ.