5TH SEMESTER SUSTAINABLE COMMUNICATION
CAMPAIGN PROJECT
“WHAT TOXIN ARE YOU WEARING?”
LAURA MOTT, ILZE PODINA, ELISE HOANG, THILDE GEHRKE, GERLY ALP
TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION 2. BACKGROUND 3. TARGET GROUP ANALYSIS 4. OBJECTIVES 5. ACTORS, INTERESTS, OBSTACLES 6. SOCIAL WEATHER CONDITIONS 7. COMMUNICATION DESIRES 8. CAMPAIGN ASSETS MONEY SOCIAL CAPITAL POLITICAL CAPITAL MEDIA CAPITAL COMMERCIAL CAMPAIGN TOOLS 9. CRITICAL PATH PLAN 10. SPECIFIC COMMUNICATION COMPONENTS CHANNEL ACTIONS MESSENGER PROGRAM CONTEXT AUDIENCE TRIGGER 11. USER TESTING 12. STYLE GUIDE 13. EVALUATION 14. REFERENCES
INTRODUCTION The fashion industry is one of the world’s most polluting industries and the Danish Fashion Institute is already taking action with their NICE initiative project. Based on the NICE consumer report the framework of the assignment is to plan a campaign for the Danish Fashion Institute that raises awareness and changes consumers’ behaviour to make more conscious choices. There are many harmful elements in our everyday life’s that pose health at risks. Pesticides in food as well as perfumes, preservatives and parabenes in beauty products, and not least toxic chemicals in clothing. Many consumers are not even aware of the fact that they need to wash new clothing at least four times before wear. Some consumers are already making conscious choices with food and beauty products but when it comes to clothing it is aesthetics and fashion that has the last word. In the past few years there has been much publicity in the media about big fashion companies who use toxins in clothing and how polluting it is for the environment. However, many consumers are not aware of what the toxins in clothing might do to their own bodies and health, which is the reason the campaign choses this as the area for focus.
BACKGROUND The aim of the campaign is to encourage a shift in the consumer behaviour, so they look for more sustainable choices. It is important to create a dialogue with the consumer so they become a part of sustainability and the message doesn’t just scare them in to action. The campaign should create a community and make sustainability more main stream. To date the biggest campaign on this subject has been run by Greenpeace, the aim of this campaign is to stop the industry poisoning waterways around the world with chemicals. They launched the campaign in July 2011 and have already succeeded by getting some big companies to become toxin free. Greenpeace is seeking to adopt credible, individual and public commitment for their cause; to phase out the use and release of all toxic chemicals from their global supply chain. However it can be considered that in many ways their campaign does not appeal to the average consumer. This consumer also does not have a clear idea of what sustainability is. Greenpeace is sharing a lot of information about the following toxins Nonylphenol (NP) and Nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs) which are a group of man-made chemicals that do not occur in nature other than as a result of human activity. Phthalates that are mainly used as plasticisers in plastics, especially PVC and Carcinogenic amines are released by certain azo dyes that can break down under reductive conditions.1 Of course this information is important, but it can be perceived by and channeled to the public in many ways and our objective is to run an awareness campaign that also provides a solution so not to scare the consumer with information with is neither relevant nor relatable.
TARGET GROUP ANALYSIS In order to describe the target group, the MINERVA model has been analysed. It is based on extensive sociological research and can be used only in Scandinavian countries, including Denmark. The Maslow’s target group analysis will also be considered, which is system based on identified motivational values. Moreover, we will look through our questionnaire results. Taking into consideration the fact that women do shopping more often than men, it is most appropriate to focus the campaign mostly towards women. When looking at the Minerva Model the green segment is the most relevant to the supposed ideal focus group, as it describes modern and idealistic people, primarily women in age 30-61. Besides that, this segment has been described as: people who appreciate wealth of cultural activities and find that the nature is a source of great experiences, therefore they lead the way in fighting environmental problems. However, this target group can be divided in two parts: women between age 20 to 30, and women in age 30 and older. The primary target group is younger women, mostly because they might not pay that much attention to how ‘toxin clean’ their clothing is and what consequences and health problems might be caused after wearing them
Besides that, young consumers typically do not associate sustainability with fashion, although they are very open to environmentalism, Joanne, a Hong Kong student, summarized it well: “I am happy to do my bit for the planet and recycle, etc. But fashion...this is another thing. Maybe if designers used eco-labeled materials and designs, the change will happen. But at this point the eco-fashion I have seen is not fashion—they are just plain dull and for older people perhaps.” 2 As the questionnaire results show 81% of respondents mostly shop on high street, mainly because they are motivated by price when buying clothing (51% motivated by price). Moreover, 61% of all respondents were people in age 20-30 and the results show that 44% do not have any knowledge of toxins in clothing and more than half responded that more awareness of these toxins might change their buying habits. Therefore it can be considered that a campaign about creating awareness of toxins in clothing would influence young people in making changes. The secondary target group is women in age 30 and older, mostly because they are more settled down and more caring, they have families and kids to take care of and make sure they are healthy. When looking at Maslow’s target group analysis, the goal is to identify motivational values of our audience. The target group can be categorized as ’Prospectors’- people, who are success oriented, trend and fashion conscious. Even though those people are not so likely to join the campaign, they like new ideas and new ways, therefore the idea behind the campaign is to attract consumer interest and wonder. When choosing value modes for the target group, they can be described as ’Golden Dreamers’ which describes people that ’try anything’, they try out many different personas in an attempt to satisfy their need for acknowledgement, belonging and esteem of others.
http://motivationcentre.blogspot.dk/2006/03/implications-of-maslows-hierarchy-of.html
OBJECTIVES The campaigns main objective is to raise awareness of 20-30 year old ‘Golden Dreamers’ of toxin problems in clothing by 20% in one year, this will be evaluated using online performance reports. From this we can derive the sub objective ‘make sustainability more main stream and relatable. Measured by the post campaign sales of the sustainable clothing brands represented during the campaign’. http://boardroomecoapparel.com/cgi/page.cgi?aid=81&_id=98&zine=show
ACTORS, INTERESTS, OBSTACLES The actors are the consumers as they are the ones who can make a difference by demanding toxin free clothing and processes. The allies are Greenpeace, Miljøministeriet, Sundhedsstyrelsen, and environmental organizations. The enemies are large fashion companies who do not want to change as well as dyeing factories. A big obstacle for the campaign to fulfil its ambition is to change consumer behaviour, and encourage new values and motivations; that could subsequently lead to companies to make changes. Another group that are working towards the same goal are Greenpeace. This could also be an obstacle for us because Greenpeace are sending out messages about toxins in clothing which could be noisy, confusing or mixed messages for the target group
SOCIAL WEATHER CONDITIONS Fast fashion is a trend in society that goes against sustainable behaviour. Many fashion companies offer up to 18 collections a year to meet the consumers’ demand. 3 This has led to pressure on the supply chain as buyers are pushing the factories to deliver products at a much faster rate. Fast fashion is cheap, unsustainable, and the amount of clothing being consumed has enormous consequences for the environment. However, the ‘less is more’ principle and slow fashion, which are very contradicting trends, are becoming more and more popular especially after the financial crisis. Growing niches of consumers have an increasing awareness of sustainability and are buying long-lasting quality clothing. Many are also buying organic and/or fair-trade food and beauty products, as they want to live healthier and more ethical. In terms of the many problems related to sustainability in the fashion industry, people are mostly aware of poor working conditions and environmental challenges, but when it comes to toxins in clothing our target group has little knowledge about it. They are not aware of how the toxins in the clothing can be harmful to their health. http://fashionista.com/2012/04/slow-fashion-movement-picks-up-speed-in-iceland/
COMMUNICATION DESIRES The campaign will address the health risks of toxins in clothing and the action consumers can take. The campaign needs to be relevant and relatable for the consumer so they will be encouraged to change their behaviour. The campaign will span two different areas of focus. The first stages of the campaign will communicate about the problem, and the effect on human health, thus making the subject comprehendible and relatable to the target audience. Several media will be used to communicate the dangers, and also encourage interaction between the campaign and consumers. The last stage of the campaign will see the focus change to the solution, and what the consumer can do to make a difference. The purpose will be to educate consumers to make conscious choices. As well, changing the current perception of sustainable clothing to something more trend-focused and in line with the current high street. The aim is to encourage a shift in consumer behaviour, so they look for more sustainable choices.
CAMPAIGN ASSETS MONEY DAFI will be collaborating with the government and will use government fundings to run the campaign. For our budget we will need to include salaries to our graphic designers, the expenses for the pop-up shop rent as well as advertising in magazines (49.500 kr per month for an A4 page), and outdoor billboards at train stations and bus stops (250.000 kr for 2 weeks). 4
SOCIAL CAPITAL The health ministry within the Danish government already have the resources available to prepare and run a campaign, therefore these resources will be utilized. A number of volunteers will be also be needed to run and maintain the pop-up shop.
POLITICAL CAPITAL The campaign will use the political leverage of the health ministry brand. This will aid the credibility to the campaign, as well as encourage support from certain politicians, which could be a useful media tool. Connie Hedegaard and Ida Auken will represent the campaign from both sides of government as the consumer responses better to an equal campaign rather than one from an either a left or right wing government point of view.
MEDIA CAPITAL The campaign will use social media platforms such as Instagram and blog. Malene Birger, who is already taking action to make difference in the fashion industry, will also represent it the campaign to power it.
COMMERCIAL As a commercial is an audio or video advertisement, usually presented on television, radio or in a movie theatre, with this campaign we are more focused on online media, as well as face-to-face organizing.
CAMPAIGN CAPITAL In order to build-up a successful campaign, we are going to use tools such as weblog, social media, PR in magazines/newspapers, as well as billboards and posters in public places.
CRITICAL PATH PLAN In terms of critical path, our campaign is planned as a series of events, working around different types of tasks – Set up press – kit, campaign, pop-up shop and evaluation of campaign. Our critical path is campaign path as it is longest and most time-consuming process. Any delay on campaigning part will make our project longer and impossible to achieve out goals on time. Throughout from our campaign objective to raise awareness about toxin problems in cloths in age range 20-30 years old and sub-objective to make sustainability more ‘main stream’ and relatable. For communication to have the right effect, we are using the CAMPCAT to see critical parts. We need to consider all the risks about who is going to deliver our message through which channel and when and where is the right time to release it. Which Toxins Are You Wearing? - Campaign Month Week
Press-kit: Set up blog, Instagram Send out press-kit to bloggers/magazines
Campaign: Set up facebook page Set up google alert - overskrift.dk OOH Advertising (Campaign posters) Send pop-up press release to magazines Send pop-up press release to bloggers/newspapers OOH Advertising (Pop-up shop posters) Instagram competition
Pop-up Shop: Invite press + VIP for launch pop-up shop Launch of pop-up shop Pop-up shop open to the public
Evaluation of campaign: Online perfomance reports + sales from popup shop
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SPECIFIC COMMUNICATION COMPONENTS CHANNEL The campaign will use a combination of communication channels to deliver the message. Primary, new media will form the central part of the campaign, with a specialist blog that will feature information on the problem, and also information on the solution and the upcoming events. The benefit of this is the close control over the message and the campaign ‘tone of voice’, it can also be updated on a regular basis. Instagram will also be a key channel for the campaign, and feature a consumer competition that can be shared; this will enable a fast dialogue and has the potential to reach a wide scope of audiences. However these channels can be passive so the audience needs to be encouraged to visit the sites. Therefore the campaign will also include a media relations strategy that, via third parties will emphasise the messages delivered though the direct channels of communication. Press releases will be sent to the media detailing the campaign and collaboration with Malene Birger. OOH (out of home) advertising will be placed in busy public places; this is costly but can prove effective at reinforcing messages and creating awareness, and is easily controllable. The last channel will be the physical pop up shop, this is a good opportunity to provide knowledge of both the problem and solution and reach markets that were not otherwise aware of the campaign via footfall past the location.
ACTIONS
PRESS-KIT
Our campaign includes some different set of actions, which we have determined by the critical path of the campaign and will distribute with the intention of a behaviour change to occur in our target group. • The first set of actions is to send out press-kits to bloggers and magazines in order to create a hype and mystery around our campaign. The intended effect is to make our target group curious and make them want to seek more information, which is why we will also have a blog and Instagram set up in this first stage with limited information and a series of campaign pictures. • The second set of actions is using OOH advertising to raise awareness of toxin problems in clothing and to create awareness of our pop-up shop. We will make more knowledge of toxins in clothing available on our blog and social networks. In this stage we will also launch an Instagram competition with the intention of our target group to interact, carry it on and distribute among their friends. • The third set of actions is the launch of the pop-up shop to create a solution for our target group by bringing sustainable clothing options and making sustainable fashion ‘sexy’ for the average consumer. The purpose of the intended effect on the target group is to encourage them to buy toxin-free clothing.
MESSENGER Malene Birger, who is known figure in Denmark’s fashion industry and in social level, will deliver the message. She is credible spoken person for caring out our message clearly. The campaign voice will include such platforms as Instagram, blog, and press releases also involving the pop-up shop. Pop-up shop will have its own tone of communication with consumers and assumingly have stronger influence to costumers purchasing habits.
PROGRAM The reason for running the campaign is to change consumer values and behaviour which is attributed to their shopping habits. It’s only when these elements change will the fashion industry also start making changes their processes to become a cleaner, more sustainable industry. The long term goal in any campaign targeting this set of problems this is of course to ‘clean-up’ the fashion industry, however this campaign is built to target the consumer first. It is clear that the consumer is the key to any changes, as the industry is forced to follow what the consumer desires to enable development.
CONTEXT The target group will meet the campaign in fashion magazines. blogs and social networks, as well as in train stations, bus stops and streets in April and May 2014. By using OOH advertising it will reach a wider audience than just the primary target group. The campaign will run a month before as well as during the NICE summit. During this period there will be an increased focus on sustainability in the media. The pop-up shop will open the first week in June and will be open throughout the month. This is strategically timed just a few weeks after the NICE summit, in order to meet the target group while sustainability is still a relevant and hot topic in their minds.
AUDIENCE The target audience consist of people living in Copenhagen area, mostly women between age 20 – 30, who are fashion conscious and without knowledge of toxins in clothing. Those people are social and outgoing, who take care of their appearance and health. They attend to various social events and are not afraid to challenge themselves. They are aware of environmental issues, but do not know about the problems in fashion industry or do not know how toxins in their clothing might affect on their body and health.
TRIGGER The campaign hopes that the hype and mystery created by using the campaign tools will attract people’s interest and willingness to change their habits. It is well documented the information campaigns alone are not enough to encourage a change in behaviour. The campaign includes graphic designs and text written underneath on the OOH advertisement will catch consumers’ interest, which will lead them for seeking more information and willingness to be a part of this campaign and final event Pop-up shop opening.
USER TESTING The focus group consisted of two men and four women and the answers were very similar from all the participants. Overall were we very satisfied with the discussion the focus group had and we got some relevant answers that were at some point very surprising but on the other hand also very logic when the campaign is seen from the outside. We wanted to test some of our campaign assets and not all the participants from the focus group agreed on our plans, neither on our campaign material which one thought were ugly and reminded him of “crappy anti-smoking campaigns. The rest thought poster number 1 was the best, because it made them curious, and gave a disturbing feeling. It was nice to see how involved they were in our idea – because they found a great interest for the topic we are dealing with. All of them had an opinion and some great aspects they were willing to share. Almost all of them agreed on that the common phrase “Sustainable Fashion” was a bit hard to relate to and kind of hard to define and understand. None of them really believed in the idea of running a campaign through the social medias whereas almost all of them could relate to the idea about a mysterious campaign and especially the phrase: “what toxin are you wearing” It was 50/50 when we asked the focus group how much attention they pay to campaign posters at the train stations and the bus stops and we got a great discussion out of it. Everybody agreed on that a campaign would be helpful to change the consumer behaviour within sustainability but it is just not enough on its own. One said that a campaign could sell but not change behaviour; this is clearly subjective but still represents a section of consumers.
STYLE GUIDE The campaign adverting is black and white to portray simple and sophisticated design style. The font used is DubielPlain, which is also a very elegant and classic fontstyle and it is used in many fashion magazines, this is used to evoke a consumer reaction that links the campaign with the fashion industry. The slogan “What toxins are you wearing?” is designed using a simplistic smoke effect to visualize the toxins in the fashion industry. The smoke effect is also consistently used on some of the instagram pictures to visualize the toxic steps a single clothing item goes through from the cotton field, to the weavery, to the dyeing, etc., where it is exposed to pesticides, oils, chemicals, dyes and other toxins.
Wearing toxic clothing can be as dangerous as drinking toxins.
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EVALUATION In order to evaluate the success of the campaign we will measure the online performance reports to see if the campaign has achieved the main objective, to raise awareness of toxin problems in clothing by 20% in one year. Depended on the success of the pop-up it can then be considered to open a permanent store to cover a need in the target market. This will be measure this mainly by sales. Another initiative to consider is to introduce collaborations with more than one designer, therefore appealing to a broader target group, and but also encouraging designers to incorporate organic fabrics into their collections. This will show that organic clothes can be ‘sexy’ and fashionable. Opening up a permanent store with eco-conscious clothing it will be a step on the way to bringing affordable, sustainable choices closer to the consumers’ everyday life and thereby making it more available for the mainstream consumer. Eventually, when the consumer changes their behaviour the fashion industry is forced to react and change their processes.
REFERENCES 1. Dirty Laundry (2011), viewed December 1 2012, http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/publications/reports/ Dirty-Laundry/ 2. Fashioning Facts (2012), view December 3 2012, http://fashioningchange.com/fashionfacts 3. Ethical Fashion Forum (2012), viewd November 30 2012, http://www.ethicalfashionforum.com/the-issues/fast-fashion-cheap-fashion 4. Media Facts by Mediaedge:cia (2012), viewed November 30, http://printguiden.dk/media/media.aspx)