People

The people pillar looks at how consumers interact with brands, exploring how a company can attract different types of consumers like Generation Z. Gen Z include people born between 1996 and 2010. This generation are the first ‘digital natives’ who use the internet in daily life. (McKinsey & Company, 2023, pg 2) This means that their consumer behaviour may be different to millennials (people born between the years 1981 and 1996.) For example, according to a survey (Moran, G,, 2022, chapter 8) ‘Nearly a quarter (23.5%) of Gen Z have purchased digital fashion items and would again. This compares with 13.3% of millennials.’ This demonstrates that brands need to adapt to a new generation of consumers in order to remain successful.

‘Gen Zers will make up a quarter of the population of the Asia–Pacific region by 2025.’ (McKinsey & Company, 2023, pg 2) therefore the demand for businesses to adjust to attract this group as consumers grows. When thinking about how a business can grow their consumers in this age group they must look to the values of Gen-Z and their consumer behaviour.  According to (Mckinsey & Company, 2023, pg 3)  Gen Z values ‘purpose and accountability, the creation of more opportunities for people of diverse and underrepresented backgrounds, and rigorous sustainable and green practices.’ In terms of the fashion industry, this can mean using sustainable materials, ethical production, promoting diversity and equality and having a purpose or story that resonates with consumers. It is important to note that Gen Z is much more concerned with the ethics behind products that they consume and this could be related to the accessibility to this information through technology, ‘Gen Z consumers are mostly well educated about brands and the realities behind them. When they are not, they know how to access information.’  (Tracy Francis and Fernanda Hoefel, 2018, pg 9)
The fashion industry has a problem with representation. For example, in the 80’s designers exclusively used thin models with no representation of other body types despite the fact that ‘the average size of women in the US is a size 14.’  (Jorgensen, T., 2021, pg 36. ) A lack of representation alienates consumers. Whilst this still remains an issue in the fashion industry, many brands have recognised the need for diversity and inclusion in fashion. Notably, brands like Savage X Fenty who have successfully engaged consumers by being more inclusive. It’s ‘Instagram account (with millions of followers,) includes photos of a variety of body types, ethnicities, sexualities, and shapes.’ and the company is worth a billion dollars (Jorgensen, T., 2021, pg 39 ), the brand perfectly signifies ‘the value of inclusivity’ (Jorgensen, T., 2021, pg 39.) Savage X Fenty is one of many brands like Selkie and Christian Siriano which are confronting the harmful lack of representation in the fashion industry.