Image source: g2
In today’s fast-evolving marketplace, consumers, especially Gen Z’s and Millennials, are demanding more from the brands they engage with. It’s no longer enough for a brand to only sell a product, it must also stand for something. Concepts like authenticity, inclusivity, and sustainability have become crucial elements of branding and marketing. Yet, with the incorporation of it the rise of greenwashing, woke washing, and performative gestures, raises a pressing question: How can brands move beyond the superficial buzzwords and embody these values meaningfully?
Why does authentic, inclusive, and sustainable branding matter?
Consumer behaviour is evolving, authenticity, inclusivity, and sustainability are no longer brand differentiators, but are brand expectations. Recent studies show an increasing trend within consumer spending, consumers tend to purchase products from brands who embody their values. A 2024 Ipsos study spanning 19 countries, show a rise from 53% in 2013 to 69% in 2024 of consumers who prioritise purchasing products from brands that coincide with their values.
At the same time, inclusive representation is no longer an optional marketing strategy, it’s an expectation. The Kantar’s Brand Inclusion Index of 2024 show, through surveying more than 23 000 people in 18 different countries, that 75% of participants state that brands’ diversity and inclusion efforts influence their willingness to purchase. Hence, brands are being evaluated not just for their external messaging, but also for their internal policies, supply chain transparency, and alignment between values and actions.
From Values to Virtue Signaling? The rollback of DEI initiatives by brands
Shifting political dynamics are now putting the integrity of brands to the test, prompting a deeper question: Are companies genuinely committed to the principles of inclusion and diversity, or are such values merely leveraged as convenient marketing tools?
This tension has become even more pronounced in 2025, following newly elected President Donald Trump’s policies that have effectively halted the implementation of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs. DEI initiatives are designed to promote the participation of underrepresented groups in businesses, which now face increased scrutiny. In response to President Trump’s policies, companies have either endorsed, eliminated or remained silent on their stance of incorporating DEI programs. Notably, Google has removed references to Black History Month, Pride, and Women’s History Month from its Calendar services. Furthermore, according to Forbes, major corporations such as Amazon, Meta, Disney, and McDonald’s have also scaled back their DEI investments. These actions show that as political and public pressures rise, the line between performative branding and authentic commitment is becoming increasingly visible and consequential. As can be seen with consumer boycotts, refraining from engaging and purchasing from companies, in particular Target in the USA.
Failing to meet these expectations, or worse publicising false claims, leads to significant reputational damage. Consumers are quick to spot inconsistencies, and social media has made brand accountability more immediate than ever.
Avoiding Pitfalls: Green-, Bluewashing and Tokenism
The growing demand for ethical branding has also led to an increase in superficial strategies:
- Greenwashing, the act of overstating or faking environmental commitments.
- Tokenism, reducing diversity to a marketing checkbox, minimalising diverse cultures and alienating the very communities brands seek to support.
- Bluewashing, the act of misrepresenting values and actions of a company as set forth by the United Nations. Including actions such as the lack of transparency for labour practices and social responsibility claims.
Authentic branding requires brands to engage in continuous self-assessment, transparency, and community dialogue. It's about doing the work behind the scenes by auditing supply chains, implementing inclusive hiring policies, and ensuring that environmental claims are verifiable and measurable. Innovations, especially found within the twin transition, alleviates this challenge through the creation of items such as the digital product passport and block-chain based transparency. It allows brands to standardise and disclose their sustainability performance in real time to empower consumers to make informed, conscious choices.
Saendorn: Where function meets intention
Image Source: Instagram @saendorn_official
One brand putting these principles into practice is saendorn, a functional and sustainable menswear label made in Germany and founded in 2024. In a recent interview with FAIR FASHION, Viktoria Vossebrecher, co-founder of saendorn, shared saendorn’s mission and explains how their company policies coaligns with their intentions.
“Everyone in the fashion industry should ask themselves: how are we bringing value to this space? We thought that nobody needs a newly printed hoody, and that is how we decided to create timeless, year-round pieces. Embracing minimalist design to ensure longevity and not following current or seasonal trends, but rather consciously designing pieces publishing it in limited quantities first and then following a just-in-time production model to combat overconsumption and reduce waste.”
Saendorn challenges the fast fashion norm by prioritizing durability, craftsmanship, and purpose, which is exemplified throughout their whole business model and identity.
Our Commitment at FAIR FASHION
We believe that authentic, inclusive, and sustainable branding must be part of a deeper structural transformation, not just a marketing trend. As part of this commitment, we are currently developing our DEI initiatives built based on our six core pillars, designed to guide our brand and community through clear values that support transparency, diversity, equity, environmental responsibility, and long-term trust.
We invite our community to join us in this journey, not just as consumers, but as co-creators. We always aim to improve and appreciate your participation within that journey.
📌 Learn more on our website: www.fairfashionproject.eu
📷 Follow us on Instagram: @fairfashioneu
💼 Connect on LinkedIn: FAIR FASHION Project
By Alexandro David Dreyer Duarte (NUAS)
Edited by Prof. Dr. Sue Rossano-Rivero (NUAS)
Readings & Sources:
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