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Sustainability strategy at companies has become a key business and management aspect for the development and success of an enterprise. The communication of strategies and actions relating to sustainability has become increasingly important for both companies and brands. This research studies the communication process that forms part of the sustainable strategy of fashion companies, ranging from the corporate website to e-commerce, and it proposes improvements for sustainability communication. Two new models are presented: the Operational Model for Evaluating Fashion Corporate Websites (OMEFCW) and the Operational Model for Evaluating Fashion E-Commerce (OMEFeC), based on the core dimensions of online sustainability communication (orientation, structure, ergonomics and content—OSEC), as established by Siano. In order to obtain an optimal view of the fashion industry, four corporate groups—two luxury fashion groups (Kering Group and Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH)) and two fast fashion groups (H&M Group and Intidex)—are compared. In addition, all of the e-commerce operations of the groups’ fashion brands are analyzed, a total of 32 brands. The results show that it is necessary to continue improving in terms of the communication of sustainability within the fashion industry, whilst demonstrating the great deficiency that exists regarding the communication of sustainability in the case of the brands’ e-commerce operations, which are precisely the web pages most visited by consumers.
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Sustainability2021,13,11363.https://doi.org/10.3390/su132011363www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability
Article
HowtoCommunicateSustainability:FromtheCorporateWeb
toECommerce.TheCaseoftheFashionIndustry
PatriciaSanMiguel
1,
*,SilviaPérezBou
2,†
,TeresaSádaba
1
andPedroMirBernal
1
1
DepartmentofMarketing,ISEMFashionBusinessSchool,UniversityofNavarre,28027Madrid,Spain;
teresa.sadaba@isem.es(T.S.);pmir@unav.es(P.M.B.)
2
DepartmentofTheory,ProjectsandUrbanism,SchoolofArchitecture,UniversityofNavarre,
31009Pamplona,Spain;sperezb@unav.es
*Correspondence:patricia.sanmiguel@isem.es
PartoftheresearchwascarriedoutduringastayasaVisitingScholarattheDepartmentofTextile
EngineeringoftheSchoolofEngineering,UniversityofMinho,Guimaraes,Portugal.
Abstract:Sustainabilitystrategyatcompanieshasbecomeakeybusinessandmanagementaspect
forthedevelopmentandsuccessofanenterprise.Thecommunicationofstrategiesandactionsre
latingtosustainabilityhasbecomeincreasinglyimportantforbothcompaniesandbrands.Thisre
searchstudiesthecommunicationprocessthatformspartofthesustainablestrategyoffashioncom
panies,rangingfromthecorporatewebsitetoecommerce,anditproposesimprovementsforsus
tainabilitycommunication.Twonewmodelsarepresented:theOperationalModelforEvaluating
FashionCorporateWebsites(OMEFCW)andtheOperationalModelforEvaluatingFashionECom
merce(OMEFeC),basedonthecoredimensionsofonlinesustainabilitycommunication(orienta
tion,structure,ergonomicsandcontent—OSEC),asestablishedbySiano.Inordertoobtainanop
timalviewofthefashionindustry,fourcorporategroups—twoluxuryfashiongroups(Kering
GroupandMoëtHennessyLouisVuitton(LVMH))andtwofastfashiongroups(H&MGroupand
Intidex)—arecompared.Inaddition,alloftheecommerceoperationsofthegroups’fashionbrands
areanalyzed,atotalof32brands.Theresultsshowthatitisnecessarytocontinueimprovingin
termsofthecommunicationofsustainabilitywithinthefashionindustry,whilstdemonstratingthe
greatdeficiencythatexistsregardingthecommunicationofsustainabilityinthecaseofthebrands’
ecommerceoperations,whicharepreciselythewebpagesmostvisitedbyconsumers.
Keywords:communicationofsustainability;sustainability;marketingmanagement;corporate
website;ecommerce;fashion;fastfashion;luxuryfashion
1.Introduction
Thesustainabilitystrategyatcompanieshasbecomeanessentialpartofthevision
andmissionofacompanygiventhatsustainabilityisakeybusinessandmanagement
aspectforthedevelopmentandsuccessofanyenterprise[1,2].
Variousstudiesanalyzetheimportanceofcommunicatingcompanies’sustainability
strategytothedifferentstakeholdersthatmakeupacompany[1,3–6].Mostofthesestud
ieshavefocusedonthecommunicationofsustainabilityfromacorporatepointofview,
butveryfewstudiesanalyzehowthesustainablestrategyiscommunicatedtothecon
sumer.Infact,studiesthatanalyzethisaspectarealmostnonexistent,takingintoaccount
thepossibleeffectsoftheCOVID19pandemicandthedevelopmentofcommercialweb
sitesoverthelastfiveyears.
Thisresearchaimstostudythecommunicationprocessrelatingtothesustainable
strategyatcompanies,rangingfromthecorporatewebsitetoecommerce,inordertopro
poseimprovementsforcommunicationrelatingtosustainability,abusinessdimension
thathasbecomeincreasinglyimportantintheeyesofsociety[7–9].
Citation:SanMiguel,P.;
PérezBou,S.;Sádaba,T.;
MirBernal,P.HowtoCommunicate
Sustainability:FromtheCorporate
WebtoECommerce.TheCaseof
theFashionIndustry.
Sustainability2021,13,11363.
https://doi.org/10.3390/su132011363
AcademicEditor:MarcLim
Received:31August2021
Accepted:6October2021
Published:14October2021
Publisher’sNote:MDPIstaysneu
tralwithregardtojurisdictional
claimsinpublishedmapsandinstitu
tionalaffiliations.
Copyright:©2021bytheauthors.Li
censeeMDPI,Basel,Switzerland.
Thisarticleisanopenaccessarticle
distributedunderthetermsandcon
ditionsoftheCreativeCommonsAt
tribution(CCBY)license(http://crea
tivecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Sustainability2021,13,113632of27
ThisstudyanalyzesthecorporatewebsitesoftheH&MandInditexfastfashionbusi
nessgroups,andtheKeringandMoëtHennessyLouisVuitton(LVMH)luxuryfashion
groups.Eachgrouphasmultiplebrandsthathavecommercialwebsitesthatofferthepos
sibilityofonlineshopping,ecommerce.Forthisstudy,wehaveanalyzedalltheecom
merceoperationsofthebrandsrelatingtoclothingandaccessories,withouttakinginto
accountotherproductcategories(jewelry,hometextiles,perfumesandcosmetics,wines,
etc.).
Thiscomparisonofthecommunicationstrategiesrelatingtosustainabilityatfast
fashionandluxuryfashioncompaniesallowsustohighlightthebestcommunication
practicesforsustainabilitywithinthiscreativeindustry,thesebeingmanagementaspects
thatshouldbeimitated.
Fashionisconsideredtobeacreativeindustry,notonlyduetothelargenumberof
creativeprofessionalsworkinginitsvaluechain(designers,artisticdirectors,photogra
phers,illustrators,mediacreators,advertisers,etc.),anditsproductchain—fashiongar
ments—thataresometimesevenconsideredworksofart[10],butalsoduetothewayin
whichfashioncompaniesinteractwiththeirconsumersandevenwiththecitieswhere
theyarebased,helpingthemtobeseenas“creative”too[11].
Themainobjectiveofthispaperistoaddressthepotentialdiscrepancythatexists
betweenwhatcompaniescommunicatethroughthecorporatewebandwhattheycom
municatetoconsumers.Communicationtotheconsumerregardingthecompany’ssus
tainabilitystrategyinecommerceallowstheconsumertobemadeawareoftheimpact
offashionproductionontheplanet,workersandconsumers[2].
Section2offersareviewoftheliteratureonsustainabledevelopmentmanagement
strategyinthefashionindustryandthemostprominentliteratureonhowtocommuni
catesustainabilityonlinethroughthecorporatewebsiteandecommerce.Then,inSection
3,theresearchmethodologyandsamplearedescribed,inwhichanewmodelofanalysis
forthecommunicationofsustainabilityisproposedforcorporatewebsitesandecom
merce.Section4presentstheresultsandadiscussionofthe36webpagesanalyzedfrom
aquantitativeandqualitativeperspective,basedonacomparativeanalysis.Section5of
fersaseriesofconclusions,managerialimplications,limitationsandsuggestionsforfu
turestudies.
2.LiteratureReview
2.1.FashionasaCreativeIndustry
Thefashionindustryhasalltheaspectsthatderivefromitscreativenature(rapidity,
art,color,shapes,patterns,visualdesign,photography,intellectualproperty,storytelling,
designers,shows,catwalks,etc.),andalltheconstraintsandpotentialofabigindustry,
withitsvaluechainbeingbothcomplexandmultileveled.
Creativeindustriesarethose“thathavetheirorigininindividualcreativity,skilland
talent,andwhichhaveapotentialforwealthandjobcreationthroughthegenerationand
exploitationofintellectualproperty”,tociteadefinitionfromthe1990scoinedbytheUK
DepartmentofMedia,CultureandSports.Theyarealso“thosewhichareprofessionally
involvedintheprocessofcreation,production,anddistributionofcreativegoodsand
services”[12].
Somescholarswhowriteaboutfashionasacreativeindustrydeclarethattheseare
companieswherecreativityisthecorebusiness[13].Othersreinforcetheideathatthey
drawuponcreativityandtalent,resourcesthatallcountriesarerichlyendowedwith[12].
CasadeiandLee[11]arguethatthefashionindustriesareoneoftheexemplarycreative
industries,andtheyhelpcitiestobeseenas“creative”too.
AtBauhaus,thepioneeringcenterfordesignandarchitecturecreatedinWeimarin
1919,therewasaweavingworkshop.Thiscentersoughttobecomeafocusofcreativity,
artandcraftsmanship,featuringaninnovativepedagogicalconceptbasedon“formfol
lowsfunction”,andsummarizedinthefamousphrasecoinedbyitsfirstdirector,Walter
Sustainability2021,13,113633of27
Gropius:“ArtandTechnology:ANewUnity”.Theweavingandtextilesworkshopwas
oneofthemostsuccessfulworkshopsatBauhaus.Itwastherethatmanyleadersofinter
nationaltextiledesignweretrained,followingtwodifferentdesignapproaches:onemore
artisticandcreative,andtheothermoreindustrial[14].Onehundredyearslater,thefash
ionandtextileindustrycontinuestoincludebothpathways:creativeandartistic,andin
dustrialandtechnical.
ThatiswhyTheNewEuropeanBauhaus,acreativeandinterdisciplinaryproject
launchedbytheEuropeanCommissionin2021,didnothesitatetoincludefashionasa
keyplayerforthecurrenttransition,giventhatdesignneedstoblendwithsustainability.
ThisinitiativeisapartoftheactionplanforagreenerandmorecompetitiveEurope,as
outlinedintheEuropeanGreenDeal[15],thatalsoincludes“textilesandclothing”asone
ofthesevenkeyvaluechainstopromoteacirculareconomy.
InthewordsofUrsulavonderLeyen[16],PresidentoftheEuropeanCommission,
inthevideopresentationforthelaunchofthedesignphaseoftheproject,TheNewBau
hausisaboutempoweringthosewhohavesolutionsfortheclimatecrisis;itisabout
matchingsustainabilitywithstyle;itisaprojectshapedbyallofus,rangingfromprofes
sionalarchitectstocitizeninitiatives,fromCEOsatbigcompaniestoinnovativestartups;
and,amongotheraspects,itisabouthowtoplacedesignattheserviceofclimatesolu
tions.
Itsthreewordmotto,“beautiful,sustainable,together”,attractedmanyfashionori
entatedprojectstothefirstcallforawardsinApril2021,amongthemorethan2000pro
jectspresented.
Ifwelookatthemoreindustrialsideofthefashionbusiness,beforetheCOVID19
pandemic,theindustrywasestimatedtohaveamarketvaluedatUSD1.8–2.4trillion
[17,18],effectivelyplayinganimportantroleintheworldeconomybycontributing2–
2.5%totheglobalGDP[19].
Theindustryemploysaround300millionpeopleworldwide[17,20]aspartofacom
plexandglobalizedvaluechain,withthemainsuppliersandmanufacturersbeinglocated
inAsia(China,India,Bangladesh,Cambodia,SriLanka,Vietnam,etc.)andothercoun
triesworldwide,mainlydevelopingcountrieswherethesalariesarethelowest[21,22],
althoughalsosomedevelopedcountries.
TheCOVID19pandemichashadadramaticimpact,mainlyintermsofthelossof
millionsofhumanlives,atragedycaused,inmanycases,bypoverty.Thefashionindustry
hassufferedtemporaryclosuresofitsstoresduringthemonthsinwhichalockdownwas
introducedallaroundtheworld.Thevaluechainhasbeendisruptedanddemandhas
diminished.Althoughin2020fashioncompaniessufferedasetbackof90%intermsof
financialprofit[23],theenvisagedscenariosfor2021arebetween0%and15%ofsales
growthdeclinecomparedto2019,andonlyin2023willthefigurerevertto2019levels.
AccordingtoStatista2021,themarketdecreasedin2020toUSD1.4trillion,althoughitis
expectedtoreachUSD2.2trillionby2025,growing22%comparedtothemarketof2019.
2.2.FashionandSustainability
Inouropinion,thebestdefinitionsofsustainabilityarethosefromtheBrundtland
Commission[24],namely“developmentthatmeetstheneedsofthepresentgeneration
withoutcompromisingtheabilityoffuturegenerationstomeettheirownneeds”,andthe
triplebottomlinedescribedbyElkingtonthattakesintoaccountthesocial,economicand
environmentalaspectsonanequalbasis[25](p.51).
Afterdigitalization,sustainabilityiswhatfashionexecutivescitein2021asanarea
ofgrowth,anddespitethepandemic,bothtrendswillaccelerateandleadtoaresetofthe
fashionindustry[23],helpingustonavigateuncertaintiesandallowingcompaniestoturn
potentialfinancial,socialandenvironmentalthreatsintoopportunities[26].Inaddition,
creativeenterprisesareincreasinglybeingviewedasnotonlynewtoolsforsustainable
development[12],butkeytoolsintermsofachievingit[27]sincetheybringtogetherac
tivitieswhoserawmaterialsarebasedonnonnaturalresources:intangibleresources.
Sustainability2021,13,113634of27
However,althoughfashionasacreativeindustryusesallkindsofintangiblere
sources,italsoconsumesahugequantityoftangibleresources,beingconsideredoneof
themostpollutingindustries[28].Itisresponsiblefor8–10%oftheworld’sgreenhouse
gasemissionsduetoitslongsupplychain[29],whichismorethantheemissionsofall
internationalflightsandmaritimeshippingcombined[20].Itaccountsfor20%ofglobal
wastewater,anditisalsoacontributortoplasticenteringtheocean,aswellaschemical
andhazardoussubstancesinrivers,etc.Textileproductionnearlydoubledbetween2000
and2019,from60millionmetersto111millionmeters[30].
Viewingtheindustryfromtheconsumerside,morethan66%ofconsumerssurveyed
inMay2020byMcKinseystatedthatbrands’promotionofsustainabilitywasanim
portantfactorintheirpurchasingdecisions[23].
BothproducersandconsumersareencouragedtotakeactiontoachievetheSustain
ableDevelopmentGoal12(SDG12),fosteringmoreresponsiblepatternsofproduction
andconsumption.Clothingutilizationdecreasedby36%intheperiodbetween2000and
2015[20]andconsumptionincreasedfrom7kgto13kgperperson.Inordertogainan
ideaofwhatthismeans,theannualenvironmentalimpactofahousehold’sclothinginthe
U.S.A.isequivalenttothewasteneededtofill1000bathtubsandthecarbonemissions
fromdrivinganaveragemoderncarfor6,000miles[31].
However,companieshavenotusuallypaidenoughattentiontotheirconsumersas
stakeholders[32],andthislimitstheefficiencyandalsotheeffectivenessofactionstaken
regardingsustainability[33].Apartfromthedegreeofoverconsumptionmentioned
above,thisnecessarilyimpliesmodifyingconsumers’habitsifwearetotacklethisprob
lem.However,thereisalackofinvolvementwithregardtoconsumersonthepartof
companies,togetherwithalackoftrueandvaluableconsumerknowledgeregardingsus
tainability.Althoughsomestudieshaveidentifiedtheneedtoeducateconsumersabout
theenvironmentalimpactofmaterialsandprocesses[34]andtheclothingusagephase
[35],otherstudieshavehighlightedthefactthatifconsumerspossessknowledge,their
awarenessrises,andthiscouldtriggerapositiveattitudetowardssustainableproducts
[32,36].Suchstudieshavealsosuggestedthatwhenconsumersarefamiliarwithbrands
andfollowthemonTwitter,theyexpectanincreasingcommitmentregardingtheenvi
ronment[37].
Allofthesefactorsleadustoformulateourfirstresearchhypothesis:H1.Inthe2020s,
sustainabilityhasbecomeakeybusinessfactorregardingthesuccessoffashioncompa
nies.
FastFashionVersusLuxuryFashion
Sustainablefashionstudieshavegenerallyfocusedonluxuryfashionandfastfashion
brands[38].AccordingtoPencarelli[39],luxuryproductsareusuallythosethathavethe
highestpriceandquality,providingtheconsumerwithanoutstandingexperienceor
senseofprestige.Fastfashionhasbeendefinedasabusinessmodelthatcombinesthree
elements:(i)quickresponse;(ii)frequentassortmentchanges;and(iii)fashionabledesigns
ataffordableprices[40].
Somestudiesanalyzetherelationship/compatibilitybetweenluxuryfashionandsus
tainability[39].Whilethevastmajorityarguethatluxuryfashioncompaniesshouldbe
consideredsustainableperse[41–43],andtheyhavelessneedforsustainabilitybecause
theyarealwaysrepresentativeofslowfashion[38],somepeopleconsiderluxuryfashion
andsustainabilitytobeirreconcilablebydefinition,sinceluxuryimpliesexcess,notto
mentionproductionandconsumptiondrivenbyaspectsotherthansatisfyingbasicneeds
[42].
Therearealsoscholarsthatclaimthatsustainabilityismorecongruentwithnon
luxurybrandsbecausefastfashionproductionhasaseriouseconomicimpact[38,44],and
becauseluxurybrandsaresomewhatdissonantwhenitcomestoecofriendliness.
Sustainability2021,13,113635of27
However,accordingtoFletcher[45],withinthecontextofslowculture,fastandslow
arenotopposed:“Slowcultureisaninvitationtothinkaboutsystemschangeinthefash
ionsectorandtoquestiontheroleofeconomicgrowth,underlyingvaluesand
worldviewsinfashionsothatadifferentandtruly‘richer’societydevelops”(p.264).
Someyearslater,Henningeretal.[46]identifiedslowfashionwithsustainablefashion,
sincetheysharemanyofthesamecharacteristics,suchasabalancedapproachtofashion
production(whichfosterslongtermrelationships),empoweringworkersthroughoutthe
valuechain,useofupcyclingandrecycling,andincorporatingrenewableandorganicraw
materials,tociteonlyafew.
Arecentexperimentalstudy[38]witharound800GermanandKoreanconsumers
highlightedthefactthatluxurybrandscansometimesdamagebrandattitudeswhenthey
advertiseeconomicsustainability;whatismore,communicationregardingsustainability
createsdissonantandconflictingassociationsforluxurybrandsbecauseluxurytendsto
beconnectedwithquality,prestige,exclusivityanduniqueness.Surprisingly,consumers
donotidentifythesecharacteristicsasbeingsustainableattributes.Thisiscoherentwith
previousresearchcarriedoutin2013thatsuggestedthatsustainabilitycommunicationin
suchcasesisconsideredtobeacommercialstrategydesignedtoboostsalesanditthreat
ensqualityandscarcity[47].Inaddition,whatisnotappreciatedintheluxuryrealmis
acceptedamongnonluxurybrandssincetheyarebestabletoleverageculturalandenvi
ronmentalsustainabilitytoincreasepurchasingintention,accordingtoKongetal.[38].
Conversely,otherscholars[37]haveconductedsocialnetworkanalysisandfound
thatbrandimageispositivelyinfluencedbyecofriendlyperception,increasingitseffect
forluxurybrands.
Thesamedisparityfoundamongstconsumerscanbeobservedamongstresearchers:
thisisoneofthereasonswhywewishtoaddressthisquestioninourstudy.Manyauthors
areskepticalregardingthesustainabilityeffortsofthemajorfashionretailers[41,43,48].
Fletcher[45]questionsthemodelofcontinuousgrowthitself,callingforavisionofthe
fashionsectorbasedonadifferentstartingpoint.
Basedonthesefindings,wecanstateoursecondresearchhypothesis:H2.Bothlux
uryandfastfashionbrandsareequallyinterestedinthecommunicationofsustainability.
Continuingwithourliteraturereviewonsustainability,agreatdealhasbeenwritten
regardingalloftheaspectsofthevaluechain,mainlyupstream(rawmaterials,products
andprocesses).LujánOrnelasetal.[22]offerusaliteraturereviewbasedonthedifferent
aspectsofsustainabilityateachstage:fiberproduction(environmentalandsocialimpacts
ofcotton,polyester,lyocell,newandmoresustainablefibers,etc.)[49];textileproduction,
payingattentiontoprocesses,energyconsumption,chemicaltreatments,etc.;design;
clothingproductionmorefocusedonsocialproblems,suchaslowwages[21],safetyand
technology;commercialization,featuringnewbusinessmodelsbasedonrentalschemes
andsecondhandclothing;subscriptionservices;and,finally,clothinguseandendoflife
phases[50,51].Thereisalsoanincreasinginterestinstudyingthesustainabilityoffashion
downstream,regardingconsumerbehaviorandthegapbetweenattitudesandpurchas
ingdecisions[52,53].Twoaspectshave,proportionatelyspeaking,beenlessoftenad
dressedintheacademicliterature:theroleofdesigners(textile,fashion,etc.)[51,54],and
theroleofthedesignofretailstoresincontributingtosustainabilityobjectives[2,54,55].
2.3.OnlineCorporateSustainabilityCommunication
Interestincorporatesustainabilityincreaseseachyearandhaspromotedinorgani
zationsthedevelopmentofadequatecommunicationstrategiestotransmittheirbusiness
approachtosustainabilityandcorporatesocialresponsibility(CSR)values[6](p.1).This
hasbeenevenmorethecaseinrecentyears,withdigitalizationplacingtheconsumeror
useratthecenterofconversations[56].
Inthispaper,weunderstand“sustainabilitycommunication”tomeanalltypesof
corporateandmarketingcommunicationsaboutsustainabilityissues[6,57],including
Sustainability2021,13,113636of27
CSRcommunicationthatrelatestoissuesofenvironmentalprotectionandsocialrespon
sibilityinrelationtoeconomicsuccess[3].Itshouldbetakenintoaccountthatanyanalysis
oftheliteraturethrowsupawholeseriesoftermstorefertosustainablecommunication,
suchasthefollowing:greencommunication,globalresponsibilitycommunication,social
responsibilitycommunicationandcorporatesustainabilitycommunication[5,58].
Inthedigitalcommunicationenvironment,thewebbecomesakeytoolasameeting
placeandpointofinteractionwithallofthestakeholders.Inthissense,forcompanies,the
corporatewebsitealwaysplaysakeyrole[6,59]becauseithastheabilitytotransmitcor
poratestatementsandsustainabilityinitiativesinamoredirectandvisualway.
Incorporatesustainabilitycommunication,thesustainabilityreporthasrecently
turnedouttobeacentralcommunicationtoolthroughwhichcompaniescommunicate
theirsustainabilitycommitmentsandperformancetotheirstakeholders.Since2014,ithas
beenmandatoryforlargecompaniesinEuropetoincludethisinformationintheirNon
FinancialReport(EuropeanCommission,2014).InApril2021,theEuropeanCommission
adoptedaproposalforcorporatesustainabilityreporting,effectivelyamendingtheprevi
ousrequirements,extendingthescopeofcompanies,requiringauditsofreportedinfor
mationandintroducingmandatoryEuropeanUnion(EU)sustainabilityreportingstand
ards(EuropeanCommission,2021).OlofssonandMarkHebert[1]explainthatsustaina
bilityreporting,aspartofacompany’scommunicationstrategy,showsnotonlytheinter
estthatacompanyhasintermsofbenefitingitselfanditsstakeholders,butalsointerms
ofcreatingvalueforsocietyatlarge.
However,thetraditionalmediaarebeingreplacedbydigitalchannels,andthisalso
affectscorporatecommunication,sustainabilitycommunicationandCSR.“Onlinecom
municationbecomesa“keyrelationaldriver”thatconnectsthecompanywithitsstake
holders,helpsdeveloptrustedrelationshipswiththem,andenhancescorporatereputa
tion”[6](p.3).Infact,asearlyas2001,WheelerandElkington[60]questionedthefuture
oftheCorporateEnvironmentalReportwiththeadventoftheInternetandchangingcom
municationtrends,thisbeingaperiodinwhichallthepossibilitiesofdigitalcommunica
tionsuchasinteraction,interactivegraphics,videos,etc.,hadyettobedeveloped.
ThereisnodoubtthatCSRandtheSustainabilityReportwillalwaysexist[60],either
indigitalPDForprintedformat,butthatdoesnotmeanthatPDFcontinuestobethebest
waytosharethecontentwithallofthestakeholders.Theimpactoftheimageandvideo
onsocietyshowsabetterlevelofcommunicationengagementthroughthesedigitalme
dia.
Wecanstatethatdigitalizationhasproducedmultiplechangesincommunication
[61–63]:(i)ithasresultedinmorepeoplebeinginformedandhavinghundredsofsources
ofinformationattheirdisposal[64,65].Asaconsequence,themessagesthatacompany
issuescanbecontrastedinamoreefficientandmorerapidmanner.(ii)Itallowstheglob
alizationofmessagesandideas:aneventinoneplaceintheworldcanreachtheentire
planet,andmessagessharedonawebpagecanbeseenandreadbyuserseverywhere
[66,67].(iii)Socialnetworksallowconversationstobegeneratedbetweencompaniesand
companies,companiesandorganizations,companiesandusers,organizationsandusers,
andusersandusers.Conversationsregardingenvironmentalandsocialissueshavein
creasedand,therefore,sohaseverythingrelatingtosustainabilityandCSRfromabroader
perspective[8,68–70].(iv)Thetechnologyanddevelopmentofimageandvideopermit
thedevelopmentofamoreinteractivekindofcommunication,withgraphics,videosand
illustrationsthatfacilitatetheunderstandingofthemessages[71,72].
However,alloftheseadvancesandchangesalsohaveanegativesideorgeneratea
risk.DuetothespeedwithwhichwecanfindinformationontheInternet,nottomention
itsglobalandfreeavailability,wecanfindoutaboutanyinitiativerelatingtothesustain
abilityofanycompanyintheworldand,atthesametime,abouttheerrorsorproblems
thatcompaniesmayhaverelatingtosustainabilityandCSR.Thesesituationsveryoften
giverisetopossiblecommunicationcrises,becauseifcompaniesfailtotransmitthetruth
Sustainability2021,13,113637of27
orfailtobetransparentwithregardtoalloftheiractivitiesrelatingtosustainability,this
cancausecontroversy.
Wecannotignorethefactthat,inrecentyears,consumershavebecomeamainstake
holder,onetowhomCSRandsustainabilitymustbecommunicated.Society’sawareness
oftheneedtocarefortheplanet,limitedresourcesandtheconditionsofworkersorani
mals,hasledtoasustainabilityrevolution.Inpart,thissustainabilityrevolution,which
thefashionindustryplaysakeyrolein,hasbeenbroughtaboutthankstotheInternetand
socialnetworks.
Forthisreason,itismoreessentialthaneverthatcompaniesshouldbehaveethically,
inordertotransmitthesetruthsandavoid“cosmeticcommunication”[6];thatistosay,
manipulatingorhidingthemostcontroversialaspectsofcorporatesustainability,also
knownas“greenwashing”[73–75]whichespeciallyaffectsthefashionindustry[46].In
thissense,asexplainedabove,fashionhasbeenparticularlyaffectedbymajorenviron
mentalandsocialcatastrophes[70].
Itshouldbenotedthatfromtheperspectiveofmanagementanditsrelationshipwith
marketing,wecanalsofindstudiesthatanalyzemanagement’sattitudetomarketingand
innovationsintheluxuryfashionindustry.Arecentinvestigationrevealedthatatsome
luxurycompanies,themarketingandinnovationendeavorshadverylittleincommon
withtheCSRstrategiesandprioritiesofficiallyestablishedforthebusiness[76](p.240).
Theauthorsstate“identifiedratherasatisfactory(CSR)attitudeofownersandsenior
managers,butalsoshowedthatlowlevelmanagementoftenhasareducedknowledge
and/orinterestinlinkingthemarketingandinnovationfunctionswithCSRbestpractice”
(p.240).Theresearchersconcludethat:“Itisamazingthatluxuryfashionbusinesseswith
suchdevelopedCSRstatementsandadvertisedmarketingandinnovationactionslinked
tobasicallyallCSRcategorieshavefrontlineemployees,includingmanagers,whodonot
sharesuchcommitments,and,instead,excessivelygointoauxiliaryaspectsandulti
matelyfrustrateCSRapproaches”(p.240).
Thereisnodoubtthat,bothwithregardtothecommunicationandthemarketingof
sustainability[77–79],whetherofflineandonline,itisnecessaryforthewholecompany
tobeinvolved.
Thisexplainsourthirdresearchhypothesis:H3.Fashioncompaniesandthefashion
industryhaveanactivecommunicationstrategyforsustainability.
TheWebasaTooltoCommunicateSustainability
Anincreasingnumberofcompanieshavecorporatewebsiteswherethereisasection
ormicrositededicatedtoCSRand/orsustainability.Infact,somewebsitesusetheword
“sustainability”asatitleorkeywordtoidentifythissectionontheweb.Onthiswebsite,
orinthissection,theyusuallypresentsustainabilityorganizationalmodels,governance
tools,sustainabilityorCSR,conductandethicscodes,certificationsandsustainability
partnerships[5,6,8].
Sianoetal.[6]emphasizethefactthatthewebhasbroughtmoreinteractivereporting
approachesinordertofurtherinvolvestakeholders,statingthat“interactivereporting,
transparencyandaccountabilityhavebecomethecoreelementsofsustainabilitycommu
nicationindigitalcontextstoensureconsistencybetweencorporatecommitmentandthe
actionsthatareactuallyimplemented”(p.3).
Asmentionedabove,newtrendsindigitalmarketing,suchasvideosandcontent
marketing,haveinfluencedthecommunicationstrategiesofcompanies.Inthelastthree
years,therehasbeenabroaddevelopmentofcontentmarketing,atrendthathasespe
ciallyimpactedthefashionindustry.Onwebsites,wecanfindstories,testimonials,suc
cessstories,editorialcontentonsustainablecollectionsandcontentcreatedbyusers.All
ofthesetoolscanbeemployedtocreateatwowaycommunicationapproachfocusedon
stakeholders,ingeneral,orfocusedsolelyontheconsumer.
Inordertoevaluatetheimpactofsustainabilitycommunicationeffortsoncompany
websites,theliterature[6,80]highlightsthreedimensions:(i)Contentrelatedtothecore
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business,whichreferstoactivitiesthathaveastrongimpactontheareaofbusinessand
thecompetitivenessofanorganization;(ii)Contentthatimpactsthevaluechain,i.e.,ini
tiativesthathaveasignificantimpactonthebusinessprocessesandactivities;(iii)Social
contentofgenericinterest,notsignificantlyrelatedtothecorebusinessofanorganization
butregardinggenericphilanthropicinitiatives.Herewecanenvisagethetriplebottom
line[60]consistingoftheeconomic,environmentalandsocialaspectsofsustainability.
Otherkeycriticalsuccessfactorsregardingeffectivewebbasedcorporatesustaina
bilitycommunicationsincludeaccessibility;usabilityandwebsitedesign;generalwebsite
content;industryspecificsustainabilityissuesascontent;sustainabilitycommitment;sus
tainabilitydevelopmentagenda;contactfeedbackdialogue;sustainabilityreports[81](p.
411).
Socialmediaisanotherchannelforexternalandinternalcorporatecommunication
regardingsustainability,allowingcompaniestocreatedirecttwowayinteractivecom
municationwithconsumers.Therefore,moreandmorecompanieshaveadoptedsocial
mediaasaneffectivemethodofcorporatecommunication[82].
Usually,corporatewebsitesaimtocommunicateandengagemultiplestakeholders.
However,commercialwebsites,whatareknownasecommerce,whereconsumersdis
coverthebrandanditsproductsandcanbuythem,aresitesthatfocusentirelyonthe
consumer.Inthisrespect,thisstudyanalyzesandcomparescorporatewebsitesande
commerceinthefashionindustryforthefirsttime.
Thisleadsustoourfourthresearchhypothesis:H4.Thesustainabilitycommunica
tionofgroupsisdifferenttothatofbrands,becausethewebsitesarefocusedondifferent
stakeholders:theformerarewidelyfocusedontheentirerangeofstakeholders(investors,
civilsociety,othercompanies,competitors,etc.),andthelatteraremainlyfocusedoncon
sumers.
2.4.OnlineCorporateCommunicationRegardingSustainabilityinFashion
Arecentstudyasked,“Whatconsumerassociationscanbuildasustainablefashion
brandimage?”[83].Theresearch,whichfocusedonfastfashioncompanies,indicated
threestartingpoints(p.1):“(1)thereisagrowingdemandforsustainablefashionprod
uctsfromenvironmentallyandsociallyconsciousconsumers;(2)fashioncompanieshave
begunapplyingsustainablebusinessstrategies,suchasthepresentationofsustainability
labelsandmarketingcampaigns;(3)whentheperceivedbrandreputationishigh,the
perceivedsustainabilitylevelonlyhasadirecteffectonpurchasingintention,whereas
whentheperceivedbrandreputationislow,onlytheindirecteffectofperceivedskepti
cismappears”.
KimandOh[83]concludethatanysustainablefashionproduct,evenwhenaproduct
withahighlevelofsustainabilityisprovided,needstoalwaysbeaccompaniedbygood
communicationandgoodmarketingconstantlytoensurethatconsumersarenotsuspi
cious.
Asnotedabove,theweballowsconsumersandallofthestakeholderstodirectly
offersustainabilityinformation.LuxurygroupssuchasKeringandLVMHcurrentlypub
lishtheirannualsustainabilityreportsonline.Inthefashionindustry,thereisaneedto
constantlyimproveinthefieldofCSRand,atthesametime,companiesareincreasingly
requiredtocommunicatethesocialandenvironmentalpracticesoftheiroperationsand
supplychainsinaclearermanner.
Althoughfashioncompanieshaveresourcesonhandtocommunicatetheirmeasures
relatingtosustainability,manyofthemstillfailtosharetheirsocialandenvironmental
practices.In2014,researchersDachandAllmendinger[81],intheirstudyonthecorporate
websitesoftheH&MandPrimarkbrands,concludedthattherewasaneedforeffective
andcrediblewebbasedcorporatesustainabilitycommunications,especiallywithinthe
contextofinteractivity.
Thecommunicationofsustainabilityinfashionhasalwaysbeenasensitivetopicfor
companies.Managersareoftenafraidofthecriticismtheymayreceivebecauseconsumers
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regardthecommunicationofthestrategyandsustainableactionsofthecompanytobe
greenwashingactions.
AsDaGiauetal.[59]pointout,fewcompaniesarecarryingouteffectivecommuni
cationstrategiesonthewebinordertocommunicatetheirsustainableactionsandprac
ticestoalloftheirstakeholders,ensuringthatthereisnofrictionbetweenwhattheydo
andwhattheysaytheydoinrelationtothecompany’ssustainablestrategy.
Oneofthegreatfearsforfashioncompaniesisthelackofcontroltheysometimes
haveoversuppliers.Forthisreason,somecompaniesarequitereluctanttocreateany
formofexternalcommunicationbasedonthewebsince“theydonotwanttoriskcom
municatingthattheyaredevelopingsustainabilitypractices,whiletheydonothavefull
controloverthesituationoftheirsuppliers”[59](p.84).Likewise,somefashioncompa
niesarealsoafraidtocommunicatetheseaspectsduetotheriskofbeingtargetedand
attackedbyNGOs,whoarepreparedtoanalyzewhetherthesesustainabilityactionsare
real.
Forthisreason,wefindstudiesthathaveanalyzedthecorporatecommunicationof
sustainabilityonlinebyfocusingontherelationshipbetweentransparencyandactions.
“Corporatesustainabilitycommunicationsareincreasinglyimportantforprovidingcon
sumerswiththeexpectedtransparentinformationaboutcorporatesustainability”[81](p.
410).
Inthissense,theworkofDaGiauetal.classifiestherelationshipbetweenwebbased
sustainabilitycommunicationandsustainabilitypracticesintofourgroups:LowDisclo
sure(companiesthatareadoptingthebestsustainablepractices,butthatarenotcom
municatingtheextenttowhichtheyaredoingso);LowCommitment(companiesthatare
poorlyadoptingsustainablepracticesand,consequently,haveadoptedinfrequentorin
sufficientwebbasedcommunication);HighMarketing(companiesthatarepoorlyadopt
ingsustainablepractices,butthatareextensivelycommunicatingthefewsustainability
actionstheyhavetaken);andHighCommitment(companiesthatareadoptingthebest
sustainablepracticesandthatareintensivelycommunicatingtheirefforts).
Otherresearchershavestudiedwhethercorporatefashionsustainabilitywebpages
createconsumerawarenessandinfluencetheirperceptions[81].Theyclaimthat:“Only
corporatesustainabilitycommunicationsthatpositivelyinfluenceconsumerawareness
andperceptionsareeffectiveandcontributetorealizingthebenefitsofacommitmentto
sustainabilitysuchascompetitiveadvantagesandincreasedbuyingbehavior[3,80,84].
SincetheInternetprovidestransparency,whichisoneofthemostfundamentalaspectsof
effectivecorporatesustainabilitycommunications”(p.411).
Inrelationtotheabove,intherealmoffashioncompanycommunication,researchers
haveanalyzedwhetherfashionretailersinvolvetheconsumerintheirsustainabilitycom
munication,andwhetherconsumerscreatemoreawarenessaboutsustainability,modify
ingfashionconsumptionpatterns[32,36].Researchersinthisfieldpointoutthatthereis
alackof“consumerfocusinthesustainabilitypracticesofcompaniesandwarnthat
simplyprovidinginformationisnotenoughtocreateawarenessofsustainableconsump
tioninfashion[32,85].
Strähleetal.[32]“assumethatsustainablefashionconsumptioncanbeachievedif
thefashionretailerinvolvestheconsumerregardingthefollowingaspects:Aresponsible
usagephase,theimportanceofrecyclingclothingand/orofferingoptionstobringback
oldclothing(garmentcollectingopportunities)andincentivestorevisetheownfashion
consumptionbehavior”(p.77).Thistypeofpracticeisalreadyarealityatsomefashion
companies,suchasH&MorZara.KusáandUrmínová[8]state,inthisregard,that:“En
vironmentalmarketingcommunicationhasnowbecomeaninseparablepartofconscious
nessinthefieldofsustainabilityandthefashionindustry.Throughtheirsustainablecom
munication,companiestrytoreachasmanypeopleaspossible.Digitaltechnologiesallow
themtoactbothlocallyandglobally.However,itisworthnotingthatthetransitionto
sustainablegrowthmayrequirebigchanges,buttheseareindividualswhohavethe
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powertochangetheentireworld(Sherin2013).Digitaltoolsallowsustainablecommuni
cationtospreadamongpeopleandconsumersthroughdifferentplatforms:media,social
networks,companywebsites,blogsorapplications”(p.2).
Sustainabilitycommunicationaimedatconsumersperformsaneducationalfunction
thatpromoteschangesinthefashionindustry.MoorhouseandMoorhouse[86]statethat
consumersstillcontinuetobelievethatcommunicationeffortsinthisareaareinsufficient
[8]andhowthismakesconsumerswanttochangetheirattitudetowardsaspecificbrand
thatrespectstheenvironment[8,87].Kusaaskedconsumershowtheypreferredtoobtain
communicationsregardingsustainablefashion,andtheyindicatedsocialmedia,articles
ontheInternetandinfluencersasthepreferredchannels.However,Kusadidnotinclude
webpagesamongsttheresponseoptions.
Mostofthecompanieshavetheirwebsiteactiveinordertopromotethedifferentia
tionoftheirbrandamongconsumersandelectronicpurchases;thatistosay,theyarenot
normallycreatedinordertocommunicatetheirsustainablestrategyandtheirinitiatives
inthisregard[59].Asweshallseeinthispaper,atpresentwecanobservethefactthat
corporatewebsitescertainlydohavetheobjectiveofcommunicatingsustainabilityinitia
tives,whilstbrandwebsitessupportbranddifferentiationamongconsumersandpromote
eshopping[88].
Inordertofindoutwhatkindofinformationisdisclosedonwebsites,weformulated
ourfifthhypothesis:H5.Thecommunicationofsustainabilityinthespecificationdetails
forproductsisaimedatstimulatingsustainablepurchasingand,toacertainextent,is
linkedto“greenwashing”practices.
Althoughthisresearchdoesnotfocusontheeffectsofcommunicationandmarketing
sustainabilityonconsumerbehavior,wecannotforgetthatresearcherssuchasLim[89,90]
highlightedtheimportanceofincreasingsustainablemarketingeffortstoproduceaposi
tiveeffectonthesustainableconsumption.Promotingconscientiousandresponsiblecon
sumptionwillmakesustainabilitynotonlyanissuethatworriescompanies,butalsothat
theconsumerhassocial,environmentalandethicalconcernsthatcanbetranslatedinto
sustainableconsumptiondecisionsforthegoodofsociety,peopleandtheplanet[89].
3.MethodologyandSample
3.1.Methodology
ThispaperisbasedontheOperationalModelforEvaluatingCorporateWebsites
(OMECW)developedbySianoetal.[6].Thismodelidentifiesthecoredimensionsof
onlinesustainabilitycommunication(orientation,structure,ergonomicsandcontent—
OSEC),havingbeenappliedtothecorporatewebsitesofenergyandutilitycompanies.
Afteranalyzingtheliterature,wehavereachedtheconclusionthatthisisthemostcom
pletemodelwhenitcomestoanalyzingcommunicationaboutsustainabilityonweb
pages.Itshouldbenotedthatallofthestudieswehavereviewedthatanalyzecommuni
cationregardingsustainabilityonwebsiteshavefocusedonanalyzingcorporatewebsites.
Apartfromthefourcoredimensions,therearevarioussubdimensions,suchas
stakeholderengagementandgovernancetools,communicationprinciplesandmeasura
bleitems(e.g.,presenceofthematerialitymatrix,interactivegraphs)[6](p.1).
Giventhatthismodeldatesfrom2016andisnotfocusedonwebsitesinthefashion
industry,itwasnecessarytoreviewandupdatetheitemsandadaptthecurrentanalysis
tothefashionindustry.Thisprocesswascarriedoutinthefollowingstages:
Thewayofpresentingtheitemshasbeenupdated,includingchangesinthesub
dimensionanditemsrelatingtoexpressionsandorder;
Othersubdimensionsanditemsfromotherstudiesrelatingtotheevaluationoffash
ionsustainabilitycommunication[5,32,81]throughthewebhavebeenadded;
Thenameofthesubdimensionintheorientationdimensionhasbeenchangedin
ordertoadaptittothenewwayofpresentingorganizationsandwebsectionson
sustainability;
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Wehaveaddedanewsubdimension,basedontheliterature,thisbeingoneofgreat
importancetothefashionindustry:“ConsumerInvolvement”;
Oncewehaddevelopedthemainmodelforfashioncorporatewebsites,anewver
sionwasmadeforecommerce,adaptingcertainitemswithregardtothecorporate
version.
Inthismanner,wewereabletodevelopanewOMECW–OSECmodelthatapplies
tothefashionindustry,whichshallbecalledtheOperationalModelforEvaluatingFash
ionCorporateWebsites(OMEFCW–OSEC)(seeAppendixA).Fortheecommerceanaly
sis,theadaptedmodelshallbeknownastheOperationalModelforEvaluatingFashion
ECommerce(OMEFeC–OSEC)(seeAppendixA).Wecansummarizethesemodelsas
follows:
OMECW–OSEC:4dimensions,18subdimensions,64items;
OMEFCW–OSEC:4dimensions,23subdimensions,95items;
OMEFeC–OSEC:4dimensions,23subdimensions,99items.
Aswehaveseen,themodelanalyzesfourdimensionsthatconstitutethecoreele
mentsthatimpacttheeffectivenessofsustainabilitycommunicationactivitiesoncorpo
ratewebsites.Thesedimensionsincludeorientation,structure,ergonomicsandcontent.
Everydimensionismadeupofseveralsubdimensionsandspecificmeasurableitems.
Thecreationofthesubdimensionsandtheitemselectionprocessisexplainedindepthin
Siano[6].Thefourdimensionsarehighlightedbelow:
1. Orientation:thisisthestrategicapproachthatdefinesthecoreelementsofthecorpo
rateidentityinrelationtosustainability.Thesubdimensionsconsistofthetwosec
tionswherethecompanycandefineitsstrategyormission.Intheoriginalmodel[6],
thissubdimensionfocusedonthemissionandvisionofthecompany,buttoday,
whencommunicationiscarriedout,missionandvisionarenolongerexplicitlymen
tioned.Itconsistsofgeneraltextsinwhichthecompany’scommitmenttosustaina
bilityissuesispresentedingeneral;forthisreason,twonewsubdimensionsarean
alyzed:AboutUsandtheSustainabilitywebsection/microsite.
2. Structure:thisconsistsofasetoforganizationaltoolsandaspectsthatareableto
supportthecredibilityoftheinformationconveyedandtherelationshipswithusers
onthewebsite[6].Thefoursubdimensionshavebeenmaintained:StakeholderEn
gagementSections,StakeholderEngagementTools,GovernanceofSustainability:
OrganizationalModelandGovernanceofSustainability:Tools/ResourcesofCorpo
rateIdentity.Someexpressionswereadapted,andtwoitemswereaddedintotal.
3. Ergonomics:thisistheabilityofthewebsitetoensureaneasynavigationprocessand
anappropriateviewingofcontentsbyusers[6].Thesamesubdimensionswere
maintained:Accessibility;Navigability;Usability;Interactivity;Multimedia.Intotal,
eightnewitemswereadded,whichisduetoongoingdigitalinnovationsthathave
improvedandchangedwebsitesagreatdealsince2016.
4. Content:thisrelatestothecorporatesustainabilitypresentedthroughthewebsite.
Thesubdimensionsrefertocontentconcernof“sustainabilityinitiatives”.Siano’s
sevensubdimensionsweremaintained(InitiativesofCorporateSustainability;Prin
cipleofComm.:Visibility;PrincipleofComm.:Clarity;PrincipleofComm.:Authen
ticity;PrincipleofComm.:Accuracy;PrincipleofComm.:Consistency;Principleof
Comm.:Completeness),featuringatotalof22items.Inaddition,4newsubdimen
sionswereadded(GeneralWebsiteContent;IndustryspecificSustainabilityIssues
asContent;Contact,Feedback,Dialogue;SustainableDevelopmentAgenda;Con
sumerInvolvement),with20newitems.Thegreatnoveltythatthisstudycontributes
istoanalyzeconsumerinvolvementinsomedepth:thosewebcontentsthataredi
rectlylinkedtoinformationandactionsthatinfluenceconsumerbehavior.
AscanbeseeninAppendixA,intheOMEFeC–OSECmodel,theStakeholderEn
gagementToolsubdimensioniseliminatedsincethewebisfocusedonlyonconsumers,
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whilsttheConsumerInvolvementsubdimensionisdividedintotwo:ConsumerInvolve
mentinSustainabilitySection,andConsumerInvolvementinProductSpecificationDe
tails.
Siano[6]explainthatinordertomeasurethevalueofeachdimension,alloftheitems
thathavebeenidentifiedinthemodelhavebeenanalyzedasdichotomous(dummy)var
iables.ConsistentwithSiano,thistypeofchoicewasjustifiedbythefactthattheyentail
lessdifficultyinoperationalizationcomparedtovariablesthataredetectablewithscaling
techniques.TheOMEFCWandOMEFeCmodelsusethesamemethodtomeasurethe
valueofeachdimension.AsstatedbySiano[6]:“Althoughthereisnouniversallyagreed
methodtomeasurethecommunicationofsustainability,theOSECmodelproposesacom
prehensivewayofanalyzingit,assumingthatthedisclosureofinformationondifferent
facetsofsustainabilitywillhaverepercussionsthatarepositiveintheeffectivenessof
companycommunication.Aproperinterpretationoftheresultscanhelptounderstand
andevaluatedigitalcommunicationonsustainability“(p.7).
Asaconsequence,inordertomeasuretheeffectivenessofcommunication,there
searchersdesigneddifferentscorerangesthatcouldbeanalyzedtointerprettheresults.
Therefore,theyconsideredthatthemaximumscore(s=100)identifiesacompanythat
presentsacompletecompliancewithrequirementsforaneffectivesustainabilitycommu
nication.Theydescribedfiveranges(p.8):
1. s>80.Thisscorerangeincludesfirmsthatshowanexcellentcompliancewithsus
tainabilitycommunicationrequisites.
2. 70<s<79.Thistypeofresultindicatesfirmsthatfulfilcommunicationrequirements
inasatisfactoryway.
3. 60<s<69.Thisrangepresentsfirmswithanacceptablecompliancewithcommuni
cationrequisites.Improvementactionsare,however,possibleindifferentdimen
sions.
4. 50<s<59.Firmsinthisrangeshowsomeweaknessesindigitalsustainabilitycom
munication.Severalchangesarerequiredtoavoidreputationalrisks.
5. s<49.Inthelastrange,firmspresentpoorcompliancewithcommunicationrequire
ments.Acompleterevisionofdigitalcommunicationstrategiesandpracticesis
needed.
Tworesearchersanalyzedallofthewebsitesandstructuredtheresponsesintoadata
matrixtocodeeachwebsite.WefollowSiano’scodingscheme,assigningthecorrespond
ingvalueforeachitemofthemodel(0=incaseofabsence;1=iftherequirementisjudged
asfulfilled).Asatisfactorylevelofinitialagreementwasreached(Krippendorff’sα=0.90).
Thesampleisexplainedbelow.ThenweshallproceedtotheResultsandDiscussion
sections.
3.2.Sample
Inordertocarryoutthisstudy,weselectedthebiggestandmostrepresentative
groupsonthemassmarketandluxurymarketinEuropeintermsofrevenue(Table1),
groupsthatalsohavecomparablebrandsinclothingandaccessoriesforeachsegment:
H&M,Inditex,KeringandLVMH.
H&M,InditexandKeringareallfoundingsignatoriesoftheUnitedNationsFashion
IndustryCharterforClimateAction(2018)andoftheFashionPact(2019).Theyarecom
mittedtothemainfashionalliancesforamoresustainable