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Sustainability2021,13,11363.https://doi.org/10.3390/su132011363www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability
Article
HowtoCommunicateSustainability:FromtheCorporateWeb
toE‐Commerce.TheCaseoftheFashionIndustry
PatriciaSanMiguel
1,
*,SilviaPérez‐Bou
2,†
,TeresaSádaba
1
andPedroMir‐Bernal
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,rangingfromthecorporatewebsitetoe‐commerce,anditproposesimprovementsforsus‐
tainabilitycommunication.Twonewmodelsarepresented:theOperationalModelforEvaluating
FashionCorporateWebsites(OMEFCW)andtheOperationalModelforEvaluatingFashionE‐Com‐
merce(OMEFeC),basedonthecoredimensionsofonlinesustainabilitycommunication(orienta‐
tion,structure,ergonomicsandcontent—OSEC),asestablishedbySiano.Inordertoobtainanop‐
timalviewofthefashionindustry,fourcorporategroups—twoluxuryfashiongroups(Kering
GroupandMoëtHennessyLouisVuitton(LVMH))andtwofastfashiongroups(H&MGroupand
Intidex)—arecompared.Inaddition,allofthee‐commerceoperationsofthegroups’fashionbrands
areanalyzed,atotalof32brands.Theresultsshowthatitisnecessarytocontinueimprovingin
termsofthecommunicationofsustainabilitywithinthefashionindustry,whilstdemonstratingthe
greatdeficiencythatexistsregardingthecommunicationofsustainabilityinthecaseofthebrands’
e‐commerceoperations,whicharepreciselythewebpagesmostvisitedbyconsumers.
Keywords:communicationofsustainability;sustainability;marketingmanagement;corporate
website;e‐commerce;fashion;fastfashion;luxuryfashion
1.Introduction
Thesustainabilitystrategyatcompanieshasbecomeanessentialpartofthevision
andmissionofacompanygiventhatsustainabilityisakeybusinessandmanagement
aspectforthedevelopmentandsuccessofanyenterprise[1,2].
Variousstudiesanalyzetheimportanceofcommunicatingcompanies’sustainability
strategytothedifferentstakeholdersthatmakeupacompany[1,3–6].Mostofthesestud‐
ieshavefocusedonthecommunicationofsustainabilityfromacorporatepointofview,
butveryfewstudiesanalyzehowthesustainablestrategyiscommunicatedtothecon‐
sumer.Infact,studiesthatanalyzethisaspectarealmostnon‐existent,takingintoaccount
thepossibleeffectsoftheCOVID‐19pandemicandthedevelopmentofcommercialweb‐
sitesoverthelastfiveyears.
Thisresearchaimstostudythecommunicationprocessrelatingtothesustainable
strategyatcompanies,rangingfromthecorporatewebsitetoe‐commerce,inordertopro‐
poseimprovementsforcommunicationrelatingtosustainability,abusinessdimension
thathasbecomeincreasinglyimportantintheeyesofsociety[7–9].
Citation:SanMiguel,P.;
Pérez‐Bou,S.;Sádaba,T.;
Mir‐Bernal,P.HowtoCommunicate
Sustainability:FromtheCorporate
WebtoE‐Commerce.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,e‐commerce.Forthisstudy,wehaveanalyzedallthee‐com‐
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‐
tainabilitystrategyine‐commerceallowstheconsumertobemadeawareoftheimpact
offashionproductionontheplanet,workersandconsumers[2].
Section2offersareviewoftheliteratureonsustainabledevelopmentmanagement
strategyinthefashionindustryandthemostprominentliteratureonhowtocommuni‐
catesustainabilityonlinethroughthecorporatewebsiteande‐commerce.Then,inSection
3,theresearchmethodologyandsamplearedescribed,inwhichanewmodelofanalysis
forthecommunicationofsustainabilityisproposedforcorporatewebsitesande‐com‐
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,fromCEOsatbigcompaniestoinnovativestart‐ups;
and,amongotheraspects,itisabouthowtoplacedesignattheserviceofclimatesolu‐
tions.
Itsthree‐wordmotto,“beautiful,sustainable,together”,attractedmanyfashion‐ori‐
entatedprojectstothefirstcallforawardsinApril2021,amongthemorethan2000pro‐
jectspresented.
Ifwelookatthemoreindustrialsideofthefashionbusiness,beforetheCOVID‐19
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.
TheCOVID‐19pandemichashadadramaticimpact,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‐
tivitieswhoserawmaterialsarebasedonnon‐naturalresources: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
becauseluxurybrandsaresomewhatdissonantwhenitcomestoeco‐friendliness.
Sustainability2021,13,113635of27
However,accordingtoFletcher[45],withinthecontextofslowculture,fastandslow
arenotopposed:“Slowcultureisaninvitationtothinkaboutsystemschangeinthefash‐
ionsectorandtoquestiontheroleofeconomicgrowth,underlyingvaluesand
worldviewsinfashionsothatadifferentandtruly‘richer’societydevelops”(p.264).
Someyearslater,Henningeretal.[46]identifiedslowfashionwithsustainablefashion,
sincetheysharemanyofthesamecharacteristics,suchasabalancedapproachtofashion
production(whichfosterslong‐termrelationships),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
acceptedamongnon‐luxurybrandssincetheyarebestabletoleverageculturalandenvi‐
ronmentalsustainabilitytoincreasepurchasingintention,accordingtoKongetal.[38].
Conversely,otherscholars[37]haveconductedsocialnetworkanalysisandfound
thatbrandimageispositivelyinfluencedbyeco‐friendlyperception,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).Luján‐Ornelasetal.[22]offerusaliteraturereviewbasedonthedifferent
aspectsofsustainabilityateachstage:fiberproduction(environmentalandsocialimpacts
ofcotton,polyester,lyocell,newandmoresustainablefibers,etc.)[49];textileproduction,
payingattentiontoprocesses,energyconsumption,chemicaltreatments,etc.;design;
clothingproductionmorefocusedonsocialproblems,suchaslowwages[21],safetyand
technology;commercialization,featuringnewbusinessmodelsbasedonrentalschemes
andsecond‐handclothing;subscriptionservices;and,finally,clothinguseandend‐of‐life
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).OlofssonandMark‐Hebert[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
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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,butalsoshowedthatlow‐levelmanagementoftenhasareducedknowledge
and/orinterestinlinkingthemarketingandinnovationfunctionswithCSRbestpractice”
(p.240).Theresearchersconcludethat:“Itisamazingthatluxuryfashionbusinesseswith
suchdevelopedCSRstatementsandadvertisedmarketingandinnovationactionslinked
tobasicallyallCSRcategorieshavefront‐lineemployees,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
ofthesetoolscanbeemployedtocreateatwo‐waycommunicationapproachfocusedon
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.
Otherkeycriticalsuccessfactorsregardingeffectiveweb‐basedcorporatesustaina‐
bilitycommunicationsincludeaccessibility;usabilityandwebsitedesign;generalwebsite
content;industry‐specificsustainabilityissuesascontent;sustainabilitycommitment;sus‐
tainabilitydevelopmentagenda;contactfeedbackdialogue;sustainabilityreports[81](p.
411).
Socialmediaisanotherchannelforexternalandinternalcorporatecommunication
regardingsustainability,allowingcompaniestocreatedirecttwo‐wayinteractivecom‐
municationwithconsumers.Therefore,moreandmorecompanieshaveadoptedsocial
mediaasaneffectivemethodofcorporatecommunication[82].
Usually,corporatewebsitesaimtocommunicateandengagemultiplestakeholders.
However,commercialwebsites,whatareknownase‐commerce,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
andcredibleweb‐basedcorporatesustainabilitycommunications,especiallywithinthe
contextofinteractivity.
Thecommunicationofsustainabilityinfashionhasalwaysbeenasensitivetopicfor
companies.Managersareoftenafraidofthecriticismtheymayreceivebecauseconsumers
Sustainability2021,13,113639of27
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.classifiestherelationshipbetweenweb‐based
sustainabilitycommunicationandsustainabilitypracticesintofourgroups:LowDisclo‐
sure(companiesthatareadoptingthebestsustainablepractices,butthatarenotcom‐
municatingtheextenttowhichtheyaredoingso);LowCommitment(companiesthatare
poorlyadoptingsustainablepracticesand,consequently,haveadoptedinfrequentorin‐
sufficientweb‐basedcommunication);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“consumerfocus”inthesustainabilitypracticesofcompaniesandwarnthat
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
Sustainability2021,13,1136310of27
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
e‐shopping[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,therearevarioussub‐dimensions,suchas
stakeholderengagementandgovernancetools,communicationprinciplesandmeasura‐
bleitems(e.g.,presenceofthematerialitymatrix,interactivegraphs)[6](p.1).
Giventhatthismodeldatesfrom2016andisnotfocusedonwebsitesinthefashion
industry,itwasnecessarytoreviewandupdatetheitemsandadaptthecurrentanalysis
tothefashionindustry.Thisprocesswascarriedoutinthefollowingstages:
Thewayofpresentingtheitemshasbeenupdated,includingchangesinthesub‐
dimensionanditemsrelatingtoexpressionsandorder;
Othersub‐dimensionsanditemsfromotherstudiesrelatingtotheevaluationoffash‐
ionsustainabilitycommunication[5,32,81]throughthewebhavebeenadded;
Thenameofthesub‐dimensionintheorientationdimensionhasbeenchangedin
ordertoadaptittothenewwayofpresentingorganizationsandwebsectionson
sustainability;
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Wehaveaddedanewsub‐dimension,basedontheliterature,thisbeingoneofgreat
importancetothefashionindustry:“ConsumerInvolvement”;
Oncewehaddevelopedthemainmodelforfashioncorporatewebsites,anewver‐
sionwasmadefore‐commerce,adaptingcertainitemswithregardtothecorporate
version.
Inthismanner,wewereabletodevelopanewOMECW–OSECmodelthatapplies
tothefashionindustry,whichshallbecalledtheOperationalModelforEvaluatingFash‐
ionCorporateWebsites(OMEFCW–OSEC)(seeAppendixA).Forthee‐commerceanaly‐
sis,theadaptedmodelshallbeknownastheOperationalModelforEvaluatingFashion
E‐Commerce(OMEFeC–OSEC)(seeAppendixA).Wecansummarizethesemodelsas
follows:
● OMECW–OSEC:4dimensions,18sub‐dimensions,64items;
● OMEFCW–OSEC:4dimensions,23sub‐dimensions,95items;
● OMEFeC–OSEC:4dimensions,23sub‐dimensions,99items.
Aswehaveseen,themodelanalyzesfourdimensionsthatconstitutethecoreele‐
mentsthatimpacttheeffectivenessofsustainabilitycommunicationactivitiesoncorpo‐
ratewebsites.Thesedimensionsincludeorientation,structure,ergonomicsandcontent.
Everydimensionismadeupofseveralsub‐dimensionsandspecificmeasurableitems.
Thecreationofthesub‐dimensionsandtheitemselectionprocessisexplainedindepthin
Siano[6].Thefourdimensionsarehighlightedbelow:
1. Orientation:thisisthestrategicapproachthatdefinesthecoreelementsofthecorpo‐
rateidentityinrelationtosustainability.Thesub‐dimensionsconsistofthetwosec‐
tionswherethecompanycandefineitsstrategyormission.Intheoriginalmodel[6],
thissub‐dimensionfocusedonthemissionandvisionofthecompany,buttoday,
whencommunicationiscarriedout,missionandvisionarenolongerexplicitlymen‐
tioned.Itconsistsofgeneraltextsinwhichthecompany’scommitmenttosustaina‐
bilityissuesispresentedingeneral;forthisreason,twonewsub‐dimensionsarean‐
alyzed:AboutUsandtheSustainabilitywebsection/microsite.
2. Structure:thisconsistsofasetoforganizationaltoolsandaspectsthatareableto
supportthecredibilityoftheinformationconveyedandtherelationshipswithusers
onthewebsite[6].Thefoursub‐dimensionshavebeenmaintained:StakeholderEn‐
gagementSections,StakeholderEngagementTools,GovernanceofSustainability:
OrganizationalModelandGovernanceofSustainability:Tools/ResourcesofCorpo‐
rateIdentity.Someexpressionswereadapted,andtwoitemswereaddedintotal.
3. Ergonomics:thisistheabilityofthewebsitetoensureaneasynavigationprocessand
anappropriateviewingofcontentsbyusers[6].Thesamesub‐dimensionswere
maintained:Accessibility;Navigability;Usability;Interactivity;Multimedia.Intotal,
eightnewitemswereadded,whichisduetoongoingdigitalinnovationsthathave
improvedandchangedwebsitesagreatdealsince2016.
4. Content:thisrelatestothecorporatesustainabilitypresentedthroughthewebsite.
Thesub‐dimensionsrefertocontentconcernof“sustainabilityinitiatives”.Siano’s
sevensub‐dimensionsweremaintained(InitiativesofCorporateSustainability;Prin‐
cipleofComm.:Visibility;PrincipleofComm.:Clarity;PrincipleofComm.:Authen‐
ticity;PrincipleofComm.:Accuracy;PrincipleofComm.:Consistency;Principleof
Comm.:Completeness),featuringatotalof22items.Inaddition,4newsub‐dimen‐
sionswereadded(GeneralWebsiteContent;Industry‐specificSustainabilityIssues
asContent;Contact,Feedback,Dialogue;SustainableDevelopmentAgenda;Con‐
sumerInvolvement),with20newitems.Thegreatnoveltythatthisstudycontributes
istoanalyzeconsumerinvolvementinsomedepth:thosewebcontentsthataredi‐
rectlylinkedtoinformationandactionsthatinfluenceconsumerbehavior.
AscanbeseeninAppendixA,intheOMEFeC–OSECmodel,theStakeholderEn‐
gagementToolsub‐dimensioniseliminatedsincethewebisfocusedonlyonconsumers,
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whilsttheConsumerInvolvementsub‐dimensionisdividedintotwo: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’sα=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