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ISSN 2386-7876 – © 2025 Communication & Society, Early Access
1
Sustainability and Fashion
Brand Communication on
Instagram: An analysis beyond
engagement
Abstract
The purpose of this research is to understand how the most
sustainable fashion brands, according to five corporate
sustainability rankings, use Instagram to disseminate
messages related to the field of sustainability, as well as how
such communications are received by their followers, not only
in terms of engagement but also by analyzing the favourability
sentiment of their comments. The research was conducted
through a quantitative content analysis, using automated
semantic analysis tools of Instagram posts by sustainable
fashion brands. This analysis generated a dataset with 277,955
published posts, which was filtered, only including
publications that contained specific words related to
sustainability, resulting in the final analysis of 12,639
publications. This study contributes to understanding how
sustainable fashion brands effectively communicate
sustainability-related topics and news on social networks like
Instagram, which helps spark interest and generate a positive
dialogue with their audience. Findings indicate that this type
of content can be useful for generating a positive conversation
with their social media followers, as well as the importance of
analyzing the sentiment of such interactions when considering
the communicative effectiveness of posts. The use of
automated semantic analysis tools allowed for a more
representative sample of sustainable fashion brands to be
covered, providing data-based evidence of the different
factors that can influence engagement and favourability of
sustainable communication in fashion.
Keywords
Sustainability, brand reputation, rankings, Instagram,
fashion industry, social networks.
Miscellaneous
Álvaro Luna García
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1372-1275
alvaro.luna@urjc.es
Universidad Rey Juan Carlos
Miguel Ángel Martín-Cárdaba
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3897-2537
mmartincar@villanueva.edu
Universidad Villanueva
Rafael Carrasco Polaino
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0687-6842
racarras@ucm.es
Universidad Complutense de Madrid
Ernesto Villar-Cirujano
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6263-5093
evillar@villanueva.edu
Universidad Villanueva
Submitted
July 22nd, 2024
Approved
February 2nd, 2025
© 2025
Communication & Society
ISSN 0214-0039
E ISSN 2386-7876
www.communication-society.com
2025 Early Access
pp. 1-18
How to cite this article:
Luna, A., Martín-Cárdaba, M. A., Carrasco, R.,
& Villar-Cirujano, E. (2025). Sustainability and
fashion brand communication on Instagram:
An analysis beyond engagement,
Communication & Society, Early Access.
https://doi.org/10.15581/003.38.1.028
Luna A., Martín-Cárdaba M. A., Carrasco R., & Villar-Cirujano E.
Sustainability and Fashion Brand Communication on Instagram: an analysis beyond engagement
ISSN 2386-7876 – © 2025 Communication & Society, Early Access
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1. Introduction
Since the approval of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015,
communicating sustainability has become an important challenge for companies and brands in
the textile industry and the fashion sector (Pérez-Bou & Cantista, 2023; San Miguel et al., 2021).
Sustainability has emerged as an essential part of the business culture of small, medium, and
large companies, influencing their values, their leadership, and the corporate social
responsibility strategies that guide their behaviour in the market (Reilly & Larya, 2018). 96% of
fashion brands consider this aspect as a brand attribute with a high impact on the current and
future development of the company (Ernst & Young & Modaes, 2021).
The most reputable and transparent brands in terms of sustainability attract shareholders
and new investors (Sroufe & Gopalakrishna-Remani, 2019), especially in the textile industry,
even though it is considered one of the most polluting industries (García-Torres et al., 2017;
EEA & ETC, 2023). This interest in knowing whether a company is sustainable or not is
demonstrated by the development and publication of numerous rankings in which the most
sustainable companies worldwide are listed each year (Barnett & Leih, 2018; Díez-Cañamero et
al., 2020).
An important part of this transition towards sustainability has focused on the analysis of
the strategies implemented by fashion brands when communicating sustainability in social
networks (Lee & Weder, 2021; Lee & Lin, 2022). Social networks are agile and direct
communication tools that prove key for brands (Rust et al., 2021), especially in the fashion sector
where they make significant efforts to communicate their commitment to sustainability on
networks such as Twitter (Reilly & Larya, 2018) and Instagram, among others (Testa et al., 2021).
Of all social networks, Instagram, thanks to its eminently visual nature and its employability as
a promotional and sales channel, is likely the most relevant to the fashion industry (Castillo-
Abdul et al., 2022).
According to the Digital 2022 report, developed jointly by We Are Social & Hootsuite (2022),
57% of the global population is an active user of social networks and 43% of this population uses
them to search for information about brands. Likewise, in 2021, 81.5% resorted to this medium
to search for a product or service and 77% did so through a technological device (We Are Social
& Hootsuite, 2022). Therefore, the ability to effectively communicate sustainability on social
networks is a defining opportunity for brands, since otherwise, their reputation would be
compromised among their main stakeholders (Sroufe & Gopalakrishna-Remani, 2019) by
negatively affecting the attitudes and behaviours of users of these social networks as well as
their sales and brand value (Dunn & Harness, 2018).
Although some earlier research (e.g., Kwon & Lee, 2021; Milanesi et al., 2022; Testa et al.,
2021; Yuen, Zeng & Lo 2021; Zhao et al., 2021) have attempted to study how fashion brands can
best employ social networks to communicate their sustainability efforts and generate greater
interactivity and engagement with their users, to date no investigation has yet examined
relevant aspects such as the favourability of such interactions (i.e., the degree of agreement or
disagreement) and, particularly, the comments.
Thus, the objective of this research is to analyze the communication that the most
sustainable fashion brands carry out through Instagram, as well as the reactions and responses
of their followers by examining not only the engagement and interaction they elicit but also the
degree of favourability and acceptance of such responses while trying, consequently, to identify
the best communication practices in terms of sustainability.
Luna A., Martín-Cárdaba M. A., Carrasco R., & Villar-Cirujano E.
Sustainability and Fashion Brand Communication on Instagram: an analysis beyond engagement
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2. Literature review
2.1. Sustainability and the fashion industry: brand value and reputation
The Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action, launched in 2018 by the United Nations during
the COP24 Climate Summit held in Poland (UNFCC, 2021), as well as the approval of the Fashion
Pact driven in 2020 and signed by more than 200 fashion brands from 17 countries (Fashion Pact,
2020), have been important milestones for the establishment of a common agenda in the
commitment to sustainability and climate change. Both declarations recognize the importance
of transparent and responsible communication by the fashion industry on sustainability to its
key stakeholders. However, there is still a lack of consensus on the definition of sustainable
fashion, as well as low consumer awareness and weak demand for sustainable fashion products,
which impede effective communication and strategic approaches to tackle its environmental,
social, and economic impacts on brands and their parent companies (Hur & Cassidy, 2019). For
example, interconnected supply chains complicate the adoption of sustainable materials and
practices within the fashion industry. Furthermore, global economic and competitive pressures
prioritize profitability over long-term sustainability goals in sustainable fashion (Joy & Peña,
2017). These challenges arise at two main levels. On the one hand, at the individual level,
impulsive buying and the constant desire for novelty make these measures difficult to
implement. On the other hand, at cultural level, marketing and fast fashion promote
unsustainable consumption patterns, further complicating effective efforts by many brands to
achieve sustainability (Hur & Cassidy, 2019).
In addition, the impact of sustainability and environmental awareness in the fashion
industry has had a considerable influence on corporate social responsibility reports (Velasco-
Molpleceres et al., 2022) and brand reputation strategies in addressing responsible consumption
which has attracted the attention of both consumers and investors (San Miguel et al., 2021).
In this setting, sustainability and brand reputation rankings have become powerful
indicators of their value in the market and of their true commitment to sustainability (Barnett
& Leih, 2018). These rankings have emerged as an important indicator that accounts for the
economic value of brands as well as the intangible factors that influence their reputation
(Alcaide González et al., 2020). Specifically, there are five rankings particularly relevant to
sustainability. In particular, the MSCI Environmental Social Governance (ESG) rating is one of
the most important global sustainability and responsible investment index that categorizes
companies according to their environmental impact by assigning them a rating ranging from
AAA and AA for the leading companies to B and CCC for the lowest ranked. Corporate Knights
Global 100 is an annual ranking of the 100 most sustainable companies globally. The Good On
You ranking is focused on the fashion industry and classifies the most sustainable and ethical
brands in this sector. Fashion Transparency Index reviews the 250 largest fashion brands and
retailers according to their level of public disclosure and impact on human rights,
environmental practices, and policies. Finally, S&P Global ESG ranking publishes a yearbook of
the top-ranked sustainable companies.
Hence, the relationship between sustainability and brand reputation as well as the
connection between its value and its reputation in the market contribute positively to the
development of corporate sustainability strategies (Alcaide et al., 2020). These strategies help
brands differentiate themselves from their competitors enhancing their image and attracting
investors (Grubor & Milovanov, 2017). Thus, a good corporate sustainability strategy contributes
to the improvement of the brand's reputation and value not only in the eyes of consumers but
also in relation to its stakeholders (Peloza et al., 2012).
According to the Pulse of the Fashion Industry report published by Boston Consulting Group
in 2019, social and environmental responsibility in the fashion industry plays a key role in
consumer perceptions and attitudes towards brand image and reputation. As a result,
sustainable fashion has become increasingly relevant in the communication and traceability
Luna A., Martín-Cárdaba M. A., Carrasco R., & Villar-Cirujano E.
Sustainability and Fashion Brand Communication on Instagram: an analysis beyond engagement
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strategies of the textile industry, as well as in the emergence of new sustainable fashion brands
with social networks being an important space for interaction with users and consumers
(Lee & Weder, 2021).
2.2. Social media communication and fashion sustainability
The historical evolution of the fashion industry’s interest in sustainability has been influenced
by the rise of social media as a transformative tool and a driver for social change (Vladimirova
et al., 2024; Hilbert, 202o). Social media platforms such as Instagram have evolved into critical
spaces for sharing sustainability narratives and practices by influencers, brands and activists,
especially by “digital natives” who are particularly sensitive to sustainable issues (Haines et
al., 2023). Moreover, consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the social and
environmental impact of their purchasing decisions, pushing slow and fast fashion brands to
improve their sustainable practices. Consequently, brands have progressively embraced these
sustainable practices as marketing strategy tools highlighting transparency, ethical practices,
and eco-friendly product lines (Bonilla-Quijada et al., 2024). However, although sustainability
seems to have a growing presence in the social media communication of fashion brands on
platforms like Instagram (e.g., Marcella-Hood, 2023), to date, no research has attempted to
quantify what percentage of their communication is dedicated to sustainability-related topics.
an.
Nevertheless, the persuasive power and extent of social networks have made them one of
the main channels of communication between brands and their followers/consumers
(Vernuccio, 2014). Their interactive and conversational nature has given the user unprecedented
control over messages. This control over the message allows network users to manifest their
reactions, attitudes, and perceptions about the brands of which they are followers or detractors
(Dunn & Harness, 2018). This relationship has increased competitiveness among fashion brands
seeking their space on the network, giving rise to user-generated branding strategies (user-
generated branding), where brands' business communication strategies are co-defined and co-
created from the relationships with their consumers (Heil et al., 2010).
These relationships have changed how consumers interact, thus weakening the dominance
that brands have had over their messages (Kaplan & Haenlein, 2010). However, communicating
responsibly and transparently about sustainability increases their engagement with consumers,
enhances their reputation, and increases sales (Kim & Oh, 2020). Conversely, doing so
irresponsibly can generate negative attitudes among opinion leaders and influencers (Zhou et
al., 2019), as well as confusion among consumers about what sustainability and sustainable
fashion is or is not (Henninger et al., 2016). For example, when brands focus solely on
communicating the positive aspects of their environmental and sustainable actions on social
networks, consumers may perceive this as an attempt to systematically conceal their
shortcomings (Reilly & Larya, 2018). Additionally, it might be seen as an effort to "greenwash"
their environmental image by conveniently leveraging the Sustainable Development Goals
without genuinely being sustainable brands (Heras-Saizarbitoria et al., 2022). Thus, brands are
increasingly interested in identifying the most effective strategies for generating favourable
responses from consumers when communicating their sustainability efforts on social media
platforms such as Instagram.
2.3. Fashion brands, engagement, and sustainable communication on Instagram
After Whatsapp (15.7%), Instagram is the second favourite platform internationally (14.8%) for
social network users between the ages of 16 and 64. Marketers estimate that the potential
international audience that brands can reach through Instagram ads is 1.5 billion users. Thus,
Instagram ads can reach up to 18.7% of the global population, and its reach concerning total
internet users is 29.9% (We Are Social & Hootsuite, 2022).
Luna A., Martín-Cárdaba M. A., Carrasco R., & Villar-Cirujano E.
Sustainability and Fashion Brand Communication on Instagram: an analysis beyond engagement
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Likewise, topics related to sustainable fashion accounted for 37.4% of conversations on
social networks in the United States, United Kingdom, and France, particularly on platforms
such as Instagram and TikTok (Synthesio, 2022). For all these reasons, more and more fashion
brands are using social networks, and especially Instagram, as a communication and sales
channel, with communication on sustainability and its reputation being an important factor for
younger consumers (Mckinsey & Company 2022).
In addition, compared to other social networks, Instagram turns out to be the most
effective in generating user engagement (Stein et al., 2021), making it a key communication
channel for fashion brands to connect directly with consumers when talking about
sustainability (Bulmer et al., 2024). Within the universe of social networks, engagement
(interaction between the sender and its followers measurable through "likes" and "comments")
is considered one of the main indicators of communicative effectiveness for brands since it
indicates a state of connection and commitment between the consumer and the brand (Cuevas-
Molano et al., 2022). Previous studies have identified that engagement tends to correlate with
perceived brand value and brand loyalty (Connell et al., 2019). Consequently, generating
engagement with consumers is one of the great communication challenges that brands must
face today. As a result, when it comes to boosting this engagement, brands must be careful in
the design of their interaction strategies with network users by ensuring that their content
generates desired responses. It seems necessary, therefore, to delve into those factors that
can explain why consumers react with interest to some content but not to others
(Chwialkowska, 2019).
According to Jones and Lee (2022), there are four categories of elements in fashion brands'
Instagram posts that affect followers' engagement: the posts' messaging strategies, digital
influencers, media types, and characteristics. Concerning messaging strategies, they found that
the use of experiential, and emotional strategies significantly influenced engagement.
In the same line, Bonilla-Quijada et al. (2024) found that, among various communication
strategies, the factor driving the highest level of interaction—measured through comments and
likes—was the inclusion of the “Sales Response” variable (i.e., posts intended to generate an
immediate sale). Additionally, the presence of people in the posts and the inclusion of products
targeted at women also positively influenced the number of comments. Velasco-Molpeceres et
al. (2022) also found that fashion brands' ability to generate engagement on Instagram is
significantly higher when photographs are used compared to videos.
In this context, several studies have focused on analyzing and understanding the
determinants of consumer engagement on Instagram when fashion brands discuss
sustainability. Kwon & Lee (2021), for example, argue that the corporate social responsibility
strategies of fashion brands on Instagram enhance the use of content related to the environment
over other topics to generate engagement among their consumers. In turn, Milanesi et al. (2022)
reinforce this idea based on an analysis of the images posted on Instagram of two sustainable
fashion brands and establish differences in the reactions and level of engagement of consumers
depending on their degree of identification and motivation with the context of the
environmental images that these brands share with their followers. Zhao et al. (2021) emphasize
the importance of followers and their engagement so that brands can reflect their values and
corporate identity in the images and posts they share on Instagram, particularly those with
messages related to sustainability. According to Testa et al. (2021), communication about
sustainability in the fashion industry on Instagram is especially interesting for those consumers
who are not familiar with the topic and how it applies to a particular fashion brand, while
consumers who are more familiar with the sustainability of fashion brands show more
engagement when there is new information about the brand or when it is presented uniquely
and originally.
Although previous research on other social networks and other topics (Jaráiz Gulías et
al., 2021; Moret Soler et al., 2022; Munaro et al., 2024) has highlighted the importance of linguistic
Luna A., Martín-Cárdaba M. A., Carrasco R., & Villar-Cirujano E.
Sustainability and Fashion Brand Communication on Instagram: an analysis beyond engagement
ISSN 2386-7876 – © 2025 Communication & Society, Early Access
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aspects related to message tonality (e.g., polarity, subjectivity, etc.) in driving engagement, no
studies to date have examined the role of this variable in the context of fashion brand
communication on Instagram.
In addition, even though engagement (which shows a reaction of interest on the part of
users) can be understood as a relevant indicator of communicative effectiveness in social
networks, it may be insufficient, since it does not necessarily reveal the degree of agreement (or
disagreement) and acceptance (or rejection) that these users show in response to such
communications. This is of particular interest since social networks offer a scenario in which
consumers can express their ideas and opinions, and these are not always aligned with the
messages issued by brands. Therefore, this research, apart from analyzing engagement,
examines for the first time through automated semantic analysis algorithms the degree to which
the comments generated by users – as a reaction to the posts published by fashion brands – are
more or less positive (polarity). That is, this research not only seeks to analyze the degree of
interactivity with brands but also the positive (and negative) nature of these interactions.
Consequently, this research seeks to better understand the way in which the most sustainable
fashion brands use Instagram to disseminate messages related to the field of sustainability as
well as the responses and reactions of their followers. From this analytic framework, this article
seeks to answer the following research questions:
● RQ 1. What percentage of their communication do sustainable fashion brands devote
to sustainability-related issues? How has this evolved over time?
● RQ 2. Do the most sustainable fashion brands use different language tonality (i.e.,
polarity and subjectivity), when communicating about sustainability issues compared
to when communicating about other issues?
● RQ 3. How do followers of those brands react to their posts on sustainability compared
to their posts on other non-sustainability topics?
o RQ 3.1. Do posts about sustainability generate more or fewer likes, comments, and
engagement than posts dealing with other topics?
o RQ 3.2. Were followers’ comments on posts dealing with sustainability more or less
positive than comments on posts dealing with other topics?
● RQ 4. What characteristics of posts dealing with sustainable topics are associated with
higher numbers of likes, comments, and engagement?
3. Methodology
To answer the research questions, a quantitative content analysis of Instagram posts generated
by the fashion brands considered most sustainable was conducted. (For studies with similar
methodologies, see Castillo-Abdul et al., 2022; Heras-Saizarbitoria et al., 2022; Carrasco-Polaino
et al., 2018)
3.1. Sample selection
To identify the fashion brands with the most sustainable behaviour, brands belonging to the ten
corporations that ranked at the top of at least two of the five main corporate sustainability
rankings in 2021 were selected (to see listed brands see Luna et al., 2023). The five rankings
chosen to select the corporations were: Morgan and Stanley Capital International ESG rating
(MSCI), Corporate Knights Global 100, Good on You, Fashion Transparency Index, and Standard
and Poor Global ESG (S&P). The use of these rankings in previous research (Díez-Cañamero et
al., 2020; Kwon &Lee, 2021) recognizes the importance in the reputational perception of the
most sustainable companies and the efforts made by them in both the fashion and non-fashion
sectors.
After the ten most sustainable organizations were selected, all the fashion brands
belonging to these corporations were identified, resulting in a total of 61 (see appendix).
Through the Instagram Profile Scraper tool (Phantombuster, 2021b) all the data of the user
Luna A., Martín-Cárdaba M. A., Carrasco R., & Villar-Cirujano E.
Sustainability and Fashion Brand Communication on Instagram: an analysis beyond engagement
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accounts on Instagram of the 61 selected brands were obtained (date of account creation,
number of posts, number of followers, etc.). Similarly, using the Instagram Post Extractor tool
(Phantombuster, 2021a), all the posts (and associated metadata) generated by the brands were
downloaded. Both the parent companies and their subsidiary brands have been examined as
separate entities, as they appeared independently in the sustainability rankings, and each had
distinct Instagram accounts (and possibly different communication strategies).
This process generated a dataset with 277,955 published posts. The oldest post included in
the dataset was published on January 7, 2011, while the most recent one was published on
December 10, 2021, the date when the data collection was completed. To identify those posts
related to sustainability, we filtered those publications that contained specific words related to
sustainability. Specifically, the same list of words previously used by Pilar et al. (2019) was used,
among which, for example, words such as "sustainability", "recycled", "environment" and "waste"
could be found. In turn, in a second step and as a control strategy, we searched within the
identified publications for other words related to sustainability that were included in them but
had not been used in the initial search. It was found that the terms "organic", "care" and
"responsible" appeared recurrently, so they were included in the criteria and the search was run
again (for a list of the terms used to identify sustainability-related posts see appendix). This
process resulted in a sample of 12,639 publications dealing with sustainability.
In order to compare user reactions to different posts based on whether they mentioned
sustainable topics or not, all comments made by users to posts published for one year (2021)
were downloaded. This download generated a new dataset consisting of 838,285 records of
which 156,761 were responses to sustainability posts and the rest, 681,524, to posts unrelated to
sustainability.
3.2. Measures
Engagement: to measure the degree of interactivity within the publications, the engagement of
each post was calculated. This was determined by using the sum of the interactions (likes and
comments) received by each publication divided by the number of followers of the author of the
publication (Herrera-Torres et al., 2017).
Like-ratio: Next, and taking into account, on the one hand, that likes and comments
represent reactions of a different nature, since likes always indicate a favourable reaction while
comments can be both favourable and unfavourable and, on the other hand, that a like does not
imply the same level of interaction or engagement given that making a comment requires more
time and effort on the part of its author (Ballesteros Herencia, 2018), two more indices (like-
ratio and comment-ratio) were calculated. The like-ratio was calculated by dividing the number
of likes on each publication by the number of followers.
Comment-ratio: the comment-ratio, was calculated by dividing the number of comments
on each post by the user's followers. (To consult how these ratios have been used previously in
similar research, see for example, Testa et al., 2021.)
Polarity index (sentiment): the sentiment or polarity index of each post (i.e., the extent to
which the content of the post or comment is positive or negative) was calculated using the Text
Blob Sentiment Analysis tool through Python (Oliphant, 2007). Text Blob is a library
programmed in Python to process textual data. It provides an API to perform natural language
processing (NLP) tasks such as part-of-speech tagging, noun phrase extraction, sentiment
analysis, classification, and translation among other utilities. In this case, the polarity returned
by the tool, using a lexicon method for each tweet, is a numeric value within the range [-1.0, 1.0]
where -1 identifies a message with a very negative sentiment and 1 with a very positive one.
Subjectivity index: to study whether the texts disseminated objective content (i.e., facts) or
whether they focused mainly on evaluations or opinions, a subjectivity index of each post was
calculated. For this purpose, the same tool mentioned above was used to calculate the
subjectivity of the texts. The calculation of subjectivity returns an index in the interval [0,1]
Luna A., Martín-Cárdaba M. A., Carrasco R., & Villar-Cirujano E.
Sustainability and Fashion Brand Communication on Instagram: an analysis beyond engagement
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where 0 indicates an objective text (informative or descriptive) and 1 as a subjective text
(evaluative or opinionated). The level of effectiveness of the tool used to calculate polarity and
subjectivity has already been validated in numerous previous research (e.g., Carrasco-Polaino
et al., 2021; Fauziyyah, 2020; Micu et al., 2017), with an average efficiency exceeding 95% and
greater effectiveness compared to other similar tools (Alemán Viteri, 2021; Ccoya & Pinto, 2023).
The process by which the TextBlob library determines the polarity and subjectivity of a text
begins with a lexicon-based analysis, utilizing a database of words associated with predefined
values of polarity and subjectivity. In the second step, the provided text is divided into tokens,
which are linguistic units (usually words or phrases). TextBlob tokenizes the text to analyze each
word individually and determine its contribution to the overall sentiment. Finally, the library
breaks the text into sentences to individually evaluate the polarity and subjectivity of each one.
The total polarity and subjectivity scores for the text are obtained by averaging the values of all
the sentences (Loira, 2018). Thus, each post or comment was classified according to the polarity
and the subjectivity scale (for a similar measure of polarity and subjectivity see Bilro et al., 2022;
for examples of polarity and subjectivity analysis using the TextBlob library, refer to the
appendix).
With all the data collected, we performed an inferential statistical analysis as the
quantitative method. The data did not present a normal statistical distribution, so the models
applied were nonparametric statistics. Thus, either the Mann-Whitney U test (MacFarland &
Yates, 2016) or the Kruskall Wallis test (Ostertagová et al., 2014) was used to identify significant
differences between groups depending on the number of groups to be analyzed, and the
Spearman test was used to identify correlations (Restrepo & González, 2016).
4. Results
4.1. Presence of sustainability in brand communication
When analyzing the percentage of posts that sustainable fashion brands dedicated to topics
related to sustainability, the data (Figure 1) show an uninterrupted increase in comments on this
topic in Instagram publications since 2013 until being present in almost one out of every 10 posts
(9.67%) published in 2021. One of the main factors that may have provided a notable boost in
brands' commitment to this topic was the approval in 2015 of the 2030 Agenda (Pérez-Bou &
Cantista, 2023), so between 2011 and 2015 posts on sustainability accounted for 3.6% of the total
(1,198 compared to 33,169 on other topics), but after 2021 they represented 8.3% of the total (8,809
compared to 97,356).
Luna A., Martín-Cárdaba M. A., Carrasco R., & Villar-Cirujano E.
Sustainability and Fashion Brand Communication on Instagram: an analysis beyond engagement
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9
Figure 1. Evolution of the number of publications on Instagram, 2011-2021
Source: Author’s research
In turn, when analyzing the 10 companies that published the most posts on sustainability in
absolute terms during this period (Table 1), it can be seen that, although the change in trend is
beginning to be seen from 2013 onwards, this is not only not generalized, but is mainly due to
two pioneering brands in this field, Patagonia and Girard-Perregaux, which multiplied by 8 and
40, respectively, their publications on this subject, thus anticipating the process that would
follow. However, following the approval of the 2030 Agenda, a similar pattern can be seen in the
other nine companies that had bet more on these contents in the last decade, as all of them now
publish more on sustainability than before 2015. The increases range from 50% (H&M and
Kering) to 15.45% for C&A, which goes from 2 publications in 2015 (none until then) to 309 in
2021.
Table 1. Frequency of publication of posts by brands year 2011 to 2021
585
2.971
6.110
9.359
12.946
14.780 15.261
16.353 15.647 14.829
12.397
462 148 432 552 695 805 1.031 1.590 1.910 2.058
0
2.000
4.000
6.000
8.000
10.000
12.000
14.000
16.000
18.000
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Number of publications
Year
Non-sustainability Sustainability
Year
Brand
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
Total
H&M HOME
5
89
51
74
155
130
127
631
C&A
2
21
19
41
20
171
309
583
Timberland
1
7
23
38
39
29
38
27
74
85
69
430
KERING
10
47
24
22
22
70
64
93
352
H&M
4
31
55
35
51
59
52
60
347
Patagonia
9
6
46
15
36
19
22
46
81
53
333
Alexander
McQueen
1
8
8
25
68
55
102
62
329
Burberry
2
3
3
6
9
33
21
40
87
90
33
327
Girard-
Perregaux
3
122
36
11
33
26
71
13
9
324
ARKET
27
53
55
89
88
312
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Source: Author’s research
Similarly, when sustainability-related posts were counted based on the total number of
posts published by each of the brands, the result was a ranking of the ten brands that published
the most sustainability-related content in relative terms (Table 2).
Table 2. Relative frequencies of posts related to sustainability with respect to the total (2011-2021)
Source: Author’s research
4.2. Engagement
When the engagement of posts was analyzed comparatively according to whether they were
related to sustainability, the Mann Whitney test revealed significant differences. Specifically,
posts related to sustainability obtained lower engagement (M=0.39%; SD=0.64%) than those
dealing with other unrelated topics (M=0.42%; SD=1.39%) (U=585,913,668.5; p<0.001).
4.3. Like-ratio and comment-ratio
When the components of engagement were analyzed separately (likes and comments), each
showed different trends. Specifically, when the likes or like-ratio (likes of each post divided by
the number of followers) were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney test, significant differences
were found (U=585,734,592; p<0.001) such that posts on sustainable topics obtained fewer likes
on average (M=0.39%, SD=0.59%) than posts on topics unrelated to sustainability (M=0.42%;
SD=1.27). On the other hand, when the number of comments each post received (comment-
ratio) was analyzed, it was found that posts on sustainability topics received, on average, a
higher number of comments (M=0.0081%; SD=0.17%) than posts on non-sustainability topics
(M=0.0068%; SD=0.36%) U=597,343,965; p<0.001.
4.4. Polarity and subjectivity of fashion brand´s posts
Regarding the verbal tone used by the most sustainable brands when they talk about
sustainability on Instagram (compared to when they talk about other unrelated topics), both the
polarity (degree to which the message is more or less positive) and the subjectivity (degree to
which the message is more or less evaluative) of their publications were analyzed.
Regarding polarity, the Mann-Whitney U test revealed statistically significant differences
were found (U=588,841,034; p<0.001). Specifically, publications on sustainability showed a more
positive sentiment (M=0.16; SD=0.23) than the rest of the posts (M=0.15; SD=0.25). In other
words, when brands talk about sustainability-related topics they tend to use more positive
Brand
Percentage of brand’s total posts regarding sustainability
H&M HOME
31,97%
Napapijri
29,15%
C&A
26,55%
The North Face
22,57%
Comfort Colors
21,95%
ARKET
18,60%
KERING
17,43%
Icebreaker
17,35%
Ulysse Nardin
12,82%
Girard-Perregaux
12,37%
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language. It is worth noting that, although sustainability-related posts exhibited a more positive
sentiment, the overall sentiment (0.16 on a scale from -1 to 1) was only slightly positive.
Likewise, the analyses revealed that posts generated by brands that dealt with
sustainability used more subjective language (M=0.37; SD=0.28) than that used in the other posts
(M=0.32; SD=0.31) (U=621.502793; p<0.001).
4.5. Polarity and subjectivity of users´comments
First, polarity and subjectivity for the user´s comments generated by followers to each of the
posts published in 2021 by the fashion brands (n=822,248) were calculated using the same
method (Text Blob Analysis tool through Python) that was applied to the fashion brands´posts.
Next, the results of the mean comparison conducted using the Mann-Whitney U test revealed
that posts dealing with sustainability topics had more positive comments (M=0.078; SD=0.11)
than those dealing with other topics (M=0.058; SD=0.087) U=13,472,361; p<0.001.
Similarly, regarding the subjectivity of the comments, the analyses revealed that followers'
comments were more subjective and contained more evaluative language when responding to
those posts related to sustainability (M=0.14; SD=0.15) than when responding to posts published
by the brands in which no reference to sustainability was made (M=0.11; SD=0.11)
U=134,451,092.5; p<0.001.
4.6. Variables associated with engagement in sustainability posts
Finally, we analyzed in isolation the posts that dealt with the topic of sustainability to examine
which characteristics could be linked to higher engagement. The Spearman correlation test
revealed a significant correlation between the subjectivity of the posts and engagement
(Rho=0.029; p<0.001) indicating that to some extent those posts that present more subjective
language tend to generate greater interaction.
Similarly, when the components of engagement were analyzed separately, significant
correlations were identified between the subjectivity of posts and like-ratio (Rho=0.028;
p=0.006) as well as between subjectivity and comment-ratio (Rho=0.033; p=0.001). In other
words, the greater the subjectivity of the content, the greater the number of likes and
comments.
No significant relationship was found between the polarity (sentiment) of the post and the
engagement rate. When the components of engagement were analyzed separately, no
association was found between the number of likes and the polarity of the post. However, a
significant correlation was detected between comment-ratio and post polarity (Rho=0.022;
p=0.032), indicating that the higher the positive sentiment of the posts that brands make on
sustainable topics, the higher the number of comments generated by followers.
Also tested was whether the use of more terms related to sustainability would generate
higher engagement. For this, the correlation between the number of words related to
sustainability that appeared in each of the posts published by the brands on sustainable topics
and the engagement generated by them was calculated. The result showed a negative
correlation (Rho= -0.06; p<0.001), indicating that the higher the number of terms related to
sustainability, the lower the engagement.
When each of the engagement components was analyzed separately, the number of terms
related to sustainability did not show a significant association with comment-ratio, but it did
with like-ratio (Rho= -0.06; p<0.001), showing that the more terms related to sustainability
appeared in the publication, the lower the number of likes it received.
Finally, the difference in the engagement of posts was compared according to the format
through the Mann-Whitney U test, that is, whether they included a video or a static image as the
main element of the publication. The results showed statistically significant differences
(U=4,498,365; p<0.001). Specifically, the publications that presented an image as the main
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element obtained higher engagement (M=0.42%; SD=0.59%) than those that included a video
(M=0.26%; SD=0.81%).
Going deeper into the analysis of interactions according to the post format, differences
were found in both comment-ratio (U=6,500,301.5; p<0.001) and like-ratio (U=4,486,710;
p<0.001) according to whether the post contained a video or an image. In the case of likes,
publications with an image obtained higher values (M=0.0041; SD=0.0053) than those showing
a video (M=0.0025; SD=0.008), as well as a higher rate of comments (M=0.000089; SD=0.0018)
than publications with a video (M=0.000047; SD=0.00046).
5. Discussion
5.1. General discussion
In recent years, because of associated reputational and economic benefits (Alcaide González et
al., 2020; Peloza et al., 2012; Barnett & Leih, 2018; San Miguel et al., 2021), there has been an
increasing commitment by brands, including those in the fashion industry, to convey the
perception of a sustainable company (Reilly &Larya 2018).
In turn, social networks in general, and Instagram in particular, have become one of the
main showcases to transfer this interest about sustainability to the market and customers
(Kwon & Lee, 2021; Lee & Weder, 2021). However, there is still a long way to go to understand
how and to what extent the efforts made by brands through these channels are or are not
effective. Therefore, this research aims to contribute to an understanding of how the most
sustainable fashion brands use Instagram to disseminate messages related to the field of
sustainability as well as how such communications are received by their followers, not only in
terms of the interactivity they generate (engagement), but by analyzing for the first time, the
polarity (i.e., positive or negative sentiment) of users’ comments toward these messages. The
use of automated semantic analysis tools has made it possible to examine a significantly larger
sample of brands and their publications than those analyzed in previous research.
For RQ 1, the data showed that sustainability content on Instagram, even among the most
sustainable brands, represents a small percentage of their communication strategy although it
has continued to grow since 2013. Today, they represent one of every 10 posts, which denotes
an increasing interest in the most sustainable brands in communicating this type of content.
These findings contrast with the previous research by Velasco-Molpeceres et al. (2023), in which
sustainability-related posts accounted for nearly 50%. However, it is important to note that their
study was based on a smaller sample of only five brands.
In RQ 2, the analyses revealed that these publications on sustainable topics use more
positive and subjective language than the rest of unrelated posts. In other words, it seems that
brands probably make a deliberate effort to communicate in a particularly positive and
emotional way the measures and actions they are carrying out in this field, and in line with the
positive effects (tangible and intangible, economic and reputational) they entail.
Despite this eagerness to convey a positive message, posts about sustainability get less
engagement than the average (RQ 3.1), which indicates that compared to the rest of the topics
addressed by brands, those related to sustainability issues arouse comparatively less interest.
These results are in line with previous research where sustainability-related posts generated
lower engagement than posts related exclusively to fashion or lifestyle (Testa et al., 2021).
However, when analyzing each of the engagement components (likes and comments) separately,
a revealing difference was found. Posts that address sustainability receive fewer likes but
generate more comments from followers. One way to interpret this apparent contradiction,
which justifies the convenience of analyzing the two components of engagement separately, is
to understand that likes and comments are indicators of interest, but of a different nature and
at different levels. Specifically, comments reveal a greater interest and engagement on the part
of the user since commenting on a post requires more effort than simply clicking a like button
(Ballesteros Herencia, 2018). Thus, it could be argued that, although posts about other types of
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content generate greater surface-level interaction (likes), posts about sustainable content
generate deeper interactivity. This could indicate that, in line with what other previous research
has established (e.g., Matthes et al., 2014), there is a group of users and consumers who are aware
of sustainability and who transfer that commitment and interest to social networks as well.
Likewise, another aspect to consider is that likes are always a sign of agreement and
acceptance of the content posted while comments can be both positive and negative. In this
case, the results showed that messages linked to sustainability not only generated more
comments but also that they are more favourable than the average (RQ 3.2). In turn, the language
of the comments directed at publications related to sustainable issues was more subjective,
indicating that the users' response was more emotional and appreciative, most likely because it
represented an issue of special relevance to them. This indicates that there is an engaged
audience that shows a real interest in this type of content published by fashion brands.
In addition, when the set of publications dealing with sustainability-related topics was
analyzed separately, the data revealed the existence of certain factors that were associated with
higher engagement (RQ 4). Specifically, the results suggest that if brands want to generate the
highest number of likes and comments when communicating sustainability-related topics, the
most advisable strategy would be to use valuative and emotional language, a positive and
favourable tone, not to abuse the use of sustainable terms, and to use images instead of videos.
The fact that the more valuative terms generate more engagement than more informative
expressions is in line with the results obtained in research focused on health-related topics
where the use of emotional elements (such as personal stories or emojis) increased the
interactivity of the messages (Gabarron et al., 2020; Kearney et al., 2019). On the other hand,
according to existing research and reports in other fields (Galeano, 2021), it is uncommon for
images to generate more engagement than videos on Instagram. However, our findings align
with those of Velasco-Molpeceres et al. (2022). Although it is not possible to provide a definitive
explanation for this discrepancy, a potential reason could be related to specific characteristics
of the fashion sector, such as its inherently visual and aesthetic character, the profile of the
consumer user, etc. However, future research could address this aspect more systematically.
Taken as a whole, these findings seem to suggest that introducing sustainability issues in
communication, which the most sustainable fashion companies do on Instagram, is a
recommendable strategy that provokes positive interactivity on the part of users, followers, and
consumers. In turn, it should not be forgotten that this positive effect can be related to the fact
that the fashion brands analyzed in this research are brands that are truly committed to
sustainability (having been placed at the top of the rankings) and it is reasonable that they have
followers who are also committed.
5.2. Conclusions, limitations, and future research agenda
In summary, the present research contributes from both a theoretical and a practical point of
view. From a theoretical point of view, these findings provide evidence about the positive
reaction that audiences of the most sustainable fashion brands arouse when they communicate
about sustainability on Instagram. Moreover, from a methodological point of view, these
findings suggest the importance of understanding engagement as a measure of communicative
effectiveness that needs to be broken down into its principal components to discriminate
between different levels of interaction. At the same time, the findings point out the convenience
of not being limited to assessing interactivity as the only criterion of communicative
effectiveness in networks but also raises the relevance of analyzing the favourability of such
interactions. Additionally, the use of automated semantic analysis tools is shown to be a
methodological strategy that allows a greater quantity of data to be processed and,
consequently, a more representative sample to be covered.
Finally, from a practical standpoint, our findings allow us to offer useful, data-driven
suggestions on how truly sustainable brands can communicate sustainability-related topics and
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news on social networks like Instagram in an effective way that helps spark interest and
generate positive dialogue with their audience.
Future research should check what happens when this same strategy is adopted by
companies whose activity is not as sustainable as it could provoke indifference on the part of
less-committed followers or could even be seen as a gesture of hypocrisy on the part of more
conscientious followers. In a similar vein, this study analyzed fashion brands with different
profiles jointly (e.g., luxury brands, fast fashion brands, home brands, etc.). Future research
could benefit from focusing on specific profiles to explore potential differences between them.
Similarly, future research can benefit from studying possible differences depending on
whether the selected brands belong to the luxury brand category or mass-market brands. Lee
et al. (2018) for example, showed on Twitter that users responded differently to sustainability
messages depending on whether the brand was luxury or non-luxury. Finally, future studies
could also be carried out on other platforms, such as TikTok, which, like Instagram, holds a
strong presence in the field of fashion communication.
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