Green Marketing Strategies in Sustainable Fashion Business Models

This chapter addresses research on green marketing strategies implemented by Colombian textile companies with sustainable fashion business models. It highlights the methodology used to gather and analyze data from various online sources, particularly social networks, to understand how these companies engage with their audience through sustainable marketing strategies. The immersion study was conducted by exploring and collecting data from social networks and websites. A lexicon was developed to track relevant sources, and purposive sampling was applied to 20 sustainable fashion companies, focusing on active social media presence. A netnographic approach was used, analyzing static content on Instagram for 6 months. The selection of companies was based on filters of activity, age, and thematic relevance. Paid data mining tools were utilized to contextualize the information. Data analysis revealed characteristics of sustainable fashion companies, such as audience growth and frequency of publications. The connection of these companies to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) was emphasized, especially SDGs 9 and 12. Green marketing strategies employed by sustainable fashion companies were identified, focusing on education and awareness, environmental labeling, product innovation and eco-design, and sustainable collaborations. These strategies were analyzed in the context of user interaction on social networks, identifying recurring communication codes such as recycling, sustainability, and innovation. The chapter concludes by highlighting the importance of green marketing strategies in consumer engagement with sustainable fashion. It underscores the diversity of approaches adopted by companies and their impact on consumer perception and engagement. The discussion includes reflections on the intertwining of source and content factors, as well as the importance of the parasocial connection in green marketing strategies.