On social media, everyone seems to be obsessed with something new every day, claiming that a specific piece of clothing or product will change lives. Oddly enough, brands make the same claims when advertising deteriorating clothes that end up in the trash after a few months. New items bring satisfaction and happiness, but are the quality, marketing deception, and environmental consequences made to produce at a fast rate something to obsess over?

In the last 20 years, fast fashion has dominated the clothing industry, with over half of the clothes sold worldwide falling into this category. Fast fashion represents over 85% of the clothing market sold in the United States. Big brands, such as H&M, SHEIN, Zara, and Forever 21, are fast fashion: they quickly design, produce, and sell trending styles for a significantly lower price. This industry has been slammed for its dark side, contributing greatly to negative environmental and economic effects from its production practices. Manufacturers in developing countries, like China, India, Indonesia, and Vietnam, lead fast fashion production worldwide. Emerging economies rely on the export earnings and job opportunities provided through fast fashion. Sweatshops offer job positions providing cheap labor, where employees work excessive hours and encounter harsh conditions. While factories mass-produce garments, they simultaneously mass-produce waste that pollutes water sources and the air with microplastics and chemicals. The lack of quality and durability of fast fashion clothing leads to enormous textile waste, with over 87% of the sold clothing ending up in landfills. Yet, online marketing draws the customer’s attention away from their products' dark reality and creates a fake sense of trust through the “trendy” experience.

Influencer marketing is a vital strategy for promoting products through individuals with loyal followers. A social media algorithm is personal and fine-tuned to a user’s interests. Marketing teams use this data as a tool by helping companies to significantly narrow the pool of potential customers down to those most likely to be interested in a product. By targeting specific audiences, brands can study their likes and dislikes, which can create effective market strategies. Companies will pay influencers to endorse products on their social media page to directly advertise to their followers. Since followers trust the influencer, they are likely to try out the product for themselves, thus attaining more customers for the brand. But how reliable are influencers regarding product marketing, especially if they receive payment? With the use of commission, influencer bias and authenticity becomes a controversial topic worth noting.

There are many levels of influence, the top being mega influencers with millions of followers, the middle being macro influencers with decently sized followings around 100,000, and the bottom being micro-influencers with under 10,000. Depending on the amount of followers, they can get paid anywhere from $50 to $1,000,000 per post. Many influencers genuinely care about the brand deals they make, researching and trying to understand the quality and business ethics they are promoting. However, there are still some who only care about the money from deals and will advertise products they know are different from what they claim to be.

Some influencers will say whatever it takes to achieve higher engagement with promoted posts, also known as clickbait, leading to more money, views, fame, and partnerships. Strong adjectives, such as “obsessed,” “life-changing,” and “essential,” are all examples of words used to draw customer interest. Small, fast fashion brands often use this marketing style on TikTok Shop, selling clothes for incredibly cheap prices. Some influencers emphasize how cheap the product they are advertising is, beginning their ad by stating, “This (product) is cheaper than a McDonald’s meal!” but then fail to disclose that the quality reflects the price. Vocabulary, price, and experience are the most significant selling points in marketing. It will seem too good to pass by when the right words pair with a highly positive experience at a low cost. Unfortunately, many influencers do not have their followers' best interests at heart; they will use “trust” to sell something for their own personal gain, even if it's stretching the truth. With misleading ads becoming easier to spot, customers have shifted back to trusting product recommendations from friends and family over recommendations online. It is understandable why credibility and experience are two attributes becoming highly valued for those selling online; customers are tired of being manipulated and rebuying the same thing when it should not be that way.

The glorification of consumerism and the rise of synthetic materials are responsible for the decline in material quality. Purchasing sustainably protects the environment and ensures purchases last longer; it is essential to consider both styles alongside quality. The famous quote “Buy it nice or buy it twice” applies to both aspects. Clothing made out of linen, recycled or organic cotton, wool, and organic hemp are all sustainable and good quality materials to look for when considering longevity. Avoiding microtrends can be done by answering three questions: “Will this piece be worn next year?”, “Will the quality last to next year?” and “Is this piece versatile enough for different occasions?” Brands that sell quality, sustainable clothing include Patagonia, Pact, Kotn, and Girlfriend Collective. Thrift Stores are also amazing places to shop sustainably for a more affordable price. So, instead of paying $8 multiple times a year to replace the same piece of clothing, invest in sustainability and longevity, where paying once will last years.

Written by Ava Whelan, Photography: Chioma Chukwuemeka, Design: Alyssa Lazarchik, Social Media: Lauren Tran

“OBSESSED” - Online Marketing and its Tactics to Sell Products