ANTONIADIS, ORFEAS IORDANIS (2025) Building Sustainable Communities: How clothing start-ups can engage Gen Z through online communities and sustainable Branding Strategies. Master thesis, Sustainable Entrepreneurship (SE).
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Abstract
The following thesis explores how sustainable clothing start-ups can use sustainability driven strategies on digital platforms to effectively persuade Gen Z consumers and manage to foster loyal online communities. Responding to a growing demand for authenticity and environmental responsibility among younger consumers, this study adopts a positivist epistemological stance and employs a quantitative methodology. There are structured polls which were distributed to two distinct Gen Z communities: one based around a football themed clothing brand (Lqst.files), and the other around a health conscious food brand cuisine (Zoe Food Co.). Findings from a total of 159 complete responses revealed a high level of sustainability awareness but also significant skepticism toward brand claims. Conditional loyalty emerged as a key theme: sustainability alone was insufficient to secure engagement unless aligned with personal style or content preferences. Advocacy potential was notable, with over 40% of participants in both communities expressing willingness to promote sustainable brands, especially when tied to the product's quality, storytelling, or values. This thesis concludes that successful brand strategies must combine visual/aesthetic appeal with transparent and credible sustainability efforts. Afterwards, practical recommendations are offered for start-ups aiming to bridge the gap between values and action in Gen Z engagement. Limitations related to sampling and platform specific biases are also acknowledged, and finally the study reflects on the challenges and insights gained through a transdisciplinary collaboration with real world brand communities.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Master) |
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| Name supervisor: | Folmer, E.C. |
| Date Deposited: | 05 Aug 2025 08:54 |
| Last Modified: | 05 Aug 2025 08:54 |
| URI: | https://campus-fryslan.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/747 |
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