Luxury versus fast fashion

: the impact of sustainability communication on consumer trust and greenwashing perceptions

Abstract

This study examines how verbal and visual sustainability communication influence consumer trust and perceptions of greenwashing in luxury and fast fashion brands. Using na experimental design, four brand advertisements were tested in an online survey, and results were analyzed through statistical methods. Findings confirm that luxury brands generally inspire greater consumer trust than fast fashion brands. However, the type of communication4verbal or visual4did not directly impact trust or greenwashing perceptions as expected. Instead, trust itself played a key role: consumers who trusted a brand9s sustainability claims were also less likely to perceive it as engaging in greenwashing. Additionally, whether a brand was positioned as luxury or not did not significantly alter this relationship. These results highlight trust as a decisive factor in sustainability communication. Luxury brands can rely on their strong reputation, while fast fashion brands should focus on proving their credibility through transparency rather than just changing their communication style
(OpenAI, 2024)

Date of Award	6 Feb 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Paulo Romeiro (Supervisor)