Green Behavior

What is the connection between psychology and fashion? How can psychology help us better understand consumer behavior? In this episode, we explore the psychology of consumer behavior with Carolyn Mair, PhD, and uncover the hidden factors behind our fashion choices. Carolyn explains how cognitive psychology influences consumer behavior, the allure of fast fashion, and why it has more success using psychological triggers in its marketing than sustainable brands.  The conversation also explores fashion's broader impact on our identity and social interactions, offering insights into how sustainable brands can better communicate and connect with consumers. In this interview, you'll learn: What motivates us to buy, and how psychology can help us understand consumer behavior. Why we're drawn to fast fashion, and why sustainable brands struggle to achieve the same level of popularity. Why consumers keep buying fast fashion despite knowing its negative impact on people and the planet. How the sustainable fashion community can leverage consumer psychology to drive meaningful change. The most effective strategies for sustainable brands to communicate their value proposition to consumers who are accustomed to fast fashion. This conversation is a crash course in understanding consumer psychology and how it can drive more ethical and sustainable practices in the fashion industry and beyond. Short on Time? 00:00 Intro 4:51 What a cognitive psychologist does 08:43 The connection between psychology and fashion. 11:38 How fashion impacts consumer behavior. 14:40 How psychology can help us understand consumer behavior. 16:13 How marketers utilize psychology in their marketing strategies. 22:13 Is fashion today truly about self-expression, or is it more about fitting in and social signaling? 30:51 How fast fashion brands influence purchasing decisions 33:08 How sustainable brands use psychological triggers to get people to buy. 40:35 What is it about luxury that people are OK with exclusivity vs sustainable fashion? 47:43 Strategies for educating consumers about the social and environmental impact of clothing. 58:55 What the fashion industry needs to focus on from a behavioral science POV. 1:02:03 Takeaways for sustainability-focused brands. Episode Resources: Connect with Professor Carolyn Mair HERE Connect with Brittany Sierra HERE RSVP for the Psychology of Overconsumption with Patagonia HERE Become an SFF Insider HERE Produced by The Sustainable Fashion Forum

#3: In this episode, Brittany is joined by Danielle Vermeer, Co-founder and CEO of Teleport, the "TikTok for thrifting" app. With over a decade of experience in fashion, tech, and sustainability, they discuss the perceived value of clothing and the challenges of changing consumer behavior, especially among GenZ. Danielle shares insights from her time at Amazon, where she worked on luxury resale and learned the importance of customer obsession. She also highlights the gaps between sustainable and fast fashion marketing, emphasizing that shaming consumers for their choices won’t drive meaningful change. Instead Danielle stresses that to move the needle in sustainable fashion, brands need to realistically address what consumers are currently purchasing (and why) and help align their actions with their stated values. The conversation explores the role of social media in accelerating fashion trends, the impact of online identity on consumer choices, and the potential for policy to influence sustainable behaviors. Danielle also shares her thoughts on the future of the secondhand market and how Teleport aims to bridge the gap between the desire for sustainable fashion and the practicalities of finding and purchasing secondhand items. Practical advice is also given on how sustainable fashion brands can improve their marketing strategies and customer engagement to better compete with mainstream fashion brands. Teleport Instagram: @teleport.ootd Teleport TikTok: @teleport.app Connect with Danielle Vermeer on Twitter Connect with Danielle Vermeer on LinkedIn RSVP for The Psychology Behind Overconsumption with Patagonia's Aileen Ottenweller American Marketing Association research on luxury customers and signaling 58% of U.S. consumers resold clothes online in the last year (PYMNTS) 40% of Gen Z has "very unfavorable" vs. 40% has "very favorable" views on fast fashion (Business of Fashion) Teleport is a video-first marketplace, often dubbed the "TikTok for thrifting," where users can buy and sell from outfit videos. Click here to get $10 free credits when you join Teleport. Produced by The Sustainable Fashion Forum

#2: In this episode, Brittany sits down with Joseph Merz, the Founder and Chairman of the Merz Institute, to explore the connection between human behavior and the ecological overshoot. Joseph provides profound insights into the Human Behavioral Crisis and explains how evolutionary behaviors that once benefited us have become detrimental in our crowded, modern world. They discuss the critical roles of economic growth, marketing, and pronatalism in exacerbating ecological challenges and why current technological solutions often fall short. Joseph emphasizes the need for effective behavioral interventions and an interdisciplinary emergency response to address the root causes of ecological overshoot rather than merely managing its symptoms. Join us as they discuss the limitations of awareness alone in driving change and explore the importance of shifting social norms and behaviors. This episode offers a deep dive into understanding the behavioral dimensions of sustainability and what it will take to create a more sustainable world. Mentioned in the episode: Merz Institute World Scientists' Warning: The Behavioral Crisis Driving Ecological Overshoot Inequality Kills Join the community: SFF Insiders Follow Green Behavior: @greenbehaviorpodcast Follow Brittany Sierra: @brittanysiierra Produced by The Sustainable Fashion Forum

#1: In this solo episode, Brittany explains why understanding consumer behavior is key to driving sustainable change in fashion, highlighting that in order to break the rules, you have to understand the rules. Mentioned in the episode: Join the community: ⁠SFF Insiders⁠ Follow Green Behavior: ⁠@greenbehaviorpodcast⁠ Follow Brittany Sierra: ⁠@brittanysiierra⁠

Welcome to Green Behavior, a podcast by the Sustainable Fashion Forum exploring the intersection of fashion, psychology, consumer behavior, and sustainability. Hosted by SFF founder and CEO Brittany Sierra, this podcast is driven by the motto: in order to break the rules, you have to understand the rules. Join us as we explore what truly drives consumer behavior with leading neuroscientists, researchers, industry experts, innovators, thought leaders, and more. Discover how we can leverage this understanding to foster a more sustainable future. Ready to break the rules? Tune in every other Tuesday. Mentioned in the episode: Join the community: SFF Insiders Follow Green Behavior: @greenbehaviorpodcast Follow Brittany Sierra: @brittanysiierra