The new 3Ps of sustainability marketing: The case of fashion

ABSTRACT

Sustainability marketing in the fashion industry is the subject of this theoretical synthesis. This conceptual essay entails dissecting the conceptual underpinnings and construction components of sustainability marketing derived by current scholarly perspectives to offer an updated articulation of sustainability marketing as a flourishing interdisciplinary research area. As a result of our theory synthesis approach, this paper developed a sustainability marketing model, referred to as the new 3Ps of sustainability marketing—Preservation (Environment), Public (Society) and Performance (Economy) which add to the traditional 4Ps- “Product, Price, Place, and Promotion.” The paper further examines the role of these new 3Ps of sustainability marketing in fashion, considering the COVID-19 pandemic. The model offers a uniquely integrated framework for designing marketing strategies in the fashion industry consistent with sustainability marketing and aims to promote, communicate, and educate consumers who are either existing or potential customers of sustainable fashion brands. The framework encompasses segments of the fragmented fashion industry whilst mapping strategies for marketing sustainability and presenting new post-pandemic opportunities across all value-creation stages. Finally, we offer implications and directions for further research.