Survey Says Gen Z Prioritizes Pragmatism Over Ethics

Affdex Report says Generation Z prioritizes concerns like style, brand trust, and quality over ethical concerns and environmental responsibility when it comes to clothing brands they have an affinity for.

Alexandria Bruce July 26, 2019

1 minute read

NOTTINGHAM, England-UNiDAYS, a global student affinity network, examines the purchase drivers of Generation Z, as well as how the group feels about some of the world’s biggest brands. The UNiDAYS Affdex Report 2019 summarizes survey responses from 14,500 U.S. Gen Zers and 3,000 within the UK.

Despite being a demographic popularly known as environmentally and socially conscious, the Affdex Report says otherwise. Generation Z prioritizes concerns like style, brand trust, and quality over ethical concerns and environmental responsibility when it comes to clothing brands they have an affinity for.

The report states, “Gen Z is boldly and enthusiastically embracing everything the newly connected world has to offer. However, through this study, there runs a strong thread of pragmatism amongst Gen Z. This can be seen not only in (a) strongly-held affinity for certain long-established brands but by prioritization of more complex ideas such as ‘brand trust’.” It continues, “This is most pronounced in the United States where, regardless of industry, Gen Z declare themselves almost uniformly unmoved by the ‘ethical’ notion.”

According to UNiDAYS, “The AFFDEX is the only study that looks at the amount of affinity felt by students for brands on both sides of the Atlantic, across multiple industries.” Luxury fashion, clothing, and sportswear are just three of the 12 industries the report analyzes. Others include everything from beauty to technology.

Within those 12 industries, the UNiDAYS Affdex Report 2019 focuses on 10 core drivers of purchasing decisions, which it calls “Affinity Drivers.” Drivers include inclusivity, style, coolness, quality, identification, animal welfare, seasonality, environmental responsibly, ethics, and trust.

In addition to what drives affinity for a given brand, the report also looks at how much affinity a Gen Z student holds for various brands. Within clothing, ASOS, H&M, Primark, Topshop, and New Look rank in the top five, while Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Ralph Lauren rank highest within the luxury fashion category. Nike, Adidas, Under Armour, JD Sports, and Puma make the top five for sportswear.

To see the full report, visit corporate.myunidays.com/en-gb/affdex-report.

Alexandria Bruce July 26, 2019

1 minute read