Can Merching Ever Drive Change?

Music credit: CjOnTheBeat – Alone. Image credit: Merch Aid.

It’s CULTED with your 60-second FASHION BLAST.

Whether it’s the BLM movement, Australian bushfires or climate change – there’s merch for it. We’ve featured ‘merchandise for a cause’ on several occasions, but we’ve been thinking – can merch ever drive real change? 

When fast-fashion brands, which are known for contributing to global warming, are fundraising for climate change through products – you know it’s nothing more than an empty gesture. And in fact, when brands make donations from products like T-shirts – they are spending less money than if they had made a direct donation. These t’s are very cheap to make. 

So how do you know if the merch you are buying will drive change?

Zack Roif, a creative behind the company ‘Merch Aid’ told Vogue, the consumer needs to feel like the brand genuinely cares about the cause. Of-course, this comes down to transparency, and  how much of the proceeds a brand is willing to donate. According to Roif, “anything less than 30%” is a cop out. Brands also need to ensure their fundraiser doesn’t seem like a one-off, but something they represent regardless of the circumstances.

So guys, will you start thinking twice about the merch you buy? 

Watch more videos on CULTED

See also: SHIRTS YOU CAN BUY TO SUPPORT BLACK LIVES MATTER

See also: LGBTQ+ MARKETING: THE PINK POUND DEBATE