Abstract: The purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of how clothing companies communicate their sustainability measures to Swedish millennials. The fashion industry has been critiqued for the detrimental effects it can have on the environment. The large and powerful demographic known as millennials have expressed their concern for global issues, such as the environment. Therefore, it is crucial for clothing companies in the fashion industry to be able to communicate their sustainability measures to Swedish millennials in order to change the perception of the industry. In order to fulfill our purpose, we answered to one research question: How do clothing companies communicate their sustainability measures to Swedish millennials? In our theoretical framework, we present an communication process using existing and relevant literature. We discussed the components of the linear communication model indepth and then constructed a model based on the discussion in the chapter to highlight components that we found are crucial for the communication process. Our model emphasizes the importance of encoding adjusted to the receiver and the effect of trust and noise. A qualitative study was conducted. The data were collected via a semi-structured interview with an marketing employee of GANT. The interview was conducted via phone because of the current situation (COVID19). Our empirical evidence presents information about GANT´s communication process to millennials regarding their sustainability measures. In our analysis, the empirical evidence was then compared through the context of our theoretical framework and theoretical model, highlighting similarities and differences.

We concluded that minimizing the risk of noise is an essential part when trying to communicate. When looking into the components to minimize noise, we found three crucial parts of the communication process. The first part was to gather knowledge about the receiver. It affects the encoding process and choice of a communication channel. The second part was constructing a message that creates value and instills trust in the consumer. The third part is understanding the market and competitors. Learning from competitors' mistakes and success and being aware of their ability to create noise can help a company cope and prepare for it. All three parts are crucial when trying to minimize the risk of noise and help when constructing a message that can "cut" through the noise.