Can fast fashion brands win over Gen Z with corporate social responsibility communication on Instagram by appealing to their emotions?

Purpose This study aims to understand how Gen Z consumers perceive fashion brands’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication through emotional appeals on Instagram and how such perception affects their overall behaviour towards the brand. Design/methodology/approach The study adopts a qualitative research approach through photo-elicitation and 14 semi-structured in-depth interviews with members of Gen Z, using one of the world’s largest fast fashion brands, H&M, as the study context. Findings It is increasingly difficult to capture the attention of Gen Z as they have become immune to the typical CSR messages despite attempting to appeal to their emotions. This makes CSR communication alone challenging in influencing brand perception. However, behaviour towards the brand, such as purchase intention, is not necessarily dependent on whether consumers are convinced of the brand’s CSR activities, as greater value is placed on fast fashion’s price and availability. For Gen Z, such elements surpass their concern for sustainable fashion. Since more emphasis is placed on neutral endorsers due to their trustworthiness, CSR efforts may be disseminated through such third parties to achieve desired outcomes. Practical implications Understanding consumers’ perceptions of the current CSR effort allows brand managers to reevaluate their CSR communication strategies to appeal to Gen Z and encourage positive brand behaviour. Originality/value Contrary to previous studies, which have focused on organisational outcomes, the study has in-depth explored consumers’ perception of CSR efforts on Instagram and the implications of such perceptions for long-term brand building.