Bcard

Circular Loyalty Loops

Circular Marketing goes beyond convincing people to buy and includes supporting life-cycle activities (like repair events, information exchange, or reuse suggesttions) that reinforce sharing and community building.

VET: Which marketing activities could you develop aimed at creating collective experiences through sharing for the users, and other stakeholders?

HEI: How can you communicate the importance of circularity to encourage user loyalty without it being marketing?


Circular Marketing is more than just convincing people to buy; it involves building a continuous relationship with consumers by supporting life-cycle activities such as repair, reuse, and information exchange. The concept of Circular Loyalty Loops aims to create long-term engagement by encouraging consumers to actively participate in the circular economy. Marketing efforts in this space focus on community building, where repair events, upcycling workshops, and information-sharing platforms create a shared experience for consumers, reinforcing both brand loyalty and sustainability. This unit explores how businesses can foster deeper consumer relationships by integrating circular marketing strategies that promote reuse, repair, and shared responsibility for fashion products.

Case Studies

Mud Jeans
Mud Jeans is a Dutch sustainable denim brand that has developed a “Lease a Jeans” model, allowing customers to lease their jeans for a monthly fee. This initiative encourages long-term engagement by integrating circularity into its business model. Consumers can return their worn-out jeans, which Mud Jeans recycles into new denim. This circular system not only builds customer loyalty but also minimizes waste, promoting sustainability through leasing and recycling loops.
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Ace & Tate
Ace & Tate, an eyewear brand, promotes sustainability and customer engagement through its “Ace & Tate Revive” initiative. This project invites customers to return their old eyewear frames, which are then upcycled or donated. By fostering a community-focused recycling effort, Ace & Tate builds consumer loyalty while reinforcing its commitment to the circular economy and sustainability.
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Birdsong London
Birdsong London, a women’s fashion brand, runs workshops and events that focus on ethical fashion and repair. Their initiative encourages consumers to engage in the sustainable lifecycle of their clothing by offering repair kits and workshops. By creating a space for repair, reuse, and recycling, Birdsong builds brand loyalty through active consumer participation in sustainable practices.
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RAEBURN
RAEBURN, a British fashion brand, focuses on transforming surplus and unwanted materials into high-quality garments through upcycling and redesign workshops. The brand actively involves its community in the circular process, promoting long-term consumer loyalty by highlighting the importance of sustainable fashion. Through various workshops and repair events, RAEBURN engages consumers in circular practices.
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Baukjen
Baukjen, a British women’s fashion brand, has introduced a “Circular Fashion” initiative where customers can send back old garments for recycling or resale. Baukjen’s loyalty loop is reinforced through incentives such as discounts on future purchases, creating a circular cycle where both sustainability and customer loyalty thrive.
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References

  • Fletcher, K. (2014). Sustainable Fashion and Textiles: Design Journeys. Routledge.
  • Cramer, J. M. (2020). The Functionality of Circular Business Models: A Review of Circular Business Model Experimentation and Implementation in the Fashion Industry. Journal of Cleaner Production, 258, 120-198.
  • Richards, H. (2021). The Power of Circular Economy: Creating Customer Engagement Through Circular Strategies. Sustainability, 13(5), 2021.
  • Laitala, K., & Klepp, I. G. (2015). Making Clothing Last: A Design Approach for Reducing the Environmental Impacts. International Journal of Design, 9(2), 93-107.
  • Tukker, A., & Jansen, B. (2006). Environmental Impacts of Products: A Detailed Review of Studies. Journal of Industrial Ecology, 10(3), 159-182.