For the 2015 back-to-school season, Cotton Incorporated wanted to learn what parents’ priorities are when making back-to-school purchasing decisions for their children – and to see how cotton fits into the back-to-school picture. Cotton Incorporated used its Lifestyle Monitor Survey to help gain additional knowledge.
The mission of Cotton Incorporated is to increase the demand for and profitability of cotton, and the Cotton Incorporated Lifestyle Monitor helps fulfill this mission, by providing a range of marketing data and analyses to better inform decision makers on the global cotton supply chain. The Lifestyle Monitor data collection was designed to provide an accurate snapshot of the U.S. population by collecting monthly data from a balanced set of respondents.
Parents Are Pro-Cotton
The findings from the back-toschool survey revealed that parents were decidedly pro-cotton when it came to what their children were wearing. According to the data, 86 percent of parents prefer that their children wear cotton-rich clothing, and two in three parents say they are willing to pay a premium to keep their children’s clothing cotton-rich.
Why do parents choose cotton for their kids? The Lifestyle Monitor Survey shows that compared to childrenswear made from manmade fibers, parents find cotton childrenswear to be the most comfortable (68 percent), breathable (68 percent), durable (57 percent) and fashionable (46 percent). Parents are also looking to spend more money on their children’s apparel during this back-toschool season ($265), compared to previous years ($243 in 2014 and $231 in 2013).
Important Information
With such great, pro-cotton information being derived from the survey, Cotton Incorporated decided to release this information, using various methods to reach several different audiences. An article featuring the data was published on both SourcingJournalOnline.com and the Lifestyle Monitor website. A video presentation was created and shared with brands and retailers, and can also be viewed on the Cotton Facts YouTube Channel.
Since Cotton Incorporated’s social media presence is growing, the Public Relations department also chose to share the articles and information across its various social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. The Facebook posts alone reached 2,000 individuals and more than 80 people actively engaged (clicking, liking, sharing or commenting) with the material, while the Twitter posts garnered more than 650 impressions.
For more information about childrenswear and back-to-school apparel, please visit cottoninc.com or lifestylemonitor.com.
The Cotton Board, which administers Cotton Incorporated’s Research and Promotion Program, contributed information for this story.