This study underscores the importance of considering a medium's broader effects. Research demonstrates that a medium's perceived eco-harmful impact affects communication effectiveness because a medium itself can act as a constituent of the message. The current study, conducted in Sweden, explores managers' estimates of consumer eco-harmful perceptions of 10 paper- and electronic-based media. Managers tend to mis-estimate consumers' eco-harmful media perceptions; these estimates are driven by managers' eco-conscious attitudes. Further, advertising on more eco-harmful media is associated with irritating characteristics, while advertising on less eco-harmful media is associated with good and trustworthy characteristics. Managerial implications are given for communication effectiveness in contexts where environmental concerns are particularly relevant.

Converging media lends marketers greater media choice opportunities and also places new demands on the marketer’s strategic analysis. There are established media planning models that aid the marketer, but how shall the marketer reason when it comes to converging media? This chapter is about aiding buyers of media for marketing purposes who want to understand and include converging media in their media planning. We analyse existing theory on converging media and media planning, and propose aspects of importance when evaluating converging media. This results in a new model for categorizing and defining different types of converging advertising media.

Problem – With this study the authors wish to start the debate of moving away from the two existing extreme categories, fast and slow fashion, as described in the current literature. First, the authors argue that because of Swedish fashion companies are increasingly focusing and working with sustainability, a new category of fashion in terms of sustainability should be introduced to the existing literature on fast and slow fashion, namely transitional fashion. Second, the authors examine which communication strategies the Swedish fashion industry adopt in terms of communicating their corporate sustainability and which challenges different types of sustainable fashion companies are facing in terms of communication.

Design/methodology/approach – By way of interviews and secondary data analysis Swedish fashion companies are analyzed and categorized as slow, transitional or fast fashion companies. Categorization is based on extant literature whereby concept, product and production processes are analysed. Each category thus represents a specific type of sustainable fashion company. In addition, each category is analyzed in terms of its main focus when communicating its sustainability efforts and its major challenges.

Findings – The findings showed that the two existing categories, fast and slow fashion, are describing two extreme ways of working with sustainability, not providing room for many of the sustainability efforts that fashion companies are working with today. As a consequence, it can create difficulties for both the company and consumer to position a certain brand in terms of sustainability. The findings showed that this confusing positioning of corporate sustainability can create problems for a company’s marketing communication. It was found that fashion companies within all three categories - fast, transitional and slow fashion – experience more or less difficulties in communication of their corporate sustainability, especially in terms of informing consumers about sustainable production processes and product materials.

Originality/value – The paper contributes to the literature by introducing a new term, transitional fashion, which is necessary in today’s understanding and mapping of the fashion industry. The findings contribute by gaining an understanding of sustainability strategies adopted by the fashion industry of countries belonging to one of the most sustainable countries in the world, Sweden. The findings point out top Swedish fashion companies’ focus and challenges when communicating their sustainability efforts to the market. As such, the findings contribute to the literature of fashion marketing and management.