6.4 Assignment — Cultural Norm Audit

Choose the track for your profile, then complete the version that matches it.

Apply the question "What does this communication make seem normal, valuable or desirable?" to real fashion communication.

For each piece of communication you audit, answer four questions:

• What behaviour does it make normal?
• What does it make desirable?
• What does it leave invisible?
• Which alternative norm could it support instead?

VET (EQF 4)

• Task: Choose one fashion campaign, social media post or in-store communication. Answer the four audit questions.
• Output: A completed four-question table, with a 2–3 sentence summary of what norm the communication reinforces.

HEI (EQF 5)

• Task: Choose two pieces of communication from different brands in the same product category, for example one promoting a new-season collection and one promoting resale or repair. Audit both using the four questions, then suggest one change to each that would support a more circular norm while meeting the credibility principles from Chapters 1 and 2.
• Output: A comparative audit table and a short written analysis (around 800 words).

Professionals — SME (EQF 6)

• Task: Audit one organisation's communication across three touchpoints, for example a campaign, its website or retail communication, and its sustainability report or internal communication. Identify the norm each reinforces and any inconsistencies between them. Then propose a 12-month communication plan to support one alternative norm, drawing on tools from earlier chapters: the credibility principles (Chapter 1), the Claim Checker (Chapter 2), the Stakeholder Information and Communication Matrix (Chapter 3), participation design (Chapter 4) and the Circular Campaign Brief (Chapter 5).
• Output: An audit table covering the three touchpoints, and a communication plan that sets out how progress will be reported using the Direction → Evidence of progress → Unresolved gaps → Next action framework.