October 18, 2024

Welcome to the October 18, 2024 issue of Cotton News, a service provided by Plains Cotton Growers Inc. for the cotton industry in the Texas High Plains and beyond.

Why It’s Important to Familiarize Young People with Cotton Clothing

Ted Cruz’s Message to Farmers and Ranchers

In Case You Missed It

Why It’s Important to Familiarize Young People with Cotton Clothing

By Kara Bishop

My grandmother used to make me “coffee” starting at two years old. She’d give me my own little cup and saucer with a tiny bit of coffee and a whole lot of milk. Coffee was a staple in my family’s household. Coffee reminds me of early mornings in Colorado during the summer when I would go to my grandparent’s camper in my pajamas to watch the sunrise. It’s what we drank on Sunday afternoons watching football.

Fast forward years later, and it’s a daily ritual in my home. I drink it regardless of whether I need it. Because it’s familiar. Because it’s nostalgic. Because, as weird as it sounds, it’s part of my identity.

I contribute financially to the coffee industry in large part because of what’s known as the “Mere Exposure Effect.”

The Mere Exposure Effect describes our tendency to develop preferences for things simply because we are familiar with them. And it can be effectively used to ensure that individuals purchase cotton clothing throughout their lifespan. When you dress a child in denim from infancy to teenager, chances are, they’re going to continue to purchase jeans for life.

Therefore, it makes sense to market and promote cotton to younger generations. That’s why Cotton Incorporated has partnered with Aéropostale — a retail chain that outfits high school students.

For the month of October, all 498 U.S. Aéropostale stores will feature cotton front and center. The front window display will model cotton styles with the messaging, “Keep It Real. Choose Comfort. Wear Cotton.”

Window display of the Aéropostale store in the Galleria Dallas Mall.

With this partnership, cotton clothing is in the front of the store pushing synthetic fiber apparel to the back — an effective marketing strategy. The retail store also has a cotton shop on their website to easily order cotton styles online.

This campaign is modeled after “The Fabric of Now,” but tweaked to resonate with a younger audience. The signage in the stores read “Real. Comfortable. Cotton. Because you’ll always remember how your outfit made you feel.” Feelings are very important in purchasing decisions. Much like coffee makes me think of precious memories I have with my family, we want these young people to associate their cotton outfits with an experience that’s significant to them.

The first display you see when you walk into any Aéropostale store in October.

I was impressed with the cotton content I saw in Aéropostale — even clothing with synthetic fiber was blended with cotton fabric for the most part. And it’s affordable, which will always make purchasing decisions for this demographic easier.

If you’re looking for cotton options for your children, this is a slam dunk. Visit the Aéropostale cotton shop here.