For my Marketing Research course, I conducted an in-depth consumer perception study focused on Patagonia and the evolving role of sustainability within the apparel industry. Working as part of a research team, I helped design and distribute a survey to over 150 consumers in order to evaluate how sustainability messaging, transparency, greenwashing skepticism, and brand differentiation influence consumer trust and purchase intention.

My role included survey development, data collection, coding and organizing research data in RStudio, conducting both univariate and multivariate statistical analyses, interpreting results, and translating findings into strategic business recommendations. I performed hypothesis testing, regression analyses, and consumer behavior analysis to identify patterns within the data and evaluate how consumers currently perceive Patagonia’s sustainability positioning in an increasingly competitive market.

In addition to the analytical side of the project, I contributed to the presentation design, storytelling, and strategic recommendations developed from our findings. Our final research concluded that while Patagonia continues to maintain strong sustainability credibility, sustainability alone is no longer enough to fully differentiate a brand as consumers increasingly view it as an expected industry standard. We recommended that Patagonia shift from broad sustainability messaging toward measurable proof, transparency, and product-level impact communication in order to maintain differentiation and consumer trust.

This project is included in my portfolio because it reflects my ability to combine consumer psychology, research methodology, statistical analysis, and strategic marketing insight to solve real-world branding challenges through data-driven decision making.

Included are slides from my presentation, some of the survey questions, and a preview of my Rscript.