“Social Listening” Blog Post

Social Listening Blog Post: SHEIN

by Kenyon Wolfe

I chose SHEIN for this social listening assignment because it has been all over social media lately, especially TikTok. I’ve seen a lot of people arguing about the brand, some saying they love it and others saying it’s really bad for the environment and workers. Since SHEIN is a popular clothing brand and a competitor to stores like FahionNova, Ross, TJ Maxx and those sort of affordable, thrifty type of brands, I thought it would be interesting to see what people are actually saying about it online.

SHEIN is an online fast fashion company that sells really cheap clothes, accessories, and shoes. The main reason people shop there is because the prices are low and they have a lot of trendy items. They post new styles almost everyday, which makes people want to keep coming back to see what’s new. Their value is basically fast, cheap, and always changing fashion.

What People Are Saying on Social Media

After looking through comments on TikTok, Instagram, and X, I noticed three main things people talk about when it comes to SHEIN.

The first thing is labor and worker treatment, which is mostly negative. A lot of people comment under SHEIN haul videos saying stuff like “those clothes are cheap for a reason” or “they don’t pay their workers right.” Some TikTok videos explain reports about bad working conditions, and the comments usually agree with that. This makes SHEIN look really bad and untrustworthy to people who care about ethics.

The second issue people talk about is the environment. Many users say SHEIN is bad for the planet because it makes too many clothes that end up getting thrown away. People call it “overconsumption” and say haul culture is toxic. Even though the clothes are cheap, people feel guilty buying them because of how much waste it causes.

The third thing people talk about is price, which is actually positive. A lot of users defend SHEIN by saying not everyone can afford expensive or sustainable clothing. Some comments say things like “it’s all some people can afford” or “broke people deserve clothes too.” This shows that people are really divided on how they feel about the brand.

SHEIN’s Marketing and Social Media Use

SHEIN uses social media a lot, especially TikTok influencers and haul videos. They send clothes to creators and use discount codes to get people to buy more. This works really well for engagement and views, but it also causes more criticism because it pushes people to buy too much. The marketing challenge SHEIN has is growing their brand while also dealing with all the backlash.

How SHEIN Responds

From what I saw, SHEIN doesn’t really reply to negative comments. Sometimes they post general statements about improving sustainability, but they don’t respond directly to customers concerns. This makes it seem like they are ignoring the problem instead of actually fixing it.

If I Were the Brand Manager

If I was the brand manager for SHEIN, I would try to be more honest and open on social media. I would show proof of how they are trying to fix labor and environmental problems instead of just posting haul videos. I would also respond to some comments so customers feel heard. Besides social media, they should actually change how they produce clothes, not just talk about it.

Conclusion 

From this assignment, I learned that social media can really affect how people see a brand. SHEIN shows that even if a company is super popular, people will still call them out if they think something is wrong. Social listening is important because it helps brands understand what customers really think, not just what the company wants them to think.