Sustainable shopping has become more important to consumers in the last 19 months. In fact, 82% say sustainability is more important now than it was before COVID-19. Environmental Psychology Professor Lorraine Whitmarsh, Director of the Center for Climate Change and Social Transformations, says this shows that the environment is a critical concern for everyone today.
During the 2008 global financial crisis, “we saw concern about climate change diminish massively,” said Whitmarsh. “What we are seeing now is that it is really integrated.” Concern about environmental degradation and climate change, which already reached an all-time high in 2019, actually increased in the past year, Whitmarsh said.
As brands work to fulfill their role, they look for ways to understand how people value sustainability. We are currently identifying different trends, revealing opportunities, for brands to help customers achieve their green living goals. Let’s see some.
Tell positive sustainability stories. Amid new challenges, people are focusing less on radical transformation and more on simple everyday actions, which they can take to live sustainably. They are looking for ways to update their daily routines.
These everyday actions make sustainability feel more manageable and easier to achieve, which, in turn, boosts morale and imparts positive feelings. Behavioral science teaches us that when we feel positive about our actions, we are more motivated to keep acting.
“The evidence suggests that the most positive messages are much more effective than anything that can induce guilt,” said Whitmarsh. “The more positive messages can be focused on what matters to the public, the better, and that’s not necessarily climate change.” Other more immediate “co-benefits” of climate action, such as family health, convenience and affordability, “are the things the messages are probably best to focus on”.
For brands, this means that it is important to show consumers how they can solve everyday problems with sustainability and how their most important goals can be broken down into smaller steps. On the topic of innovation, focus on the solutions your brand is building and what the future might look like. Make sure to emphasize the significant changes your brand has made and take action in an authentic, transparent and measurable way.
Make the environment feel effortless. When it comes to green shopping, consumers don’t want to trade quality, convenience, or affordability for sustainability. Customers expect greener options to be offered, but not at the expense of other product benefits. Capturing attention and gaining consideration means showing how sustainability addresses the most pressing personal needs, in people’s minds when they buy.
To do that, brands should think about integrating sustainability into the existing value proposition, rather than positioning it as an additional feature. Try to list the benefits of sustainability, along with other benefits of the product or service, so that they become a cohesive part of the brand experience.
Source:
https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com