The curious case of sustainability
Planet Earth. Humans. Consumerism. Climate crisis. The link is abundantly clear, and It's code red for humanity and the Earth. According to global data, 75% of consumers are actively concerned about the urgency to act. As marketers haunted by our past of fueling consumerism, now is the time to act to achieve a seismic shift in climate consciousness and change by leveraging our superpowers - A deep understanding of consumer behavior and the art of storytelling. Let's go!
In this commentary, we delve into the heart of an often talked about paradox in the narratives of sustainability and how brands can responsibly navigate sustainability briefs through actionable insights.
The say-do gap
The 'say-do gap' – the paradox where a consumer's stated environmental concern doesn't translate into action – is a widely discussed phenomenon. We are well aware that people's intention to contribute towards sustainability remains high across demographics, but then why the glaring gap in its conversion to action? The narratives surrounding sustainability have made it complex and nebulous, making it disconnected from the realities of the average consumer and leaving people overwhelmed. Also, as per WARC's marketer's toolkit, 48% of consumers find it too expensive to do more to help reduce climate change, and 41% don't know where to begin. Another contributing factor would be the often overlooked but important "believe-true gap" – the gap between perception and reality, often arising from a lack of understanding. Classic Jigsaw!
'Never assume your problem is unique'- a common adage in strategic thinking could be our go-to. While these barriers are profound, navigating the aforementioned paradox is important. The following are some learnings from human psychology, behavioral science, and global best practices that brands could utilize.
Ease cognitive strain:
In this age of polycrisis, people are overwhelmed and burnt out. Imagine having to decipher riddled jargon like 'net zero,' '1.5 degrees', 'parts per million,' 'carbon neutrality,' and 87 more such, and this complexity fails to resonate with people's daily lived experiences, creating a disconnect between climate discourse and tangible action. Simplifying sustainability messaging is crucial for engagement, impact, and action. Remember when Apple introduced its iPod as ‘1000 songs in your pocket'? Perhaps rethinking sustainability vocabulary for your consumers could be a starting point or a game changer. Another way brands ease cognitive load is by reducing choice complexity for the consumer. Implementing a default opt-in approach is highly effective. Zomato, an Indian food delivery brand, exemplifies this by making 'no cutlery required' the automatic choice on their app for all orders, minimizing plastic waste.
Sustainability shouldn't feel like a sacrifice or trade-off:
Humans, by evolution, are selfish, and sustainability clearly needs a rebrand to appeal to this core human truth. It must be desired and wanted and should appeal to people's interests. IKEA's 'Sustainable everyday' nudges customers to adopt sustainable behaviors over buying new and act on small everyday sustainable actions without making it appear as a trade-off, charting toward their goal of 70 million actions in a year. Amidst rising eco-anxiety amongst young adults and genZ, leveraging this insight can help marketers democratize the adoption of sustainability. Brands can leverage GenZ’s activism and tap into the power of their personal pride. This sense of personal pride not only enables them to make autonomous decisions about personal expressions through purchase choices, but also instills a sense of pride in it, discussed further in the VICE guide to culture.
Choose your Battle, your audience, and build a community.
The reality of business is that you can't be everything to everyone, so the key to sustainability goals is choosing your fit. Brands such as US-based retail chain Wholefoods have built credibility by focusing on one core benefit - 'Every year we reduce 1 million pounds of plastic' and staying true to it, and connecting with its audience across all the touchpoints- Product, social, community, events. Being aware of how different consumer groups respond to sustainability is a valuable asset in choosing your audience, and Ipsos's sustainability segmentation is a handy tool for environmental segmentation. Getting people excited about climate change by banking on the segmentation's cultural truth and moments is easier. The trendy outdoor gear brand Patagonia has, over the years, evolved to target the beliefs and lifestyle choices of a particular category of consumers and has become a benchmark for fashion forward sustainable lifestyle.
Lastly, make sustainability a visual experience.
The human mind resonates with stories and processes visual imagery far better than it processes numbers. Therefore, tell a human story and make sustainability personal through it. The 'neural coupling' principle proves consumers engage more deeply with multi-sensory brand experiences they can actively perceive, visualize, and participate in. The Government of Tuvalu's Cannes winning campaign is a masterclass in using bold storytelling to initiate action in the sustainability agenda. Facing territorial submersion due to climate change and loss of sovereign rights as a nation, The tiny pacific nation of Tuvalu launched a radical plan at COP27 becoming the world’s first digital nation by migrating its services, culture and history to metaverse. Minister Kofe’s message for the urgency to act for survival was the visceral centerpiece of this radical initiative sparking global conversation, reaching 2.1 billion people and action on climate change agenda. The Italian-owned food brand Barilla leveraged this insight by introducing Passive cooking, a more sustainable form of cooking which reduces the CO2 emissions by up to 80 percent, to its category, using the visual hook of ‘how 2 minutes can make a difference to climate change’. The push for passive cooking was launched with a tech innovation of a passive cooker, a device that enabled its adoption by signaling the correct process and timing. Imagine the concept’s potential for the 400 million portions of pasta served every day!
The new world presents an opportunity for multiple futures to exist, and marketers could be valuable allies in advancing sustainability and action for the only planet we have via acting on the most important brief. Marketers need to get curious about sustainability, consult handy tools like The Greenwash -watch toolkit which identifies the complex greenwashing landscape through simple swatches, and thinking about sustainability should become a part of everyone's responsibility, not just the ESG/sustainability team.
"The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it." - Robert Swan.