Is your marketing telling the right story?
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In my 20 years working in sustainability and purpose, I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the downright bad of mission marketing. Even today, I still see some of the same noises that have been made for years – of marketers falling into the same traps, with no one to pull them off. No wonder many marketers tell me they feel uncomfortable talking to their customers about sustainability.
I’ve also seen what works, as brilliant creative minds continue to find new and better ways to get their message across.
Here are my top six fixes for your sustainability communications.
1. Make your consumer the hero (not you)
It’s number one for a reason: it’s the mistake I see most often and the most powerful solution you can provide.
When you tell your company’s sustainability story, you are not the hero – your consumer is. She is the protagonist, the Dorothy in Oz or the Luke Skywalker. And she is looking for a guide, her Good Witch of the West or her Obi Wan Kenobi. She wants your support, but she doesn’t get it. The vast majority of consumers (88%) say they want brands to help them live a more sustainable lifestyle; but 43% say brands do the opposite, making it Stronger so that they are environmentally friendly and ethical in their daily lives.
How can you help him feel good about his environmental footprint and not tell him about yours? When communicating about sustainability, it’s easy to forget the first rule of marketing: consumer first. Your job is to show your consumer how they are changing the world by choosing your product.
But when you do that, remember that you have to be…
2. Be (very very) honest
The Gen Z are the newest, and now bigger, consumer group – and the harsh truth is that they view you as dishonest. They think you are to hide the truth on how workers in your factory are treated (84%), on the environmental friendliness of your products (79%) and on the health of your products (75%). The same survey results show millennials to be a little less cynical, but the majority of this even more forgiving group see your claims as dishonest. Greenwashing has the opposite effect, making people question everything.
For Gen Z, trust is based on sincerity, not purpose. For them, true honesty is a matter of transparency. They want to be able to trace the products they buy, see details of a product’s carbon and water footprints and its animal welfare standards. Think RefScale Where Arla’s animal welfare app. Ultimately, Gen Z trusts themselves — and if you give them the information they need, they might trust you too.
3. Say sorry
If (when!) you make a sustainability mistake, apologize quickly, publicly, and unreservedly. Don’t plan on arguing to get out of it. When it comes to sustainability, pretending that activists, NGOs and young people are wrong (and you, a multinational, are right) will never be a good idea. And when you say sorry, explain how you’ll do better. Everlane and Airbnb demonstrated what a full and fair apology looks like when it comes to sustainability.
You’ll make mistakes, get it wrong, or miss your goals – but that’s never a reason not to try. Know that an apology is a sign of strength, not weakness.
4. Sell the benefits not the duty
In just four years since their launch, Nike’s Flyknit shoe has saved 3.5 million pounds of waste and diverted 182 million plastic bottles from landfills. But that’s not why Flyknit has made Nike more than $1 billion. These durable sneakers are high performance. They’re 2 oz lighter than traditional sneakers, helping pro athletes shave crucial seconds off their time. The benefits are clear, and they are not just about the environment.
Does your plant-based bottle keep the bubbles in your drink more fizzy? Is your sustainable fabric softer, lighter, more luxurious? Don’t just sell sustainability, sell benefits. And help your consumer communicate the environmental benefits to their friends. With the right tools, they have the power to do it better than you – just watch the #whomademyclothes countryside, or the bright yellow vegan slip-on strap from Doc Marten. Lean on the signal of virtue.
5. Become a “Serving Mark”
The pandemic has prompted brands to speak their minds, and the war in Ukraine has required brands to make tough decisions. It goes beyond the idea of a mark of purpose or a mark of love, to meet the needs of consumers and society.
It’s something Gen Z cares deeply about. Their demands for transparency, authenticity and honesty mean they want to work with and buy from brands that meet the needs of the world. Remember: your consumer is the hero and you serve them. How can you change your sustainability messaging so she can feel good about herself for choosing you, rather than applauding you?
6. Invent
Communication is key, but we can’t ignore your product. Almost everybody – 98% – believe brands have a responsibility to bring about positive change in the world. And across generations, most believe that a brand’s product is the best way to do that, rather than supporting causes or giving voice to issues.
It means you are called to invent. Your job is to reinvent your existing products and create new ones, so you can provide solutions to the world’s problems.
When it comes to marketing, changing course can be difficult. Making these fixes takes more than a wrench or glue. And most of them are not a DIY case. They often need everyone on your team, department, or even your organization to change their mindset and get involved.
But once they do, you’ll have the power to change your brand’s sustainability story and help your consumers change the world.