Lucy - BQ Magazine EditorAccording to the latest studies, over 80% of people are willing to pay more for sustainable products. Furthermore, 84% of customers now feel unsustainable practices alienate them from brands. In other words, environmental damage is not good for business.
Unsurprisingly, then, the vast majority of brands are seeking more sustainable solutions, and they’re making sure their marketing reflects this drive. From crisp, green images to posts stating sustainability stats, the more consumers know about your eco-conscious focuses the better.
But there’s also potential for major downfalls when you’re focusing your marketing around such a volatile subject. Brands in recent years have especially found themselves falling foul of greenwashing, which involves making intentionally or accidentally misleading claims about sustainability focuses. This mistake alone could cost a great deal of your customer base.
Kickstart your sustainable marketing with these tips and dodge the pitfalls of greenwashing!
Tip 1: Speak in Specifics
The more vague your marketing language surrounding brand sustainability, the more scope you leave for misleading your audience. For instance, if you simply claim that you’re switching to more sustainable practices when speaking about, say, a specific product line alone, there’s a risk consumers might think you’re improving processes more broadly. And, this is where you risk getting caught up in greenwashing.
Instead, you should only ever refer to specific sustainability efforts across your marketing drives. Don’t just say you’re ‘making improvements’, but instead, reference actual changes to your suppliers or the use of more sustainable products in particular items. This ensures your consumers are always on the right page.
Tip 2: Be Transparent
These two points might sound largely the same, but specific language and transparency, while ultimately serving the same purpose, are two different things. And they’re both equally important for your sustainability marketing.
As well as using specific language about improvements, it’s vital you’re transparent about things like any relevant plans for improvements in the future, or even where you’re sourcing sustainable materials like bamboo or certified organic cotton. You should also state clear facts about how these changes can help from a sustainability standpoint. This way, you can ensure that every sustainability effort is out in the open, and easily available for everyone to see without confusion.
Tip 3: Practice Whole-Cycle Due Diligence
Experts believe that roughly 70% of a company’s carbon emissions are created within their supply chain. Because of this, even your best in-house sustainability efforts aren’t necessarily enough to justify claims like ‘zero emissions’. Even if you place sustainability at the centre of your operations, the discovery of just one unsustainable supplier could notably damage your reputation.
By comparison, taking the time to ensure that every supplier in your chain is taking steps towards sustainability allows you to make far more definitive and assured claims. This can really boost your business, as well as ensure that your sustainability stance doesn’t crumble under the slightest scrutiny.
Green marketing is undeniably good for business, but greenwashing most definitely isn’t. Avoid this fatal mistake by keeping these pointers in mind.
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