Back in March I wrote about Greenwashing and how it can affect your brand, and now you have taken that onboard! I wanted to revisit this and explore how brands can shout about their green policies and accreditations (remember accreditations were one of the ways to avoid greenwashing).
You are probably aware of the term greenwashing by now. Sustainability has been right at the forefront for brands for the last few years, quite rightly, and it continues to have a light shone on it.
Many brands have continued to strive towards being more sustainable, from top to bottom, as the awareness of the consequences become ever clearer.
In this article you will find a number of ways to show just how sustainable you are, or plan on being.
Know your audience and tailor messaging to them
This might sound simple and of course every business should know their target market, however wide ranging that might be. Think about your target market and their attitudes to sustainability. In the previous article I highlighted the difference between Baby Boomers and Gen Z, and their thoughts on product cost vs. value and principle.
72% of Gen Z’ers said they made purchasing decisions based upon value and principles. So, if they are your target market, is your advertising to this demographic shouting about how sustainable you are? Or what changes you are making as a business? It could secure you some additional sales.
Show what you have done to change or improve your sustainability
Do you have a sustainability page? This is a great place to house those USPs, what you are doing to be more sustainable, your progress on that journey so far and any latest news or company insights.
You will be hard pressed to find a major corporation without a sustainability page nowadays. Google, Amazon, Nike, Apple etc.
Showing your brands pledges and human side is a great way to engage with your audience, having an effective sustainability page can answer all your customers questions on sustainability in one place. This is also a great place to house your accreditations.
If you don’t have a sustainability page, or even a sustainability strategy currently, there are some great tools and reports to help set strategy such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Compass. The guide presents five steps for companies to maximize their contribution to their SDGs.
It’s never too late to start – Get communicating
We are all in the same boat, all heading in the same direction, but that doesn’t mean we are all going at the same pace. If you have started to shout about your sustainable credentials, fantastic. If you haven’t, well there is never a bad time to start. Above are just a few ways to shout from the rooftops about it, but only shout about it if it is true and you are making a conscious effort to be greener. Use all the platforms available to you to promote what you are doing, use your social feeds, highlight it on your website, you could even create a sustainability report/blog.
Examples of brands communicating their sustainability:
1. LUSH – Ever since they began LUSH have pushed for sustainability, over half of the products LUSH offer can be provided with zero packaging, while their pots can be recycled in store.
2. The North Face – The North Face aim to provide 100% responsibly sourced fabrics by 2025. As well as eliminating single use plastics by 2025.
3. TOMS – TOMS are constantly looking to be more sustainable, with their planet page, they highlight exactly, what they have done up until now, there is a PDF report you can download. They also state they are not where they want to be just yet, but they are on a that Journey.
All three of the above are not finished articles, but these brands are documenting and highlighting their journey to be more sustainable.
You want more information on greenwashing you say? Well, our Marketing & Events Manager Claire Ralston wrote specifically about Greenwashing in the travel industry in 2022
Summary:
As mentioned in the previous article, it’s all of our responsibilities to protect our planet, but as a business, it is your responsibility to tell the world how you are or planning to do that.
So, remember to gain accreditations. Be specific & honest in your claims and back every claim up with data. Look internally and map out your approach. Highlight where you are today, where you want to be tomorrow and beyond, sharing what you have done every step of the way.
