In the relentless pursuit of eco-conscious offerings, brands often overlook a fundamental truth: sustainability whispers where traditional features shout. While consumers yearn for a healthy planet, their purchasing decisions hinge more on a product's core functionality than its social impact. Imagine a chocolate bar marketed to bolster cocoa farmers' working conditions. It might tug at your heartstrings, but the real driver for purchase is the indulgent pleasure it promises. The same logic extends to electric cars – a solution for climate change, yes, but primarily a means of transportation.
This critical oversight has led to a market brimming with sustainable options that gather dust on shelves, particularly given their price premiums. Though boasting environmental or social messaging, these products account for a mere 17% of the US market, a stark contrast to the 48% of new consumer packaged goods sporting such labels. This disconnect plagues not just B2C, but B2B sectors as well.
This article dismantles the myth of a one-size-fits-all approach to sustainable marketing. Drawing on extensive research, we present a three-pronged framework for crafting messages that resonate with the diverse value sets of today's consumers. By understanding how they weigh traditional benefits against social and environmental considerations, businesses can develop winning product and service strategies.
Marketers often envision sustainability as an add-on layer, enhancing a product's existing value proposition. However, the reality is more nuanced. Sustainable features can interact with core attributes in three distinct ways:
Independence:
No impact on traditional benefits. Imagine a laundry detergent boasting natural ingredients that are kinder to the planet, but priced slightly higher. Its cleaning power and stain removal remain top-notch, offering the same performance (reasons to buy) with an added environmental benefit (reasons to care), albeit at a slight premium. Think of J&B whiskey's social advocacy campaign promoting diversity – it doesn't alter the whiskey's quality, but strengthens brand loyalty through shared values.
Dissonance:
Diminished traditional benefits. In this scenario, the natural ingredients in a detergent compromise its cleaning power, creating a trade-off. While perceived as eco-friendly, it delivers less for more. Interestingly, simply labeling a product "green" can trigger a "sustainability liability" perception, where consumers assume it's less effective. This perception, however, can change as consumers become more familiar with sustainable alternatives.
Resonance:
Enhanced traditional benefits. This is the holy grail of sustainable innovation. Imagine a detergent with natural ingredients that not only clean effectively but are also gentler on fabrics. Here, reasons to buy and reasons to care are amplified simultaneously. Revier Cattle Company exemplifies this concept with its Total Livestock Care program, resulting in both superior-tasting meat and an enviable sustainability scorecard.
The way these sustainability features interact with traditional attributes significantly influences a product's appeal to different consumer segments:
Greens (True Believers): Prioritize sustainability, actively seeking it in purchases and potentially sacrificing performance or price.
Blues (Agnostics): Value sustainability moderately, preferring it when it doesn't require significant compromises on cost or performance.
Grays (Disbelievers): Don't prioritize sustainability and may even view it with skepticism.
A one-size-fits-all marketing approach risks alienating specific customer groups. Here's how to tailor your message to each segment:
The Independence Playbook:
Focus on highlighting the sustainable attributes without compromising traditional benefits. Emphasize third-party audits and scientific data for green and blue customers, while avoiding sustainability language with price-sensitive grays. Georg Fischer (GF), a B2B client, exemplifies this approach. Their sustainable PVC pipes, fittings, and valves boast eco-friendly credentials without sacrificing performance, making them a compelling option for green and blue customers in the construction industry.
The Dissonance Playbook:
Dissonant products require a strategic message. Consider Oatly, a plant-based milk brand. Initially struggling with taste perceptions, they shifted their image to a lifestyle brand for the "post-milk generation," emphasizing sustainability and trendy aspects to attract a broader audience. Another strategy involves highlighting non-environmental benefits, like Toyota's Prius. While offering environmental advantages, it also signaled social consciousness through its unique design. Additionally, clever non-market strategies, like allowing hybrid vehicles in high-occupancy lanes, can broaden the appeal to blue customers.
The Resonance Playbook:
These products hold the greatest potential for market dominance. GEA, a B2B manufacturer, exemplifies this with their AddCool solution for milk-powder production. AddCool slashes carbon emissions and operating costs while preserving product quality, resonating with both green and blue customers. GEA fine-tuned their messaging in less sustainability-focused markets, emphasizing economic advantages like reduced energy use. Similarly, Reckitt reformulated Finish dishwasher detergent to eliminate pre-rinsing, saving water and boosting cleaning power – a win for sustainability and consumer convenience. This innovation resonated with a wider audience, propelling a 27% market share increase in Turkey.
While marketing is crucial, true success hinges on groundbreaking innovation. The most sustainable products aren't born from clever taglines, but from research labs crafting solutions that deliver unparalleled performance in tandem with environmental and social responsibility. By understanding how consumers value these various aspects, and by prioritizing innovation that delivers on all fronts, businesses can unlock the true potential of sustainable offerings, paving the way for a future where environmental responsibility and market success go hand in hand.
