No matter how good your intentions or how worthy your cause it takes a savvy marketer to break into and succeed in today’s sustainability sector. Here we share our four golden rules for doing sustainable well.
If you’re in the business of creating positive social and environmental outcomes while still making money, the good news is conscientious consumers are on the rise. The not so good news is that more and more organisations are vying for the same hearts and minds, including mainstream brands with generous marketing budgets at their disposal.
In this landscape it takes real marketing smarts to stand out from the crowd. Fortunately, whether you’re a social enterprise with a mission to end global poverty or a small business looking to spruik a new eco-friendly product, there are a number of effective strategies you can pursue. Here are our top four tips on how to ‘sell’ sustainable.
1. Get to know your customer
To attract and engage your core consumer you need to clearly communicate the personal benefit of your product or service as well as what’s in it for the earth.
According to Nick Bez, research director at Mobium – a company that tracks trends in Australia’s sustainability market – history is awash with defunct products where the company focused on everyone instead of on delivering performance for the individual.
Take the time to understand your target’s needs and their values so both your product and your mission resonate – this way you’ll have a far greater chance of winning their support and getting them to advocate for your brand.
2. Make sustainability part of your DNA
Mobium’s research shows that the organisations Australians perceive to be the most ethical or sustainable, such as The Body Shop and Planet Ark, have all demonstrated a commitment to embedding responsibility or sustainability in their brand. ‘Greenwashing’ – marketing your organisation as environmentally friendly when it isn’t – or the occasional CSR campaign just won’t cut it.
This explains why B Corp certification – the equivalent of Fairtrade for business created by non-profit B Lab – is only awarded to organisations that transcend financial metrics and take all stakeholders into account. “B Corp certification becomes the mark of a company considering all elements of its supply chain,” says B Lab Australia and New Zealand executive director Alicia Darvall.
In other words, authenticity is key, so it’s well worth considering your customer’s expectations around everything from ethical production processes to workplace equality before attempting to get your new ‘eco’ product or service off the ground.
3. Get your customers in on the action
Inviting your customers to participate in your mission is a great way to make them feel more invested in your business or brand. On this score Australian social enterprise Thankyou, which aims to tackle global poverty through the sale of its consumer products, provides the perfect case study.
In a bid to get its products into Woolworths and Coles back in 2013, the company put a call out to its customers to lobby the retailers via social media with posts and videos saying that if they stocked them, they’d buy them. After the campaign went viral the supermarket giants had little option but to say ‘yes’ and by 2016 Thankyou had raised $3.7 million for the global programs it supports.
Since then, customers have been invited to join other campaigns by volunteering their time or tuning in to a live feed on the Thankyou website.
4. Tell your story
While it’s critical not to overstate how sustainable you are, communicating your goals and successes in an engaging way will help to keep your audience on side. Reportedly the only Fairtrade and B Corp certified company in Australia, Eat Me Chutney shows just how simply this can be done.
The family business uses produce destined for landfill to create its wares and a quick trip to its website provides a clear picture of the impact its creating, from the 2.1 tons of produce rescued and the 6.05 tons of C02 emissions averted, to its ethical hiring practices. A short video also provides the opportunity to get to know ‘mum’ and ‘annoying son’ and invites viewers to join them on their journey to ‘smash food waste’. Combining hard facts and a hefty dose of humour, both forms of content work to lend this brand an endearing personality all of its own – so much so, you’d be hard pressed not to give it your support.
Take inspiration from these and other market innovators as you start to carve your own niche. But above all else, keep it real. It’s only by being honest and upfront in all your communications and bringing your customers along on the journey that you can earn their trust, and ultimately boost your impact.
This article was first published on the Optus Yes Business hub in March, 2018.
