Being sustainable is a good thing to do on its own, but the marketing benefits are diminished if your brand can’t effectively communicate the message. Here are five effective ways for your brand to let consumers know about your corporate commitment to sustainability.
- Be inspiring. Climate change and other environmental issues seem overwhelming to a lot of consumers. You can inspire a meaningful change by sharing what you’re doing to make a difference. Elemental Green did an amazing job of sharing 10 eco-friendly building materials revolutionizing home construction.
- Talk about challenges. There are a lot of sustainability brands out there that try to make going green look easy, but there’s more to be gained by making it look difficult. Be honest with consumers about the risks and challenges you’re facing on your sustainability journey; you’re more likely to earn their respect.
- Get certified. There are a myriad of eco-friendly labels that can go on your website or on your products. Third-party approval like this is the fastest and easiest way to tell consumers that you’re up to snuff—and it lets them know that you’re not all talk!
- Communicate benefits. Words like “sustainability” and “eco-friendly” are quickly becoming buzzwords that go in one of a consumer’s ears and out the other. Instead of just using flowery language, let people know the actual, tangible benefits of being sustainable. For instance: when the brand Hummingbag started printing “I used to be a plastic bottle” on their bags, they gained an aware, eco-friendly image.
- Be transparent. The thousands of brands and millions of products on the market have made consumers cynical. Instead of just telling them about your initiatives, release data and carefully document how your company is making the world a better place. Saying is one thing, and proving is another.
