Experts identify the most effective sustainability messages

First-of-its-kind research in the US involving several leading global brands has attempted to uncover which types of green claims are most motivating to customers.

PR giant Edelman worked with nine brands – including Mars, The North Face, Unilever and HP – to test different product claims with consumers.

Researchers worked with R&D, innovation, sustainability and marketing teams in each company to devise 30+ relevant sustainability messages for each brand, and then tested them on 2,700 people to gauge their overall appeal.

Top findings summarised

• The strongest performing claims related sustainability benefits to the impact on individual lives, families and experiences
• Consumers also reacted strongly to claims around animal health, sustainable and local sourcing, children, and future generations
• Consumers were notably less interested in the scientific reasons behind sustainability unless it was tied to a reason to care or related to the outcome of a specific action (for example, “reduced air pollution for cleaner air to breathe” will perform better than “reduced air pollution”)
• No matter the product category, consumers were more likely to purchase products that are made without “harmful ingredients” to human health and the environment
• With the exception of “100 per cent recycled packaging”, sustainable packaging claims did not resonate significantly with consumers in the absence of a reason to care (for example, “micro plastic-free packaging for human and ocean health” will perform better than “micro plastic-free packaging”)
• Claims around traceability and formal certifications also tended to be less impactful.

‘Sustainability is an amplifier’

The results show that the top performing claims had no obvious demographic differences and generated a largely unified reaction regardless of age or political persuasion.

“Every leader thinking twice about sustainability on the grounds of it being ‘divisive’ needs to know this: If you communicate sustainability the right way, it will appeal across political affiliation, income, gender, education levels, and age groups,” said Edelman CEO Richard Edelman. “Sustainability is an amplifier and if brands embrace it, we can exponentially increase growth and trust.”

Use as a rule of thumb

As the research was focused on the US, it is important to note that the top performing claims will not necessarily apply in all contexts. However, the findings can be used as a rule of thumb by businesses looking to improve the effectiveness of their sustainability messaging.

Businesses must always be wary of the risk of greenwashing when making sustainability claims. The UK Green Claims Code is a recommended go-to resource for preventing unintentional greenwashing in marketing and communications.

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