The word sustainability has weaved itself into almost every industry. Consumers are aware and concerned about environmental, social and economic issues and seek out products & companies that align with their values.
According to statistics (Zinklar)
- 76% of consumers want more transparency when brands and companies communicate their sustainability practices
- 72% of consumers showed a willingness to change their buying habits for sustainable products
- 55% of committed British consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable products
Businesses simply cannot ignore changing consumer habits – they need to alter how they build their brands and look at what’s beyond the profit. Sustainability is here to stay and is increasingly becoming the expected norm.
Not only consumers but journalists and editors also demand honesty and transparency from brands that have sustainability claims.
Karen Edwards
Sustainability Editor
Wanderlust
“Make sure you back up your claims with reports and audits.”
What is a sustainable brand image
Brand image is how people and customers see, feel and experience your brand. So, if a brand creates awareness about its sustainability efforts and actively maintains said efforts, consumers will perceive it as such when they interact with the brand. Bear in mind this won’t happen overnight; as with everything, it takes time and consistency.
Chris Haslam
Chief Travel Writer
The Sunday Times
Q: How does this work? Businesses can be sustainable in so many ways; where on earth do you start?
A: Be open, honest and promote a long-term holistic approach to sustainability
The basics to a sustainable brand
To cut a long story short, here are a few things to consider before positioning your brand as sustainable.
- Start by building a solid foundation: put sustainability right in the core of your brand, think about your supply chain, environmental footprint, social responsibility and ethics.
- What are your strengths, and where improvements are needed? Sustainability is about longevity, so engraving it into your business model is essential.
- Understand your impact, whether it is your environmental footprint or how you help create healthy communities. You need to measure what you have done. This will underline the proof of your sustainability.
- The bottom line – Transparency. What your company says about itself must match what it is doing. Don’t just label your company as sustainable to boost brand value. Consumers and the media want transparency and will quickly spot greenwashing.
Lisa Grainger
Deputy Editor & Travel Editor
LUXX (The Times)
“If your client wants to pretend they are green and we find out they are not, we will write about it.”
