When customers are asked if they care about sustainability, the overwhelming response is: “Yes.” Even when the cost of living has many families tightening their budgets, consumers are willing to spend nearly 10% more on sustainable products.
Despite a proven market for green goods, companies may be unable to translate this demand into profit.
New data from Brand Finance helps to bridge this gap by revealing which sustainability topics are most important to UK consumers, why brand activity in this space matters, and what prevents customers from making sustainable choices. AI-assisted technology gathered consumer views, resulting in insights into the trade-offs people make when weighing the importance of sustainability against cost, convenience, quality, and trust.
Top-of-Mind Sustainability Issues
When asked about the sustainability issues most important to them (Figure 1), respondents focused on topics relevant to Food and Apparel. This is intuitive, given that these brands and products tend to be highly visibile to consumers. Respondents mentioned low-and no-waste packaging, locally made products, and organic items when discussing food, and when talking about apparel, they name-checked circularity, sustainable materials, and secondhand shopping.
Sustainable Brands
Naturally, customers perceive brands that promote iniatives related those those themes as committed to sustainability and aligned with their own values. Although Food and Apparel brands were mentioned in this context (Figure 2), customers also cited personal care and household product brands. Sustainability is central to Lush’s messaging and the company has a track record of activisim that is tied to the products they sell, including but not limited to animal rights, reduced packaging, and transparent product formulas. Household cleander brand Ecover also leverages messaging focused on clean product ingredients by touting associated health benefits, while Smol echos the call for less plastic waste and packaging. All three brands notably use the term ‘revolutionary’ to describe themselves and the role they champion towards mainstreaming lower-waste, health-conscious products and raising consumer awareness.
Research respondents also recognised food brands, most frequently citing plant-based offerings, certifications of their sustainability credentials, and/or being UK-based and local to the consumers. Brands mentioned that touch on one or more of these themes included Alpro, DuchyOrganic, Linda McCartney, Quorn, and Totally Wild Food.
Why Sustainability Matters
When prompted to think about sustainable brands, respondents were also asked the extent to which a brand’s sustainability commitment matters to them (Figure 3). There was widespread acknowledgement of the power brands have to lead in sustainable transformation and communicate their progress to customers. Respondents also expressed interest in ways to expand their sustainability awareness and knowledge as it relates to purchases and living habits, as well as a desire to see authentic and merited sustainability claims, rather than what they might describe as “greenwashing.”
Greenhushing is an emerging trend, defined as brands under-communicating on their sustainability achievements for fear of being accused of greenwashing. Based on the research, appetite for greater sustainability knowledge and awareness suggests that brands should remain committed to communicating confidently about their meaningful, impactful sustainability initiatives.
| Authenticity: I support brands who "are built on an ethos of sustainability as opposed to brands which are not but now make claims relating to sustainability. I think this makes it more believable.” “It matters they are taking a stand and wanting to educate and show that they are committed to their promise.” “It’s important but not the deciding factor. It just makes me trust a brand more knowing they’re being transparent about their efforts.” |
| Morality: “It matters to me quite a bit because I want to do the right thing.” “It is quite important as it means brands are taking responsibility.” “Climate change is happening now, and we need to look after the planet for future generations. It’s important that big companies lead the way and invest in new technologies and products to help protect the planet.” |
| Collective Action: “It is quite important because I believe we should all be doing our part to help.” “It matters a lot because I think brands have the most power to make a difference.” “It is very important for me that brands do their fair share of actually promoting sustainability because if they don't lead the way and do not demonstrate leadership in sustainability then they are not doing their part, which will also have an impact on the consumers.” |
Barriers to Sustainable Choices
Though the research indicates that UK consumers are lamindful of sustainability as it relates to product options and brand positioning, there are inevitable trade-offs that affect how strongly it translates into purchases.
Respondents indicated that time-sensitivity of a purchase and convenience crowd out their consideration of a product’s sustainability (Figure 4). The reverse is true, as well – when they’re not under time pressure to make a purchase, respondents indicated they’re more likely to consider sustainability in their research. However, there are factors that can outrank sustainability even when time pressure is not a factor, such as durability and price. Respondents also signified that loyalty to their brand of choice may prevent them from considering more sustainble brands for purchases.
Sustainable brands in impulse or high-speed purchase categories should aim to provide simple, compelling messages to consumers to drive sustainable choices, while brands in low-frequency purchase categories should be mindful of tying sustainability to other key purchase criteria.
| Cost: “I want what’s best for the planet. However, sometimes I have to choose unsustainable alternatives due to their lower price.” “Sustainable products have a hefty price tag, and I cannot afford to splurge on things.” “I think we all need to do our bit to reduce our environmental impact wherever possible. However, it is not always the cheapest or most convenient option to do this.” |
| Convenience: “No, because I was in a rush to buy something.” “I did consider it, but unfortunately don’t always have time to research every item during a shop.” “No, because I don’t know of any more sustainable versions - if I was more knowledgeable on other sustainable alternatives, I would consider it.” |
| Durability: “I considered how much use I would get out of it and how long it would last to make it sustainable.” “I also had to consider the price and how well the product works.” “As long as it provided a quality that was near as good if not better.” |
| Respondent Investigation: “I read the labels carefully and conducted background research on the company’s values.” “I thought about the materials and how they are sourced then the reputation of the company before deciding” “I always think about it a product is sustainable before I buy it by looking at what’s been made with it, that the materials in it are good for the environment … so that’s why I bought it.” |
While this new data provides a useful look at how UK customers consider sustainability when making purchases, one takeaway that remains consisent is that brand sustainability claims must be authentic. Once that is assured, when brands so have a sustainabilty story to tell, they should tell it confidently.