Bazaarvoice’s Influenster community has revealed that consumers desire eco-transparency from brands now more than ever.
Consumers are really keen on bettering themselves as sustainable shoppers in a bid to bring oceans back from the brink. This means that a lot of pressure is being put on brands to be more open with the efforts they make in offering sustainable initiatives.
Over three quarters (78%) of consumers feel it’s important to use brands or products that are described as ‘green’, ‘eco-friendly’ or sustainable, however, whether consumers will trust these efforts is another story with 1 in 3 consumers believing brands are not completely transparent with their practices when using terms such as ‘eco-friendly’, ‘sustainable’ or ‘green’ (30%) in their marketing and packaging. A quarter (24%) believe brands just use such terms to sell products.
Authentic sustainability efforts
As a brand, you might be under the impression that consumers opt for quick, efficient information but is that changing? According to the data, consumers want to hear more from brands on their sustainability efforts, as long as it’s authentic.
Social media is your friend
Almost two-thirds of consumers (60%) will actively search on brand websites, blogs and social media to understand what a company is doing to be more eco-friendly, sustainable or to discover what their ‘green’ initiatives are. In fact, Instagram (48%) and influencers (48%) are now the second most popular source for consumers looking to educate themselves about sustainable practices, just behind search engines (50%).
So right now, consumers favor eco-transparency from brands, wanting to hear about the efforts they are making to keep the earth and its oceans healthy. If your brand provides sustainable options, it’s never been a better time to provide your consumers with a heart-to-heart on the good you do for the planet.
“Every year we see consumers become more aware of their ecological footprint, and sustainability is undeniably now a necessity for today’s shopper. Consumers are already actively changing their lifestyles to be more sustainable, and it’s clear they want to trust that brands and retailers are following suit. Uncertainty remains around how the actions of some retail corporations impact the planet, so the key for brands to garner trust and respect is to be open, transparent, and communicative about the ways they prioritise sustainability.”
– Ed Hill, SVP EMEA, Bazaarvoice
