SUSTAINABILITY SUSTAINED: WHY YOUR BRAND NEEDS A MEASURABLE PURPOSE.
Is sustainability really as important as everyone says it is? And how can your brand survive in a sustainably minded marketplace?
For a long time, sustainability credentials were nice for brands to have – something that set them apart from legacy competitors – not something necessary for their very survival.
But as we collectively grapple with the survival of our planet, sustainable practices and environmental responsibility have become a mainstream consumer expectation.
In fact, more than 60% of consumers view sustainability as an important consideration when engaging with brands1, and just as many consider the long-term effects of climate change as serious as the COVID-19 pandemic2. And it makes sense: in recent years, Australian consumers have endured record-breaking weather events in rapid succession, from debilitating drought and devastating bushfires to flash floods and natural disasters.
What would be surprising is if they weren’t thinking about the impact their consumption has on the planet.
The manufacture, packaging and disposal of plastic products and packaging, in particular, has been under increasing scrutiny, causing businesses of all sizes to rethink their use of single-use plastics and integrate recycled materials into every part of their packaging and sales process. Among them are the likes of Coca-Cola and Tip Top Bakeries.
You don’t have to be running one of the world’s biggest manufacturers to know meaningful action on sustainability is necessary to survive, but you can learn valuable lessons from their green evolutions. Perhaps the most important is understanding that it’s no longer enough to slap partially recycled packaging on your product and call it a day: a brand’s commitment to sustainability should be part of its very DNA, informing everything from its supply chain and manufacturing decisions to waste management and its corporate operations.
At DEC PR, our role is to help brands determine their purpose and communicate their goals to stakeholders, from consumers, partners, and industry peers, to government, regulators, investors, and employees. And sustainability forms an increasingly important part of that message.
We work with Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) specialists to uncover a brand’s purpose, and on the premise that there is strength and impact in numbers, we align our clients with organisations or movements with shared values and that provide mutual benefit and maximum impact to key causes over the long term, whether social or environmental.
For six years we’ve been helping agri-bank Rabobank build engagement with a highly effective food waste-focused campaign, partnering with a range of stakeholders to shine a light on the impact of food waste on our planet, drive a shift in consumer behaviours and increase appreciation for Australian farmers. And we developed the local strategy and execution of Coca-Cola’s World Without Waste campaign, launching with a high-impact announcement about the beloved brand’s commitment to 100% recycled content across its local portfolio.
Our most consequential campaign in the sustainability space to date has been #FinishWaterWaste for Finish Dishwasher Tablets.
The integrated #FinishWaterWaste communications campaign aims to increase awareness of drought among Australians who might not be faced with its reality daily and empower them to take action to reduce wastage of our most precious resource, while delivering millions of litres of vital water to drought-stricken farmers via a partnership with RuralAid. Ongoing since 2019, the campaign has well and truly set the tone for DEC PR’s work in the sustainability space.
The impact and efficacy of a campaign like #FinishWaterWaste is highly coveted among our clients, and with good reason. Working together, we can help your brand uncover, hone and act upon its sustainability goals in this green revolution.
References
1 World Economic Forum, 2021. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/05/eco-wakening-consumers-driving-sustainability/
2 Edelman Trust Barometer, 2021. https://www.edelman.com/trust/2021-trust-barometer
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