{"id":29038,"date":"2024-07-18T09:32:15","date_gmt":"2024-07-18T08:32:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/?p=29038"},"modified":"2024-07-31T16:34:35","modified_gmt":"2024-07-31T15:34:35","slug":"from-purpose-to-purchase-how-sustainability-influences-uk-customer-decisions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/insights\/from-purpose-to-purchase-how-sustainability-influences-uk-customer-decisions","title":{"rendered":"From purpose to purchase: How sustainability influences UK customer decisions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When customers are asked if they care about sustainability, the overwhelming response is: \u201cYes.\u201d Even when the cost of living has many families tightening their budgets, consumers are willing to spend nearly 10% more on sustainable products<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite a proven market for green goods, companies may be unable to translate this demand into profit<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Top-of-Mind Sustainability Issues<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Figure 1: Which sustainability topics resonate the most with you?<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Sustainable Brands<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019s 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 \u2018revolutionary\u2019 to describe themselves and the role they champion towards mainstreaming lower-waste, health-conscious products and raising consumer awareness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Figure 2: Values-aligned and sustainability-committed brands according to respondents<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Why Sustainability Matters<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

When prompted to think about sustainable brands, respondents were also asked the extent to which a brand\u2019s 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 \u201cgreenwashing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authenticity<\/strong>:
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.\u201d
\u201cIt matters they are taking a stand and wanting to educate and show that they are committed to their promise.\u201d
\u201cIt\u2019s important but not the deciding factor. It just makes me trust a brand more knowing they\u2019re being transparent about their efforts.\u201d<\/td><\/tr>
Morality<\/strong>:
\u201cIt matters to me quite a bit because I want to do the right thing.\u201d
\u201cIt is quite important as it means brands are taking responsibility.\u201d
\u201cClimate change is happening now, and we need to look after the planet for future generations. It\u2019s important that big companies lead the way and invest in new technologies and products to help protect the planet.\u201d  <\/td><\/tr>
Collective Action<\/strong>:
\u201cIt is quite important because I believe we should all be doing our part to help.\u201d
\u201cIt matters a lot because I think brands have the most power to make a difference.\u201d
\u201cIt 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.\u201d  <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>
Figure 3: How much does it matter to you that a brand is committed to sustainability?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Barriers to Sustainable Choices<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Respondents indicated that time-sensitivity of a purchase and convenience crowd out their consideration of a product\u2019s sustainability (Figure 4). The reverse is true, as well \u2013 when they\u2019re not under time pressure to make a purchase, respondents indicated they\u2019re 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cost<\/strong>:
\u201cI want what\u2019s best for the planet. However, sometimes I have to choose unsustainable alternatives due to their lower price.\u201d
\u201cSustainable products have a hefty price tag, and I cannot afford to splurge on things.\u201d
\u201cI 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.\u201d  <\/td><\/tr>
Convenience:<\/strong>
\u201cNo, because I was in a rush to buy something.\u201d
\u201cI did consider it, but unfortunately don\u2019t always have time to research every item during a shop.\u201d
\u201cNo, because I don\u2019t know of any more sustainable versions - if I was more knowledgeable on other sustainable alternatives, I would consider it.\u201d  <\/td><\/tr>
Durability<\/strong>:
\u201cI considered how much use I would get out of it and how long it would last to make it sustainable.\u201d
\u201cI also had to consider the price and how well the product works.\u201d
\u201cAs long as it provided a quality that was near as good if not better.\u201d  <\/td><\/tr>
Respondent Investigation<\/strong>:
\u201cI read the labels carefully and conducted background research on the company\u2019s values.\u201d
\u201cI thought about the materials and how they are sourced then the reputation of the company before deciding\u201d
\u201cI always think about it a product is sustainable before I buy it by looking at what\u2019s been made with it, that the materials in it are good for the environment \u2026 so that\u2019s why I bought it.\u201d  <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>
Figure 4: Consideration of Sustainability vs Other Product Attributes<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

New data reveals UK consumers are willing to spend nearly 10% more on sustainable products despite rising living costs. However, brands often struggle to convert this demand into profit. AI-assisted research highlights key sustainability topics\u2014such as low-waste packaging and locally made goods\u2014most important to consumers, especially in the food and apparel sectors.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":421,"featured_media":29041,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[136,1],"tags":[11],"class_list":["post-29038","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry-analysis","category-insights","tag-featured"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29038","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/421"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29038"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29038\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29244,"href":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29038\/revisions\/29244"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29041"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29038"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29038"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29038"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}