Brands delivering durability will win loyalty of sustainable lifestyle consumers
Sustainability isn’t a new topic but it is one that continues to drive shifts in attitudes and behaviours, as people want to play their part in saving the planet. We’ve heard consumers talk time and time again about brands enabling and empowering them to do this through reduced plastic, recyclable materials, and sustainable products.
At Catalyx, we have seen increased demand from businesses for insights that consider how to approach sustainability with their brand, products or services.
Clients have deep dived into understanding sustainability in different sectors across the global market, what consumers demand and how they can meet consumer expectation.
We’ve helped clients validate and optimise innovation concepts with sustainable materials that empower the consumer to be more eco-friendly. We’ve helped brands maximise on pack and instore communication about sustainable features. Brands have been playing their part to help their customers feel like they are doing their bit to positively impact the environment.
Brands now need to consider how they contribute to the longer lifecycle of products as consumers reject the ‘fast’ nature of consumables.*
We’ve more recently witnessed a shift in the desire for durable products as people want to keep materials out of landfill or reduce their carbon footprint. It’s more important than ever to make sustainability feel like it’s at the heart of a brand’s product innovation, rather than just an addition to, or with a sole focus on packaging. There is an opportunity for brands to shape the future of sustainability by putting the focus on product durability.
The travel equipment industry has some leading examples of durable products with lifetime guarantees. For example, Osprey and Jansport are leaders in backpack guarantees. While there are other luggage brands such as TravelPro and premium brand Briggs and Riley offering guaranteed durability.
As a tech-enabled marketing strategy and insights agency we are designed to seek out insights for those who want to better understand their brand through the eyes of their customers and capture the customer viewpoint as it shifts further and further towards a more sustainable way of living.
Some of our recent insights evidence the rise in customers seeking more durable products, such as in technology. Consumers want to turn their backs on a throwaway culture, and so brands need to avoid their association with it by leading customers on a journey to live a better, more sustainable lifestyle. The concept of having the new gadget, something Apple continues to drive, replacing your phone every one to two years, is being rejected by more and more consumers. We’ve particularly seen this change as people are working from home, their at-home technology is something they are increasingly considering as durable products that they’re willing to pay more for.
It then follows that a brand’s go to market strategy needs a considered approach for customers to be aware of the durability changes brands are making. They also need to ensure any changes are manageable in the everyday lives of their customers, while also culturally relevant and motivating enough for them to sustain and believe in them.
This also impacts products with the ability to enhance the durability of other products.
For example, past research showed consumers in western markets didn’t care if their laundry detergent was the most effective stain remover ever because ‘fast fashion’ meant that it was cheaper to throw their t-shirt away and buy a new one. Now, the rise in trends for durability, recycling, swapping clothes and selling them on, may see a category like laundry come full circle as stain removal is likely to matter more than it did five years ago.
Shopping behaviour will continue to change and be driven by better choices for longer lasting products.
It’s clear that better insights mean brands stay relevant and attractive to their customers for longer.
The huge challenge for any brand is to understand how sustainability and issues like durability can be successfully rooted in a way that can also be easily adopted and championed by their customers.
Catalyx believes consumer clarity on sustainability creates a powerful impact for both the brand and its consumers. Better insights, creates a better brand, for a better world.
If you need help developing your sustainability strategy for your product or brand or want to find the best way to maximise your ‘green’ communication or go to market strategy, get in touch. We can help you ask the right questions and get the WOW insights that set you on the right path and ultimately, unlock vastly more revenue for your business.