Remember in about 2010 when all those A-list celebrities started driving a Toyota Prius, ditching their Mercedes and Porsches to have a go at saving the planet? As someone who’s into cars, I didn’t see myself copying them any time soon and if memory serves nobody else was particularly enticed either.
Then they all bought Teslas. Alright, now you’ve got our attention. When it looks like that, and goes like that, saving the planet is just a nice bonus for a lot of people (I’d still want something old-school for the weekends but now’s not the time nor the place). If you had a Prius, you were seen as a bit of a hippy. Shiny new Tesla? You’re an icon. People want to be you. You’re saving the planet and you’re also a baller with a sexy car.
With that said, let’s get to the point. Why am I really talking about this?
If you went anywhere near a supermarket at the turn of the year, you’d have seen the way stores rallied to merchandise the biggest Veganuary of all time. If you’ve kept an eye out, you’ll notice most of the animal-friendly scran from then is still on the shelves now. I’ve been getting stuck in over the last 18 months or so. I can’t afford a Tesla, so this is my compromise. There’s been tons of advertising about swapping meat for something else, even if it’s just soy pretending to be meat, in recent years and clearly the public are taking notice in growing numbers. Brands are continuing to advertise it because it’s making them money.
That’s not all I’ve personally done: my toothbrush is made of bamboo; it was there on the shelf and I thought I’d give it a whirl. It’s the same as my old one, just not plastic. I tried plant-based dental floss but that was a bit crap so I went back to plastic. I liked how both items were packaged entirely in card though. Nice touch.
As marketers, we’re forever talking about the journey buyers go on, and the things they’re evaluating as they go. Sticking with cars, are they interested in safety, fuel efficiency, cargo space, performance? It’s our job to find out. But as of the last couple of years, there’s a new appeal to rule them all, and 2021 is the year it may well go nuclear.
“It is eco-friendly, so buy it.”
Let’s face it; it’s why I bought that toothbrush. I knew it wouldn’t clean my teeth any better. When the floss was worse, I switched back; you still have to sell something that does the job. But when all else is equal, people will buy the eco-friendly product to feel like they’re making a difference. Frankly, if they’re motivated enough they might even pay a bit more for an equivalent planet-friendly item.
Did you see that PG Tips Ad on TV lately? For those of you who can’t be bothered to watch, it’s a girl throwing a tea party for her stuffed animals, explaining how they’ve switched to PG Tips because their teabags are biodegradable while other manufacturers still use plastic. “I know, I would be speechless too”, she tells her fluffy guests. That’s it. 30 seconds, and the only info we get is that these tea bags are biodegradable. Now I’m not here to name names, but there are definitely other brands who’ve been doing this a while longer than PG. But because PG are the first to run a TV ad about it (correct me if I’m wrong), they’ll be the ones who get the market share.
There’s even a section in an upcoming BFBC Podcast episode (and plenty of excellent ones to tide you over til then) where we talked about making changes to the way purchases are delivered to us (like getting things in batches to save on van trips), and clearly we aren’t the only ones exploring their options. Interest in biodegradable packaging has been creeping up all year:
Look, we could go on for ages giving examples but that’s not what you came here for; you came here to get ahead of your competition and stay there. So what does this mean for you and your store?
For at least a decade, interest in trying to change our habits for the benefit of the environment has been steadily growing. But now, green alternatives are more affordable than they’ve ever been and interest is peaking. If there’s anything at all your store, or certain products you sell, can push its green credentials, now’s the time to shout about it.
It might be that your furniture is made of sustainably grown wood, your clothing has no synthetic fibres in it, your supplements are vegan, you make use of what others would throw away, your shipping takes longer because it waits around in distribution centres to wait for the shortest route with the lowest CO2 output- if you’re able to mention it, you should. Someone, somewhere will buy from you when they otherwise wouldn’t have.
Don’t just pop your green USP on your product page either. Are you running a post-purchase email welcome series? If you’re after repeat custom, you should be. When you’re using it to introduce people to your brand, mention how good they should feel for buying your stuff and saving the world.
Test it as a message in your remarketing; you never know what will finally get a purchase over the line. Hell, if the audience is right give it a go on the first touchpoint too. You might be surprised. If it’s central enough to your brand, have a page about it on your website; interested browsers can read up on how great you are and finally be driven to hit ‘add to basket’. It might even rank organically within an environmentally conscious purchase journey.
If your product, or your whole business, is kind to the planet or can occupy an ethical high ground, now is the time to shout it from the rooftops. Be one of those preachy vegans. At the end, you’ll be a rich vegan. And you will have done objective good for your customers and the planet. Everyone wins!
The 2020s will be defined, at least in part, by people making small changes to the way they spend their disposable income, to feel like they’re saving the planet. And in truth, they will be. I for one have every intention of taking part. Businesses like yours have an easy inroad to sell to people like me. It’s not quite keywords and bids, but it’s going to be just as important to leverage your green credentials in your search marketing and beyond as the decade unfolds. If you aren’t sure where to start, we can absolutely help with that.
