Demand is becoming more sophisticated, and supply must keep up. However, what to do with the fact that the excess of assortment has grown into a clearly expressed lack of consumer enthusiasm?
People are tired of conventional marketing, the ultimate goal of which is selling, no matter what beautiful phrases it is wrapped in. The craziness around deceitful sales, Black Fridays, the advantages invented on the go, and manipulative schemes immediately devalues the promotion efforts, turning people into skeptics and reducing any business to the same level.
But obsolete things tend to evolve. The swiftness with which the word "sustainability" burst into the world of business can only be compared with the indisputability of statistics: a third of customers will opt for a product that advocates eco-friendliness and social responsiveness.
So, if you want to stay at the forefront and not pull up the rear, you need to learn how to embrace sustainability in all directions, particularly in marketing. Jump in, and we will help you clear the air around this bizarre but so powerful notion.
Customer-Centric Approach
First of all, you need to understand that we do not just change the focus of marketing remaining at the same level in everything else. This is cheating, and sooner or later you will be caught on it, with sad consequences.
So, tune in to global change. Only after its implementation, it will be possible to tell customers about your innovations without remorse.
Customers care, and you should accept this from the get-go. They monitor the state of the environment, recognize the importance of social credentials and, in every way, try to emphasize this. We suggest conscious consumption, in particular.
In contrast to the consumerism lifestyle, the conscious one is different in that people consider not only price and quality but also a contribution to world heritage. It’s important for you to make the customer believe that your product follows a completely harmless and peaceful path, and in parallel solves their problem.
The emphasis shifts from the product itself to the customers and the satisfaction of their desire to adhere to a sustainable policy when choosing. Make sure your product can give them that opportunity. If not, then you should start by reviewing the very foundations of production or development.
When it is agreed, you can begin to alert the world about your new philosophy.
Get Used to the Thought That Sustainability Is Your Identity
This question is often overlooked, so we need to voice it. Some businesses believe that sustainability is just part of a development strategy that can be manipulated as they see fit. Wrong.
Your task is to make this term penetrate into all processes, into all departments, into the head of each employee. The client should not have a single doubt about the sincerity of your motives. It is not enough to wear a mask: it can be torn off at any time. As an example of such tactics you can see how this photo retouching service shows in details all the process of their work in the articles for novice retouchers or people who would like to edit images by their own. You need to integrate sustainability into the culture of your company and believe in it yourself. If you do not believe, no one ever will.
Your mission must be naturally and sincerely attached to sustainability. To accept the battle, you really need to create a background for changes in customer preferences if it hasn’t happened yet. You must be what you preach.
Tell Your Own Story
The main words here are “your own”. Of course, you can be inspired by the examples of big guys. But ultimately, you need to pave your own sustainability path.
One-size-fits-all solutions will not work in this matter. Your strategy depends on the type of business and the opportunities you have. For example, Timberland created its own environmental standards, according to which all products must be 100% organic. They are severe with nobody but themselves and constantly develop in a chosen direction in order to meet their own standards.
You should also create your own story. All your further actions will be its derivative. Tell who you are, how you came to recognize the importance of sustainability, how you changed your niche, and what your mission is. The simpler and more sincerely you state all this, the more it will resonate with customers.
Spreading your story is already a matter of your marketing preferences. You can talk about your mission everywhere: on your blog, on social networks, on YouTube, etc. You can create guest posts and effectively distribute them on different thematic platforms using the power of LinksManagement. The more people find out about you, the higher your chances of attracting new customers.
Broaden the Horizons of Your Customers
In other words, educate them. In any case, you will need to talk a lot about yourself, that is, engage in self-promotion. To keep a balance and not turn your community into an endless stream of laudations to yourself, give people the opportunity to learn more. Tell them about the current situation in your niche and why traditional production methods are not correlated with the green approach at all.
Another important thing is absolute transparency and openness. You should give the smallest details regarding your product. Your sincerity and lack of black spots will positively set people in relation to you. At the same time, any silence will sooner or later backfire. And this will absolutely not please your customers who believe your brand. What is done in the night appears in the day.
By the way, anticipating a common question: you do not need to mention your competitors. Such a decision can have the opposite effect and push away potential customers. Imagine a mixture of feelings and opinions about the company, promoting the correct and relevant points and, at the same time, heaping abuse on its competitors.
Our Sustainable P.S.
Sustainability is not a short-term tactic. This is a lifelong strategy, gradually gaining momentum and yielding results only in the case of a reasonable implementation. But we are sure that you can handle it. You have all the tools for this.
Marie Barnes is a writer for bestforacar. She is an enthusiastic blogger interested in writing about technology, social media, work, travel, lifestyle, and current affairs.
