Consumers' Sphere of Influence in the Green Gap

For my sustainability blog post, I chose an article from The Sustainable Brands website to analyze in relation to my Marketing Sustainability class' topic of consumer behavior and our Green Giants chapter. The article Influencing the Influencers: How to Unlock Mass Adoption of Sustainable Products (by Laura Kohler) delves into the issue of how consumers must understand that embracing more sustainable products does not compromise the quality of their experience, so businesses must create products that address environmental impact without compromising consumer experience.

The article initially discusses how many consumers have adopted the practice of purchasing electronic vehicles in their attempt to pursue better sustainable habits. The electric vehicle industry offers environmentally friendly vehicles at multitudinous rates, in various designs, and with no compromises in functionality or style. Consequently, consumers have contributed individually to climate change and automobile manufacturers have welcomed the move away from fossil fuels and to lower emissions.

Although these efforts have been successful so far, there are many other industries that consumers use in their everyday lives that are still not environmentally friendly. Businesses have to work with their stakeholders to create products and services that are environmentally friendly "without compromising the consumer experience." By adopting the Chipotle business model stated in Green Giants, many business can help their consumers help them in reducing their carbon footprints.

This is where the key to our current market's consumer behavior come into play- influencers. The article references home products manufacturer, Kohler, as an example. Kohler's influencers (architects and designers) have created an advocacy program-"The Responsibility of Design" with the goal of understanding and meeting changing consumer expectations.

Laura Kohler goes on to list the three main takeaways from the program. The first was for them to put Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) labels on their products to where inform consumers about the materials and ingredients of the products and to also alert consumers of toxic chemicals. The second was to make products affordable for everyone. Developers who want only the best products for their luxury homes need to have quality alternatives to pick from and those on a tight budget can find a toilet that meets their specifications. The last was to make sure to communicate inclusively and visually. Many consumers do not understand the benefits and dangers of the products they use and how they impact them. Doing this will help consumers adopt and understand the green actions.

In conclusion, when companies embrace some of these practices, they'll be able to reap the co-benefits of consumers practicing sustainable habits and them making the profits they want.

Sources:

• Kohler, L. (2022, October 11). Influencing the Influencers: How to Unlock Mass Adoption of Sustainable Products. Sustainable Brands. Retrieved October 11, 2022, from https://sustainablebrands.com/read/marketing-and-comms/influencing-the-influencers-how-to-unlock-mass-adoption-of-sustainable-products

• Image source: Google images

• Green Giants by Freya Williams