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Chris Sherwin
Seymourpowell 327 Lillie Road London SW6 7NR T 020 7381 6433 E design@seymourpowell.com www.seymourpowell.com
1 Nest Thermostat Asking people to change doesnt go far enough help them make the change 2 The Bimbo pack was redesigned to preserve bread 3 Aircruise concept Why fly when you can slow travel to your holiday?
ehaviour change is the new green marketing frontier as we move people towards sustainable lifestyles, but whats a marketer to do about this: bet your money on communications and social media, or build behaviour change into your products or services? Though a less well-trodden route, we believe that innovating with your products and services is our only real great green hope. Heres why.
A less recognised win was Ariel following Turn to 30 with the development and launch of Ariel Excel Gel a liquid concentrate (fewer ingredients, packaging, transport), with dosage control (controlled consumption), in a top-down format (less product wastage), that washes as low as 15 degrees (less energy use and carbon emissions). Its true that Ariel had no monopoly on these innovations, as others were active on these issues too, but they were certainly the highest profile and most integrated with these green features. In a microcosm, heres the central green marketing dilemma: do you back communication or innovation for your brands sustainability efforts? Both Ariels approaches focused on changing behaviour the former highly effective advertising campaign asked people to change their behaviour via communications, the latter had it designed in. It will be interesting to see which is the longer-term behavioural game changer the communications initiative of Turn to 30 or the innovation of Excel Gel though with Excel Gel reportedly now making up one-third of Ariels sales and 40 per cent of its value, the green innovation route certainly looks more sustainable.
Funding local community projects which many brands do doesnt require brands to change real, material issues, other than reshuffling marketing budgets.
It can be contradictory
Might consumers see contradictions in a toothpaste or cleaning brand asking them to turn off the tap, when the very same brands spent the last 40 years convincing them they need various types of cleaning implements or toothpaste/ mouthwash, etc?
as they are non-physical and immaterial. Consumers are often busy and time-poor, so far better to seamlessly weave this into the product and behaviour itself, rather than giving them something else to think about.
Its short-termist
Communication campaigns are often short-lived or seasonal, linked to brand planning cycles; while sustainable behavioural issues, like high carbon diets, simply cant be cracked by a single campaign. Consumer interest in green issues can waver too, but they are interested in doing things better, which innovation can deliver.
Take the UK Governments largely unsuccessful Act on CO2 campaign, which aimed to raise awareness of the effects of climate change, the impact people are having on the environment and what you can do to help. Now check out the recently launched Nest Learning Thermostat created by ex-iPod designers. Its smart, beautiful, cool, learns your behaviour to optimise energy use, and turns itself off when youre away. The mind boggles at how the 10m Act on CO2 budget could aid innovations like this. Think too what innovation could do for the other green behaviours that consumers must adopt, such as composting, water saving, line-drying clothes, eco-driving and reducing food waste.
A green platform
As with Ariel, communications can be an excellent springboard or complement, but innovation really is the best route for green marketing and sustainable behaviour. Redirecting focus, priorities and budgets upstream is healthier for your brand, for behaviour and for the planet. l
Opinions from design and brand consultants | 3