17/11/11
Influencing Consumer Behaviour
SustainAbility, the independent think tank and strategy consultancy, has published a blog post from Business in the Community's Simon Lee, which helps businesses understand how they can positively influence consumer behaviour to be more sustainable.
Businesses need to find other ways to communicate sustainability to consumers and create behaviour change. To do this effectively, they need to understand how consumers think, feel and act – and why they often fail to change, despite becoming increasingly aware of the issues.
This follows the launch of an original piece of research by BITC, Influencing Consumer Behaviour: A Guide for Sustainable Marketing, at the BITC Convention earlier this year.
The blog coincides with the launch of a new report from SustainAbility, Signed, Sealed... Delivered? exploring the value for businesses, and the challenges they face, in using certification and labelling as tools to influence consumer choice. Written by Simon Lee, Business Development Manager in BITC's Marketplace team, it explains how companies can move beyond certification and labelling alone, to provide assurance to consumers through their core brand marketing and business activities.
Businesses first need to understand how consumers think, feel and act in order to influence their behaviour. Drawing on the ‘Area of Opportunity’ framework presented in BITC’s guide, Simon advises companies to:
- Address the on-radar issues of today – and anticipate those of tomorrow;
- Create confidence through business action;
- Align messages with their brand story.
The blog also draws on case studies from the six companies that participated in the research – EDF Energy, Kingfisher, Kraft, M&S, Unilever and Waitrose – and provides a number of practical tips to engage consumers effectively. By doing so, business can generate positive societal impacts whilst also increasing brand value.
For more details about the Marketplace programme, please contact Simon Lee.
To discuss our work on Sustainable Marketing, please contact Michelle Gallant.
Bookmark this page with:
