Sustainability seasoning: the secret to green comms success?

In the lead-up to our upcoming webinar, “Why Sustainability Isn’t Selling: Don’t Lead with Green“, we’ve examined a perplexing paradox that lies at the heart of green business: Why don’t people shop sustainably when all the data suggests they want to?

As highlighted in our first article, there’s a gap between consumers’ stated preferences for sustainable products and their actual purchasing behaviour. Harvard Business Review notes that while 65% of consumers want to support purpose-driven brands, only 26% follow through. 

So why are people finding it difficult to turn their well-meaning intent into reality? 

There are many barriers to sustainability that are potentially causing this disparity – including price, quality, accessibility, understanding and trust. To overcome this, brands need to put consumers at the heart of their growth strategy. This includes understanding what truly motivates their audience, and what barriers may exist in preventing them from buying their products or services. Linking sustainability to a broader set of related needs, and making sustainability a “bonus benefit” can grow a consumer base to those whom sustainability is not a driver of choice. Combining this with innovative, powerful tools to accelerate the shift to sustainable choices, a brand can successfully embrace the Mainstream Green approach. 

But has this strategy worked? Brands like Apple and Moncler have been known to integrate sustainability into a wider value proposition that resonates with a broader audience. Linking sustainable practices to benefits consumers truly care about—be it affordability, convenience, or performance, is proven to drive meaningful engagement. And ultimately, long term success. Let’s take a closer look at how.

Apple: Green Giant?

Okay, we hear you, how can the biggest company in the world possibly be sustainable? And yet, Apple really seems to be making progress on its sustainability journey. That said, it’s never the company’s leading message in relation to brand communications. 

Apple’s brand positioning is uniformly based on three key elements: 

• Innovation, 
• Design,  
• User experience. 

These three factors allow Apple to stay ahead of competitors while maintaining a strong sense of identity. At its core, Apple’s marketing strategy revolves around product differentiation, having been consistently at the forefront of technological advancements. 

Customer experience is another major arm to its strategy. Personlisation, device interface, user feedback, friendly store experience, the list goes on. Apple is nothing if not consistent with taking its customers’ experience seriously. 
Apple’s communications around its sustainability are far less prominent, yet the company is actually making great strides, as Tim Cook explains in this interview. What’s interesting is that Apple is weaving sustainability throughout its products. Sure, the company runs entirely on renewables, but each product’s sustainable elements are now part of the design (check out its product features). The overarching mission remains true to the Apple that customers know and love. But the green element is so aligned that it becomes an added bonus for consumers.

Moncler: luxurious slow fashion

Moncler is a luxury Italian fashion brand, known for its high-end outerwear, particularly its iconic down jackets. Initially, Moncler specialised in sleeping bags, tents, and mountaineering gear, but gained fame for its innovative, warm, and lightweight down jackets.

At its heart, Moncler’s brand position is all about luxurious functionality. Just like Apple, Moncler’s primary focus is on user experience: its products are high-end, fashion-forward, but without compromising on performance, even in extreme weather. This unique blend of technical innovation and design is what sets Moncler apart in the luxury fashion market (1).

Sustainability? Well, you’d be forgiven for thinking not, but just like Apple, Moncler has several green initiatives, from down tracing and material recycling, to renewable energy and sustainable packaging (2).

Moncler might not shout its sustainable initiatives from the rooftops, instead quietly affirming that it’s making progress without compromising on the main priority. And that way lies consumer loyalty and trust. 

Are you ready to learn how to effectively market your sustainable products? Join us on the 2nd October as we welcome marketing experts from across the FMCG industry to discuss sustainable comms and Mainstream Green. See you there. 

Register here for free

If you’re looking for support on your marketing or sustainability journey, get in touch. We’d love to help out. toby@catchafireagency.com | +44 (0) 7880 696 385