Closing the Say-Do Gap in Sustainable Shopping

A common refrain, whispered in sustainability circles and shouted in more skeptical ones, is that consumers say they care about the environment and social impact, but when it comes to what they actually do, they're not buying these products. 

For example, about 76% of Americans and Canadians consider themselves to be conscious consumers, finds new research from Public Inc, a social impact agency. Yet they only shop based on social, ethical, or environmental factors 38% of the time.

A cynical explanation might be that consumers know what they "should" be doing, and respond as such to surveys, but they don't actually want to change their behavior. Another explanation could be that factors like inflation are stopping consumers from voting with their wallets for more responsible brands.

While there could be elements of truth to these issues, the larger reality seems to be that brands are often missing the mark from a communication standpoint. 

In particular, companies need to recognize that the say-do gap is driven by both conscious and unconscious shopping habits, as is the case with any purchasing decision, not just sustainability-related ones.

"When you're in the shopping environment, your unconscious mind takes over," said Caleigh Farrell, head of research at Public, while speaking at the GreenBiz 25 conference. Everything from what's in your bank account, to what you ate yesterday, to whether you have a toddler shopping with you affects what you're going to buy, she said.

So, trying to win a customer over with fine print on packaging talking about 2050 net-zero goals is probably a losing proposition. But if you've developed a brand that connects with consumers more instinctively — like by associating sustainable materials with durability — that could help close the say-do gap.

"It's about meeting consumers where they are, which is what we've really failed to do in the present," said Farrell.

Use Clear Language

The top way to close the say-do gap is to use clear language when making sustainability claims. Public's research finds that almost 50% of all consumers — and 87% of conscious consumers — pass on products because of confusing sustainability claims.

"If consumers don’t understand a sustainability message before they start shopping, they’re unlikely to decipher it on the packaging," notes the report.

So, while staying within relevant regulations around sustainability claims, brands need to consider more intuitive messaging, like around how products are free of harmful ingredients or can reduce your energy costs.

"What we found was that claims that use simple and clear language that prioritize 'benefit to me now' outperformed all of the science-based or environmental claims," said Farrell.

Specifically, in the consumables space, Public finds that claims around local sourcing and clean ingredients ranked highest, while certified organic and carbon neutral claims ranked lowest. In the wearables space, claims about clean ingredients and durability ranked highest, while those about being made with renewable energy or less water ranked lowest.

Highlight Direct, Individual Benefits

Connected to making clear claims is the importance of highlighting how sustainability attributes directly and individually benefit consumers. Cutting emissions might sound laudable, for example, but the average consumer has so many competing pressures that it's hard to base purchasing decisions on something intangible or lofty like that.

As Public points out, that doesn't mean brands should ignore supply chain or environmental claims, but that can't be the only message. If consumers don't understand what you're saying and how it benefits them, it's hard to break through to a broader base. 

For example, it's more effective if a brand links carbon neutrality claims to a direct reason to care, such as "cleaner air to breathe," according to research from the NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business and Edelman. Even more effective is linking sustainability claims with conventional category claims, like saying a food product is "100% sustainably farmed for great taste."

In other words, give consumers a clear reason why they personally benefit from buying your product, rather than making it all about the greater good.

"I think that the data is intuitive. We understand that people act in self-interested ways. But I think there's a tendency of communicators, myself included, to leap up over that reality and sell lofty, future-focused ambitions that are not resonating with people's present, everyday realities," said Farrell.

Focusing on direct, individual benefits also means that brands need to stop trying to position themselves as laudable for setting sustainability goals and instead highlight how buyers are the ones making an impact.

"Shift that perspective on who's the hero here," said Jane Abernethy, chief sustainability officer at sustainability-focused office furniture comapny Humanscale, speaking at GreenBiz 25.

Instead of highlighting all the amazing things your brand is doing, make the customer the hero. Give them the reporting about how their purchases are preventing X amount of plastic from entering the ocean, for example, rather than making it about your brand's overall impact, she said.

Expand Your Audience

Lastly, keep in mind that the three-quarters of consumers who consider themselves to be conscious shoppers aren't one uniform group. Only 9% are what Public considers "Sustainability Stewards" who make values-based purchases 80-100% of the time. Beneath that, there's a whole spectrum from enthusiastic to apathetic. 

So, closing the say-do gap means bringing in more than just the most passionate sustainability advocates. Consider your customer base and whether there's room for more inclusive messaging, as the reality is that not all customers respond as positively to certain sustainability messages.

For example, many recommerce participants aren't necessarily primarily motivated by sustainability, but they do care about saving money and durability. 

You don't necessarily think of someone fixing their car as a sustainability advocate, but they're extending the longevity of these vehicles and participating in sustainability, said Renée Morin, chief sustainability officer at eBay, speaking at GreenBiz 25.

So, it's not so much about beating someone over the head with the word "sustainability" or that a product is "doing good," thereby excluding some who are resistant to that language, but rather that you're only giving good choices that are sustainable, she said.

Likewise, John Deere has been careful about how it uses words like sustainability or the acronym ESG. Instead, the company is able to focus on customer benefits like cost, such as with its ExactShot technology that improves the efficiency of fertilizer usage, thereby saving farmers money while avoiding emissions, explained Zack Weatherspoon, director of sustainability at John Deere, speaking at GreenBiz 25.

Overall, closing the say-do gap isn't about making bigger claims or trying to guilt customers into action. Instead, brands need to focus more on what matters to customers at a conscious and unconscious level, which often means sharing simple, relatable benefits on an individual level.

"People will pay for sustainable products, we just need to better market the benefits back to them to build the case for purchase," said Farrell.  

Disclosure: Our parent company, JournoContent LLC, has clients involved in sustainability-related areas, among others. The owner of Carbon Neutral Copy, Jacob (Jake) Safane, has investments in sustainability-related companies, among others.

As such, conflicts of interest related to these and other investments/business relationships, even if unintended, may exist at times. Please email [email protected] if you'd like further clarification on any issues.