Ay: Haziran 2023

Problem 1: Being limited to education campaigns

According to the research, consumers are knowledgeable about sustainable consumption habits, but are desperate to adopt them more easily and less expensively. Many complain that they cannot afford to consume sustainably. Instead of repeating common slogans and overwhelming consumers with information they already know, developing sustainable products and making their existing products sustainable is the most efficient way out for brands.

Problem 2: Making negative warnings to draw attention to the problem

Using dramatic rhetoric and visuals to grab consumers’ attention can distract them from the issue. In theory, it may seem logical to use emotive messaging to clearly communicate the seriousness of the issue. But practice doesn’t always match theory. Instead, it is much better for brands to engage in sincere and meaningful sustainability activities and communicate the positive developments they have achieved as a result of these activities to consumers.

Problem 3: Giving unrealistic, empty messages

Perhaps the most dangerous thing for a brand to do in sustainability or any other area of social responsibility is to give the appearance of “just following trends”. According to Google’s research, some consumers describe brands’ sustainability messaging as “self-justifying, exaggerated or unconvincing”. These findings are supported by another survey of senior corporate executives. According to this research, 6 out of every 10 senior executives say that brands exaggerate their sustainability efforts and provide misinformation. In response, brands need to base their sustainability and social responsibility messages on data and facts.

New media integration becomes even more important, especially when it comes to young consumers. According to the results of Google’s August 2022 “Future of Retail: Consumer Survey” conducted by Google in the US, it is seen that young consumers who have made a purchase in the last six months tend to use new media 2 to 3 times more than other consumers.

At this point, a concept that has an increasing influence on the shaping of brands’ marketing strategies, organizational structures and corporate cultures comes to the fore: Agility.

Marketing professionals and agencies have to be more agile than ever in incorporating new media into their strategies. It is not enough to be awake, they need to act as quickly as possible. Because the speed at which consumers switch between brands and products based on their changing needs and expectations is dizzying.

In this context, many different new media channels and various methods can come to the fore at different times. Super apps that bring together different consumer needs on a single platform, buy now pay later systems, loyalty apps, social media sites and artificial intelligence integrated into all these channels are currently the most popular methods.

These trends reveal that brands aiming to emphasize their differences should include solution partners that will enable them to reach their target audiences in the most efficient way.