Sustainable Brands™ (SB) continues to track the changing
motivations and behaviors of US consumers, alongside their prioritization of
social and environmental issues. Through this collaborative research, the brands
who make up the SB Brands for Good collective
use this data to frame their strategies and messaging as they relate to the
attitudes, behaviors and opinions of consumers in our rapidly changing society.
In partnership with Ipsos, SB’s latest
Socio-Cultural Trends research study (conducted in March 2022) surveyed
1,000 US consumers. This study was designed to measure consumer progress on
adopting sustainable lifestyles across the Nine Sustainable
Behaviors. It also
measured the level of priority given to taking sustainable action since the
pandemic
and how product labeling influences purchasing decisions.
When measuring the actions taken around the Nine Sustainable Behaviors, people
tend to prioritize the ones that are already normalized in mainstream society —
such as
recycling,
conserving energy, using fewer disposable
products,
and minimizing
food
and water waste. ‘Go
circular’ was
the top sustainable behavior that consumers reported doing most or all of the
time; and respondents selects ‘Recycling whenever possible’ as the most
important sustainable action to take. When looking at things other than family,
children and work, consumers give ‘Making a positive impact on society’ and
‘Making environmentally conscious choices’ the same general level of importance
as other everyday priorities — such as keeping a fitness routine and home
improvements. The top-ranked priority, however, is placed on having time for
themselves; 46 percent of people indicated that this has become an increased
priority since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In order to further understand how US consumers prioritize sustainability, the
study presented them with a selection of sustainability-related logos that are
often found on packaging. They were asked to rank the logos in order of
importance when considering a purchase of a household product (washing liquid),
electronics (a computer mouse) or food (a new snack). Mirroring their answers as
to how they prioritize their own personal actions, ‘Packaging made with recycled
materials’ topped the list for motivating purchasing decisions for washing
liquid and a new computer mouse. When purchasing a snack food, top motivators
included certifications such as Rainforest Alliance and Fair Trade
Certified.
For an in-depth look at this report, please visit the Brands for Good
Socio-Cultural Trends
webpage and download the highlights report. Understanding consumer intentions
and actions towards sustainable lifestyles is a vital step for brands. These
insights provide the backbone for creating impactful campaigns that drive
sustainable consumer behavior
change
in a way that is accessible, inspirational and rewarding.
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Sustainable Brands Staff
Published Apr 25, 2022 8am EDT / 5am PDT / 1pm BST / 2pm CEST