Fashion, Finance, Transport, and Agriculture. These are some of the main sources of air pollution in Singapore and yet a range of businesses still operate in these sectors.
With tonnes of plastic being disposed of into the ocean every year and millions of factories still using fossil fuels for textile production, many initiatives have emerged to solve these issues. As a result, with business models that are still not sustainable enough for the environment, consumers are becoming more eco-conscious and want to support brands that align with their morals and values.
How does the PR and Marketing industry fit into all of this?
We understand that we have a big role to play when it comes to helping solve this global issue. On a daily basis, consumers are searching for ethical brands and supporting initiatives that help the planet instead of damaging it and we encourage this behavior. With conscious consumerism leading the way, we aim to help those businesses that want to achieve sustainable objectives. In other words, we want to reinforce meaningful messaging and communication tactics that aim to protect the environment.
What are consumers looking for?
Transparency
Whilst many brands create campaigns centered around their efforts to help the planet, some have gone down the rabbit hole and have been accused by the public of ‘greenwashing’. This term essentially refers to when a company uses PR and Marketing to convince the public that their brand is eco-conscious because their policies, products, services are eco-friendly. The problem in itself arises when companies provide misleading information and put more resources into creating a sustainable image rather than into the product itself.
Consumers want brands that are transparent and honest. Brands that are sincere about where they are allocating their money and resources and truthful about the ways in which they are helping the planet.
Longlasting impact
Some campaigns can last for 6 months while others can last for 1 week. As a matter of fact, the duration of a campaign doesn’t really matter to consumers. What matters is the impact that it generates. Consumers are tired of seeing campaigns that ‘come and go’. In other words, they don’t want to get involved in any sort of initiative with an impact that they know will only last for the duration of the campaign.
Action
Without action, there is no credibility. Whilst many brands say they’re going to implement sustainable policies or even sign a sustainable agreement, most of them don’t go through with it and end up making ‘false promises’. Consumers want brands that take action and that show it. In the digital era we are currently living in, proof of everything is essential. From Youtube videos to TikToks and Instagram reels, documenting the process and efforts to hold up environmentally friendly promises, will make your brand reliable and trustworthy.