Consumers are becoming increasingly committed to sustainable issues and expect brands to do the same
Nearly 80% of the British public are taking steps to become a more responsible consumer, driven by environmental and ethical concerns. As headlines over global warming, cheap labour and carbon footprints dominate the press, 77% say they are beginning to change their own behaviour to help safeguard the planet, according to research from Added Value brand consultancy.
Significantly, consumers may be changing their behaviour but they expect brands to be committed to social and environmental change as well. 80% of British consumers say it is important that the brands they purchase are committed to acting socially and/or environmentally responsibly.
So how do British consumers believe brands can act more responsibly? Committing to biodegradable or recycled packaging comes out top, with 78% saying this was important in terms of the brands they buy. Brands should ensure their packaging is minimal and recyclable, explained one respondent.
Packaged brands are largely responsible for the 30 million tonnes of household waste a year. In the long-term, marketers may have to reconsider how to brand products without using wasteful packaging.
Added Value's research suggests that brands who choose to ignore this issue will suffer. Consumers are already voting with their wallets and rejecting brands that use too much wasteful packaging. I actively think about levels of packaging and I buy bigger volumes of certain products so that only one box is used, explains one respondent. I reject excess packaging wherever possible, says another.
Meanwhile, 64% British consumers look for a brand's commitment in reducing CO2 emissions. Pepsico's Walkers crisps is one brand that has seized the initiative in this area, publishing the calculated carbon footprint value for a standard packet of crisps (75g) on each bag and committing to reducing its carbon emissions within two years.
General philanthropy, in terms of giving to charitable causes, was rated important by less than half, just 44%, suggesting that consumers want to see brands taking action themselves to drive social and environmental change, rather than just contribute financially.
So how are British consumers changing their own behaviour to help safeguard the environment? Cutting down the use of plastic bags is one of the most popular actions among responsible British consumers. I no longer use plastic bags and take my own bag to the shops, says one respondent. Another adds: I buy things and if I don't need the carrier bag, I just put the small items directly in my bag.
Some 17bn plastic bags a year are given to British consumers and they take an estimated 1,000 years to decay. The average Briton accepts five a week. This month, Marks & Spencer announced it would charge consumers 5p for food plastic bags from May.
In an additional piece of Added Value research, 1000 consumers were asked to spontaneously name brands with a good and bad corporate image. Interestingly, consumer opinion was polarised around Tesco it was the brand named with the second best and second worst corporate reputation by consumers.
Good Image (Top 10)
Body Shop
Tesco
Co-op /Cooperative bank
Marks & Spencer
Sainsbury
Virgin
Fairtrade
Waitrose
Asda
Ecover
Bad image (Top 10)
McDonalds
Tesco
BP
Nestle
Coca-Cola
Airlines
BT
GAP
Shell
Nike
(The research on consumer ethical attitudes was conducted by Lightspeed and Invoke for Added Value.)