What is a Sustainable Brand?
A sustainable brand is one that is above mere money-making and aims at enhancing the wellbeing of humanity and the environment. It believes that humanity and economies can thrive only in a healthy environment and society for a long time. It is well aware of the environmental impact of urbanization and actively seeks to reduce its effect. By constant innovations and strategizing, it propagates as an ethical and considerate entity adding to the society, rather than taking from it.
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Why do you need to be sustainable?
A person holding a plant
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The coronavirus pandemic has created higher expectations for ethical practices by brands. What was once considered as a trait of the Millennial and Gen-Z population, is now becoming a general mindset. 2020 has brought huge warnings about climate change and environmental degradation. Brands need to be aware and sustainable not just to gain their consumer’s trust but also to plan to survive in the future.
People are looking up to brands to take charge of the pandemic response and contribute to the societal good.
Ethical consumption is to become the preferred way of life. Brands and marketers need to prioritize sustainable strategizing in order to make it through.
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How to build a sustainable brand post-pandemic 2020?
1. Understand what your audience wants.
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Your target audience is likely to be passionate about a number of causes. Your job is to study what these causes are and which can you help. You are not expected to do something about all of them. Select one or two and work with that. Keep environmental consideration as a primary cause, for that’s an imperative one. By understanding what your audience will connect with the most, you can build a great relationship with them.
2. Reinstate Your Goals
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If you haven’t been clear about your societal concerns in the past, there isn’t a better time than now to change that. Replace your old goals with new ones aiming at sustainability. Make sure your objectives are planned to be achieved in a healthy, ethical way. Educate your employees and reform work practices. Create a committee or team to monitor sustainability.
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3. Adapt your Current practices accordingly.
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Shifting from your current practices to better, sustainable ones is a big process of change. It will take a while for employees to get a hang of. Hence, make it as smooth as possible. Make the reforms an irreplaceable part of the system. Remake your supply chain sourcing from the sustainable. If you’re truly committed to the cause, you will make sure your raw material is just as sustainable as the finished product or service.
4. Measure, Test and Improve
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It is necessary that you measure the performance of the changes brought in. It needs to be figured out if they are making any real difference to the environment and society. The pandemic has made consumers hard on token gestures by brands. Thus, by testing and analyzing constantly to make required improvements will put your brand in a better place.
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5. Communicate with your audience.
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The world needs to find out about your actions and the results. Your brand needs to effectively communicate to the audience about its reforms and measures to pave a sustainable future. Once your audience understands and appreciates your approaches, you know that they will prefer you over other brands. Your brand has to encourage and promote social and ecological causes, inspiring consumers and other brands on the way.
6. Be Accountable.
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Following through your philosophies can be tough especially for a brand. And nothing drives away consumers like hypocrites. Hence seek monitors or guides to keep you on track. Review your practices frequently. An accountable brand is a sustainable brand in the true sense.
Our lives have changed forever due to the pandemic in all aspects. This is a wake-up call for brands and consumers likewise to realize the damage they have been causing to the environment. Now more than ever brands and companies need to adopt sustainable ways of operating. A sustainable present is a secure future.