As brands continue to explore the ways in which they can meaningfully activate sustainability initiatives in the market, product packaging and messaging remains a practical frontier to drive consumer behavior change.
Kantar MONITOR research from earlier in 2024 indicates that certain environmental sustainability terms are more likely to influence consumers likelihood to buy a product. For instance, when asking consumers 18+ which terms are more likely to influence their purchase decisions almost seven-in-ten consumers selected terms like “eco-friendly,” “recycled,” and “zero-waste.” Terms like “plastic free,” “compostable” or “biodegradable” round out the top five, with over six-in-ten consumers agreeing. Converseley, under half of consumers (47%) would say the same for terms like “plant-based”.
Similar findings have been substantiated in other pockets of Kantar research as well. Leveraging Kantar’s eValuate tool on Kantar Marketplace, our innovation team tested sustainability claims in the ready-to-drink beverage space to identify those which scored higher on consumer endorsement and intuitive association. Standout claims that were more likely to drive purchase intent included “eco-friendly,” “ending plastics,” and “recycled materials.”
It is notable that the terminology deemed most influential, across categories but also evident in the ready-to-drink beverage space, are those that align with U.S. consumers’ primary environmental sustainability concerns, which includes climate change and life on land according to our 2023 Sustainable Sector Index. As the impacts of climate change and deteriorating biodiversity worsen, sustainability is increasingly becoming more personal to U.S. consumers and impacting the ways in which they engage with the market.
The growing urgency consumers felt in taking climate change more seriously became evident late last year, with almost six-in-ten U.S. shoppers agreeing that they are now “more likely to think about the environmental impacts of what they buy,” and that they “feel more motivated to make lifestyle changes that mitigate climate impacts,” according to Kantar ShopperScape.
The overall influence of sustainable terminology can in fact vary by category and demographic cohort—for instance, Gen Z consumers are significantly more likely to have positive association with terms like “sustainably sourced” or “carbon neutral” given they typically are more knowledgeable around the nuances of sustainability.
We invite you to explore our ecosystem of data insights to identify where your brand should be playing in the sustainability space, as well as test sustainability claims and concepts quickly and effectively in our suite of Kantar Marketplace tools.
For more information, contact our sustainability experts Liz Katsadouros or Jordan Herrington.