How Eco-Ethical Companies Can Best Connect with Consumers This Holiday Season
DoneGood announces “Shop for Good Sunday,” the Sunday after Thanksgiving (Nov 26, 2017)
The opportunity to make this the most impactful holiday shopping season ever has never been more real.
Just consider the numbers: the latest Nielsen Global Corporate Sustainability Report shows that “66% of survey respondents are willing to pay more for sustainable goods, up from 55% in 2014, and 50% in 2013. Likewise, the Cone Communications 2017 CSR Study finds that in the new age of Trump, “87% will purchase a product because a company advocated for an issue they cared about and 76% will refuse to purchase a company’s products or services upon learning it supported an issue contrary to their beliefs.”
If even a small percentage of the $1 trillion that Americans are projected to spend this holiday season were to shift to eco-ethical companies — also known as companies that third parties have verified as giving back to the world — it would have a significant impact.
Before you get too excited, however; the real challenge is connecting enough consumers with responsible brands. Plus, people don’t always know who the sustainable companies are. Additionally, as corporate executive Richard Stammer noted in the Harvard Business Review, “While consumers are clearly rewarding values-based businesses, there’s a very big catch: consumers are not accepting brands’ social and environmental claims at face value.”
The onus is therefore is on eco-ethical companies to educate consumers about how their purchases help make a difference in the world.
In the spirit of giving, and to help address this challenge, what follows are suggested ways that eco-ethical companies can connect with conscious consumers this holiday season.
BUILD TRUST, GET CERTIFIED
Certifications include the Fairtrade Mark & Certified B Corporations
With so many shoppers seeking ethically-produced goods these days, as well as demand for “strong economic, social and environmental criteria that apply to farmers and workers, traders and companies,” one way to establish trust with consumers is to get their products certified by independent third parties.
The Fairtrade Mark, which can be found on over “30,000 products worldwide, is recognized as the world’s leading ethical and sustainable certification mark.”
“Studies increasingly show that people want to shop their values and expect businesses to act in the best interest of society,” adds Kyle Freund, a Fairtrade America spokesman in a statement for this blog. “Many companies are responding to that call. When you seek out labels from independent certifiers, like Fairtrade, it ensures that products meet rigorous standards with impact for communities around the world.”
Being certified as a B Corporation also provides a powerful way for business to declare who they are, and what they stand for. According to B Lab®, the nonprofit that certifies for profit companies known as B Corporations, “B Corp is to business what Fair Trade certification is to coffee or USDA Organic certification is to milk.”
Certified B Corporations must meet “rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.”
ALIGN YOURSELF WITH OTHER BRANDS THAT HAVE DONEGOOD.
On Cyber Monday in 2016, Boston-based start-up DoneGood, a certified B Corporation, launched its DoneGood Chrome extension and IOS app, which connects consumers with socially responsible companies with independent certifications. In addition, its newly launched DoneGood Shop allows “you to browse, or use our new search engine, to instantly search thousands of products from hundreds of brands’ websites at once—and know that every one of them is doing good for people and the planet.”
“DoneGood earns a commission on sales from the ethical brands we feature in our browser extension, app, website and email newsletters. We don’t take any money from companies up front—first we decide if a business passes our social impact threshold, then we ask them if they’d like to support our work by paying a small percentage on sales we help them make. And it allows us to work every day on something we truly believe in, while keeping DoneGood free for you.”
Recently, DoneGood announced the launch of “Shop for Good Sunday” to be held the Sunday after Thanksgiving (this year, November 26, 2017) in partnership with over 50 brands that are making the world better. According to the announcement, “It’s the day we all shop with brands that alleviate poverty, preserve our planet, and make the world better in so many other ways.” For more information, check out or visit www.shopforgoodsunday.com or tweet at #shopforgoodsunday.
Cullen Schwarz, co-founder of DoneGood in an interview for this article, said “Last year Americans spent over $1 trillion during the holiday season. And sixty percent of all online sales during Cyber weekend went to just 10 giant retailers that don’t have a social mission. If just a little bit more of that money goes to brands that do have a social mission, like companies that are empowering workers, paying living wages, and preserving the environment, it makes a huge difference."
Other notable holiday hashtags include:
#OptOutside – November 24;
#ShopSmall (Small Business Saturday) – November 25;
#GivingTuesday – November 28
BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE
It’s hard to have a serious conversation about sustainable fashion without mentioning Eileen Fisher, a company that has ‘walked the walk’ about social and environmental responsibility before it was fashionable to do so.
Eileen Fisher, the largest women's fashion company to be certified as a B Corporation, is a business that truly lives its values through its commitment to empowering women and girls, human rights, and creating a more sustainable future by becoming 100% sustainable by 2020.
Director of Brand Marketing, Kate McShane, shared in a statement for this blog, "The holiday season is synonymous with gifts – the idea of giving to those we love. As a brand, we are always looking to take that one step further and highlight those people within our supply chain that are creating those gifting options. This season, we are thrilled to spotlight our Love, Peru collection. Since 2005, we have supported an alternative supply chain in Arequipa, Peru; one committed to preserving family and community relationships. For a limited time, 100% of sales from the Love, Peru collection will go back to support this local community of over 600 families from child care and school services to clean water and artisan training facilities."
LINK A SPECIFIC GIVING ACTIVITY TO YOUR PRODUCT
Some of the most successful eco-ethical companies come up with ways to link a specific giving activity to customer purchases. In addition to creating impact, this results in a compelling giving story that keeps consumers connected and coming back for more.
For companies like TOMS that means for every product purchased, TOMS will help a person in need. One for One®.” By bringing their customers into the fold, not only do customers feel they are helping to make a difference in the world, but they’re also part of a larger TOMS community where they can share their “giving story” with others.
B1G1 is a social enterprise and non-profit organization with a mission to create a world full of giving. According to its website, “B1G1 helps small- and medium-sized businesses achieve more social impact by embedding giving activities into everyday business operations and creating unique giving stories.” B1G1, also a Certified B Corporation, allows businesses to choose from a list of vetted causes and be part of unique events, and a “community of like-minded small businesses who are improving the world.”
BE AUTHENTIC AND REMEMBER IT’S NOT ALWAYS ABOUT YOU
Another company that exemplifies what it means to use business as a force for good is Patagonia.
Last November, Patagonia, a certified B Corporation, made history when it announced it would donate 100 percent of its Black Friday sales directly to grassroots nonprofits working to protect the environment. The company’s effort ended up shattering all expectations by reaching a record-breaking $10 million in sales. This comes on top of Patagonia’s history of promoting fair labor practices and safe working conditions throughout their supply chain. In addition to its pledging since 1985, 1% of sales to the preservation and restoration of the natural environment.
Patagonia also stands apart for its purpose-focused storytelling. On its website and social media, Patagonia shares stories about how it uses its business to solve environmental problems, such as water quality, climate change, sustainability and fair trade issues.
In a statement for this blog, Patagonia expressed that “We hope this holiday season, people will shop with the planet in mind and be mindful of the social and environmental consequences of their purchases.”
Five Ways That Eco-Ethical Companies and Consumers Can Connect this Holiday Season (click to tweet)
If you follow this guide, more than likely your customers will repay you again and again by sharing their ethical shopping experience on their social media feeds.
- Get Certified. You're doomed to failure without trust. Notes Kyle Freund of Fairtrade America, “Studies increasingly show that people want to shop their values and expect businesses to act in the best interest of society. Many companies are responding to that call. Seeking out labels from independent certifiers, like Fairtrade, can help ensure that products meet rigorous standards for impact in communities around the world.”
- Align Yourself with other Brands that have DoneGood. The DoneGood Chrome extension and mobile app makes it easy to align with other brands that do good. It also makes it easy for consumers to reward companies that share their values. Be sure to check out #ShopForGoodSunday, the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
- Link a Specific Giving Activity to Your Product. For companies like TOMS that means for every product purchased, TOMS will help a person in need. One for One®.” By bringing their customers into the fold, not only do customers feel they are helping to make a difference in the world, but they’re also part of a larger TOMS community where they can share their Giving Story with others.
- Be Authentic and Remember It’s Not Always About You! Eileen Fisher, the largest women's fashion company to be certified as a B Corporation, is a business that truly lives it values through its commitment to empowering women and girls, human rights, changing the fashion industry, and creating a more sustainable future by becoming 100% sustainable by 2020.
- Taking a Story-Based Approach Makes You More Memorable with Your Customers. In addition to running their businesses in an open and transparent way, Patagonia is memorable because it engages with its customers on Twitter (369,000 followers) and Instagram (3.1m followers) and by providing interesting company stories about their impact, experiences, and ties to their customers’ own values. Are there aspects of your products that touch people's lives in a meaningful way? Are there videos, infographics, or other imagery you can use to tell your story?
How do you think eco-ethical companies can best reach customers this holiday season? What values do you line your purchases with? Do you prefer shopping online or going into the store for your purchases?
**Special thanks to Mark Frieden, President of Crossbow Strategies (@CrossBowStrat) and Alexandra McNair, Founder of Fashion FWD (@fashionfwdusa) for their contributions to this piece.