Stephanie Caun says that companies making “ethical” products must be careful not to exclude the mainstream consumer.
Cracking the non-ethical consumer can be a tricky feat for social business. At present, a number of surveys have shown that only a small niche part of the market is willing to part with their cash for a more sustainable product. Outside of this niche is the consumer for whom social and ecological benefits are not big factors in purchasing decisions – the non-ethical consumer (for want of a better term).
Sustainability marketing myopia occurs where the core message of branding is purely a sustainability one, resulting in a perceived message to the mainstream consumer of an inferior product – for example the assumption that Fairtrade coffee might taste more bitter, or that environmentally-friendly washing powder might not get your clothes quite as clean. Unilever is one large company which has struggled with this problem – consumers have been reluctant to buy products in refillable pouches, since they see no direct benefit to themselves.
As a result of this conundrum, I am always interested when I come across companies with a social cause that have succeeded in capturing the attentions of the non-ethical consumer and made it into the mainstream.
Recently I attended an event hosted by Ben & Jerry’s on the subject of Ethical Fashion, part of a series of events showcasing some of the UK’s most successful ethical entrepreneurs, where I came across one such company. I always enjoy hearing from passionate and inspiring ethical entrepreneurs, but it was Kresse Wesling, the entrepreneur behind the label Elvis and Kresse that really made me sit up on this particular occasion. If you are not already familiar with the company, they make high quality life-style accessories (belts, bags, purses) out of decommissioned British fire brigade hoses, otherwise destined for landfill. These hoses are collected from across the UK and as a thank you to the fire brigade, 50% of profits go to the Fire Fighter’s Charity. The business, which started with a £40 investment into a rotary cutting tool to start cutting up the hose, are now stocked in selected stores and boutiques in Europe, Asia and the US.
What I found particularly impressive was that this innovative social business has had such success in the fashion world: their products can now be found on the shelves of Harrods, and featured in magazines including one of their belts worn by Cameron Diaz on the front cover of US Vogue.
Elvis and Kresse have successfully captured two types of consumer. While the pioneering and eco-friendly business model speaks to ethically conscious consumers, it is clear their products are by no means inferior: the sophisticated and classic branding of the products appeal directly to the mainstream.
The lesson here for social businesses is that they must ensure they do not overlook customer satisfaction in pursuit of sustainability branding. If the message is purely a feel-good one, then the direct benefit to the consumer from the product can get lost. In the 1990s, H&M launched an organic cotton collection called Nature Calling. However, the marketing focus was “more about sustainability than fashion”, and the clothes failed to sell. Today, H&M is the biggest user of organic cotton in the world, through its Conscious Collection – focused on “great fashion with the added bonus of sustainable materials”.
This is not to say that businesses should keep quiet about sustainability. Instead, they need to take a multi-level approach: there should be enough information available for ethical consumers, without excluding everyone else. If sustainability is to become truly mainstream, it cannot simply be the “right” choice – it must be the desirable one too.
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