*This Blog Post was written during my Masters Degree*

There is no better time than now to talk about sustainability! You would have to have been living under a rock to have avoided the recent political talks about the environment and what we can do to help combat climate change. Consumers are becoming increasingly aware about their social responsibilities and how their own purchasing behaviour has an impact on the environment .

So what does V by Laura Vann, Dettol, Adidas , and REN Skincare have in common ? They are all aiming to be more sustainable and changing the way consumers buy! I will be using consumer psychology to discuss the companies mentioned and explain how they are shifting to a sustainable business model, through brand ethos, pricing, matching consumers values, and packaging.

First off, let’s start with V by Laura Vann. This jewellery brand’s ethos is to provide long lasting, sustainable pieces. Their recent ‘Keep’ collection was designed to be both sustainable, by using recycled silver and to make the pieces have a permanent place in your personal jewellery collection.  

With the company making it their ethos to be sustainable,  they are fighting against the rising trend of throwaway ‘fast fashion’. The ‘fast fashion’ industry has adopted unsustainable production techniques to keep up with high consumer demand and the rising cost of production. This leaves a strain on both society and the environment. To counter this a new movement called ‘slow fashion’ has arrived. This incorporates social responsibility with the aim of sustainability. An exploratory study investigated the consumer perception on ‘slow fashion’. It found that consumers are slowly starting to invest in long time piece rather than the one of item.

Yet, transparency is the key to authentically communicating with the consumer about the production process of fashion items. V by Laura Vann is a perfect example, as the brand states their ethos, the consumer is therefore able to make an informed purchase decision.

The next company I will be discussing is Dettol! The first time I came across the Dettol refillable packets was in the London Underground. Three things came to mind, firstly, ‘wow what a great idea!” Secondly, ‘why have they just thought just this now?’ Thirdly, from a consumer psychology perspective how would you get buyers to incorporate these refillable packets in their shopping habits?

Dettol has encouraged consumers to buy the refillables by offering a reduction in price. The Dettol spray costs £2.50 (750ml) compared to the Dettol refill costs £2 (1.2L). When a consumer is able to easily calculate a discount price and the amount saved, they associate a positive response to the product Also by changing their packaging their products meet the current demand of consumers need for sustainability. Both these factors encourage consumers to buy their new products. Adidas is the second largest manufacturer in Europe, and they have partnered with Parley to create an ‘Ocean Plastic’ range of shoes and clothes. These items are created from upcycled marine plastic waste.

Adidas have been resourceful by creating a line of products which match up with the values of their consumers, as a consumer will choose a brand that matches similar values to their own . Having the items being created from plastic follows in line with consumer need for sustainability. This will then positively reinforce the consumer to continue shopping at Adidas as they will believe that they are buying products for a good cause and a product that matches their personal value. Adidas have firstly introduced a new product to their consumers which is sustainable sourced, but have also created a new range of  environmentally conscience consumer who will invested in products which do not damage the environment.

The last company I am going to talk about is REN Skincare. Their objective is to be a clean company; this means no waste, and no chemicals in their skincare products. Also a large part of the REN Skincare brand is that they are aiming to have their packaging 100% recyclable by 2021.

All of REN products clearly define how and what parts are recyclable. By having the products labelled as being recyclable it influence the consumers purchasing decision. This is an important part of REN Skincare brand which differentiates them from other skin care brands, especially as one third of consumers favoured environmentally labelled packaging. REN Skincare have created the perfect balance of using their packaging to represent both their objectives to use clean products, but also to remain clean to the environment.

Hopefully, in the next coming years there will be more companies who are aiming towards sustainable produced products.