How to Craft the Most Effective Sustainability Messaging
In our last article we discussed the top five reasons why it’s still important for organizations of all sizes to speak up about their sustainability achievements. But what if you’re already on board with communicating your sustainability accomplishments and simply need more specific guidance on how to do it? In this article, we're diving into the top three most effective and research-backed approaches to crafting and sharing sustainability messaging.
1. Pair scientific certifications with consumer-relevant messaging.
Based on findings from the New York University Stern Center for Sustainable Business (CSB) report entitled “A Best Practice Guide to Effective Sustainability Communications,” one of the most potent ways to enhance sustainability messaging is by linking third-party certifications and scientific evidence to the outcomes that matter most to consumers.
While certifications such as "SCS Indoor Air Quality Certified" or "SCS Sustainably Grown Certified" demonstrate credibility and transparency, their impact is significantly amplified when paired with clear and relatable messaging that speaks specifically to the consumer or client.
For example, instead of merely stating that a product is recognized as Indoor Air Quality Certified, companies can emphasize how certification translates into actual benefits, such as improving occupant health by avoiding off gassing of toxic fumes indoors, which results in cleaner air for family homes and office workers. SCS Sustainably Grown certified products can mean higher quality food that was grown on farms that treat workers fairly, use best farming practices, and promote biodiversity.
The CSB report emphasizes that today’s climate-conscious consumers need a compelling reason to care. By mapping the technical achievements of certifications onto tangible benefits relevant to consumers’ lives, companies can strike a balance between credibility and relatability. This approach ensures that sustainability claims resonate with audiences and build long-term trust and loyalty among consumers.
2. Sustainability claims are most effective when targeting specific demographics and psychographics.
In 2022, Forbes reported that if members of Generation Z (Gen Z) don’t “agree with the morals of a company, many of them will boycott the products completely and get their friends to do so as well.”
The findings of the CSB study emphasize this point as well.
Knowing the specific audiences your company’s products and services aim to reach is essential, but recognizing demographics and psychographics when developing strategies and messaging to share sustainability achievements is of even greater value.
Consumer research conducted by First Insight and the Baker Retailing Center at the University of Pennsylvania in 2021 shows the “power that Gen Z consumers have over older generations to influence purchasing decisions around sustainability.” Reporting on the research, Business Wire explains that “Fully three-quarters of Gen Z consumers said that sustainability was more important to them than the brand name when making purchase decisions. As a result of Gen Z’s influence over their Gen X parents on this issue, Gen X consumers’ preference to shop sustainable brands increased by 24 percent, and their willingness to pay more for sustainable products increased by 42 percent since 2019.”
The same study found that while the majority of respondents across every generation expect retailers and brands to be more sustainable, there is no clear consensus on what “sustainability” actually means. This leaves plenty of opportunities for education and awareness around tangible sustainability achievements. Similarly, PDI Technologies’ 2023 Business of Sustainability Index noted that while 74% of consumers care about the environmental impact of the products they buy, 79% of consumers can’t identify “sustainability.” In other words, consumers want an easier way to identify environmentally friendly companies and products and to understand why and how sustainability claims are true. 53% of those consumers suggest clearer language be used on products, and 40% would like to see independent, third-party validation of sustainability claims.
3. Effective sustainability messaging and product claims reflect what consumers prioritize: themselves, their families, and their communities — and they’re willing to pay for sustainability.
CSB found that companies can best resonate with consumers by using language that focuses on what consumers value most: themselves, their families, and local communities. Market research expands the significance of these findings, showing that certain consumers are actually willing to pay more for products and services that are sustainable and beneficial to their communities.
Across the business-to-business realm, companies can leverage certifications to verify their sustainability claims. While the strength and truth of sustainability claims are often confirmed through a third-party certification process, communicating the achievement clearly to the target demographic can help to ease understanding and encourage sustainable purchasing decisions.
For instance, Health Product Declarations (HPDs) for building materials provide a full disclosure of the potential chemicals of concern in products by comparing product ingredients to a set of priority “hazard” lists based on the GreenScreen for Safer Chemicals and additional lists from other government agencies. Strategically crafting messaging about these safer product ingredients, for example, helps consumers understand why certification requirements and sustainability claims are true and worth choosing over other products and services that may not have any verifiable sustainability claims at all.
Empower Your Brand with Effective Sustainability Messaging
Crafting successful sustainability messaging begins with credible certifications and translates technical achievements into tangible consumer benefits. By aligning claims with what matters most to targeted audiences — personal well-being, family, and community — companies build trust and inspire action. Ultimately, sharing clear, engaging, and relevant messages about your third-party verifications of sustainability achievements are essential. Today’s consumers are more willing than ever to support and pay for genuinely sustainable choices.
Want more insights into the most effective ways to craft sustainability messages? Be sure to read our in-depth discussion of the CSB report written by our Client Marketing Services experts.
SCS Global Services provides a wide range of client marketing solutions and, for the past four decades, has worked with clients ranging from local businesses to multi-national corporations to relate certification claims to specific, positive outcomes for people and communities around the world.
If your company needs assistance with building brand equity through the promotion of your sustainability certifications, schedule a meeting with an SCS Client Marketing Services Team Member today to look into the different options and messaging that could positively impact your brand.
