Procter & Gamble plans to “sing” about sustainability because it shifts its marketing focus to speak things which have an actual impact on customers’ lives.
The move comes as portion of P&G’s sustainability update, with its long-term vision to arrive 100 per cent renewable energy and nil waste going to landfill.
Speaking to Marketing Week, P&G’s director of world sustainability, Virginie Helias, said that starts with making sustainability part of innovation, which P&G is targeted directly to drive long-term growth. That’s a vital aspect of the P&G brand, with the firm shifting its marketing focus far from promotions to innovation.
“The holy grail is connecting sustainability with brand equity. If we don’t then it won’t attract our customers,” she said.
P&G is using multiple strategies to speak its sustainability message. Helias said on pack is a crucial medium, with consumers attempting to find information on environmental impact, comparable to whether waste is recyclable.
For other products, sustainability is integrated into advertising, with its cold wash campaign with Ariel running across multiple touchpoints including print, TV and online. Helias believes brands are important in educating consumers and getting them to modify their behaviour.
“Brands could make an education campaign resonate. Our “I prefer 30” campaign was 10 times more powerful since it included Ariel. It creates a link between what consumers buy and the way they behave,” she added.
Helias said it’s also important for P&G to speak its sustainability message since it is the 1st topic its customers desire to discuss after they engage with the logo online. She said that the extent of transparency was increasing dramatically, with the firm having to apply scientists and expert knowledge to reply to customers’ questions.
P&G released its 15th annual sustainability report yesterday (18 November), providing updates on areas including the surroundings, waste and social responsibility. Progress includes transitioning eight of its manufacturing sites within the UK to sending zero waste to landfill, while overall around the region 94.4 per cent of waste by tonnage is recycled.
Globally, the variety of laundry loads washed in cold water rose from 38 per cent to 50 per cent, mainly driven by a rise in Western Europe.