I’ve noticed a recent trend or at least it’s new to me - that ethical sourcing and sustainability are generally not selling points in most cases. It’s not the reason why people are buying a certain product or service. Interestingly, consumers today are not voting with their wallets for the more sustainable product but only with their conscience.

Which is a strong signal, and companies are starting to look at it (finally): you need to have a great product, and in most cases, you don’t need to communicate that it is sustainable unless you are certain that the customer will actually pay a premium for sustainability alone. Which is probably not the case 95% of the time. That number is made up, but it reflects my thoughts and conviction, so don’t quote me on that.

I can see that both in the consumer market as well as in the promo gifts industry.

For example, while consumers may express concern about environmental issues, they often prioritize price, convenience, and brand recognition when making purchasing decisions. Sustainable options may be overlooked if they don’t match up in these key areas.

People prefer better products and better brands over knowing that their cocoa is sustainably sourced or that the promo pen they are giving away to their customers is made of 100% biodegradable plastic.

I think that companies need to rethink the way they handle sustainability. They need to focus more on being better companies, more caring about the environment and their partners. They need to invest more in that direction, but they need to keep it quiet or at least not use it as a USP. Using sustainability as a USP drives away focus from the real USPs their products or services have, which most likely leads to fewer sales and eventually less impact in the right direction.

By integrating sustainability into their core business practices without making it a marketing gimmick, companies can make genuine progress while maintaining focus on their primary value propositions.