What research on the S word reveals about bringing everyone on board. Based on a global study of sustainability attitudes that I led while Global Climate Lead at C Space, London.
I’ll start with a confession from someone who’s spent a good chunk of her career on climate: I think the word “sustainability” is getting in the way.
Not the thing itself. The thing itself matters more than ever. But the word has become so loaded, so heavy with guilt, cost and culture war baggage, that for a lot of people it’s a signal to switch off.
That’s not just a hunch. When I led The ‘S’ Word study at C Space, we spoke to more than 4,000 people across 11 markets, and the data kept pointing to the same conclusion.
“Perhaps a better way to talk about ‘sustainability’ is not to talk about it at all.”
Gemma Butler, ‘Can Marketing Save The Planet?’
Nobody really knows what it means
Across markets, two in every three people told us they don’t really know what it means to be “sustainable”.
So when brands lead with the S word, they’re leading with something most of their audience can’t define, doesn’t trust, and often associates with paying more, getting less and being told off.
2 in 3 people admit they don’t really know what it means to be “sustainable”
Two-thirds of people believe brands will charge more for eco-friendly products even when production costs stay the same. And 39% of people told us they increasingly feel guilty about some of the things they buy. That’s not a great starting point for a love affair!
The sceptics are already doing it
This is the finding I come back to again and again.
We surveyed 972 people who described themselves as climate sceptics or deniers in the UK, US, Germany and China. Up to 70% of them regularly do things we’d class as sustainable. 69% choose energy-efficient appliances and bulbs. 69% reduce plastic by reusing bags and bottles. 67% recycle their household waste.
Up to 70% of climate sceptics and deniers already behave “sustainably”
Why? Not because they want to save the planet. Because it saves them money, preserves their resources, makes them feel savvy, or simply makes life a bit better.
Energy-efficient appliances cut bills. Eating less meat feels healthier. Buying secondhand is fun and a bit of a treasure hunt. Solar panels give you some independence from unpredictable energy markets (and, as one person put it, the satisfaction of beating the system!).
The benefits got them there. The label didn’t.
“I don’t really have a problem with why they’re trying to do it, I have a problem with how they’re doing it - telling us what to do, talking to us like we’re idiots.”
Alec, Climate Sceptic, UK
What everyone wants: the good life
Whatever people’s views on climate, we found they have far more in common than not when they imagine a good life for themselves and their kids. Health, food and water, affordable housing and education, financial security, time with the people they love.
So what if sustainability wasn’t the message, but the engine behind the message?
Tastier local and seasonal food. A smoother, quieter drive. Lower bills. Kinder products that actually work. Sustainability as “more than”, not “less than”.
“I see more benefit than cost... It’s indeed better for the world. Why not benefit from it as well?”
Kit, Early Adopter, Hong Kong
This is how you bring in everyone, wherever they are on the journey. The committed will still find you (they always do), and the people who’d roll their eyes at a green badge come along for the benefits.
But your starting point matters
Here’s the nuance. Leading with benefits doesn’t mean hiding what you’re doing. The research was clear that saying something beats saying nothing, and “greenhushing” can be just as damaging as overclaiming.
What it does mean is that how you talk about it, and how you show up, should depend on where you’re starting from.
In the report we mapped out five brand roles:
Pioneers (think Patagonia) put sustainability front and centre because it IS the brand.
Leaders use their scale and influence to shift a whole category.
Challengers poke fun at industry norms and take on the big guns.
Reformers come from industries with a poor track record, so honesty and humility are everything.
Pragmatists get on with it behind the scenes and let the everyday benefits do the talking.
Most mainstream brands, I’d argue, will find themselves somewhere in Pragmatist territory, and that’s no bad thing. Trying to be Patagonia when you’re not is a fast track to greenwashing accusations.
Octopus Energy is a lovely example. Plenty of people know them for good prices and great service first. The renewables are almost a bonus, and the people who care most discover the deeper stuff for themselves.
“They’re cheaper. And of course they’re sustainable. I don’t have to care about it, but I’m just saying it is.”
Clive, Climate Sceptic, UK, on Octopus Energy
That’s a climate sceptic recommending a renewable energy company. If that’s not a win, I don’t know what is :-)
So what now?
If you’ve always had a gut feeling that the S word wasn’t working for your customers, the data backs you up.
The question isn’t “Do our customers care about sustainability?” It’s “How can more responsible products connect with our customers’ idea of a better life?”
Ask that, work out which role you can credibly play, and you can stop preaching to the choir and start talking to everyone.
“The vast majority of people don’t buy sustainability, so let’s stop trying to sell it to them.”
“This is a great piece of work. I have shared with my whole team. We have been grappling with how we “frame” our sustainability approach with our clients and have started to walk away from the S word, so this gives us a clear route forwards.”
Denise Hicks is the founder of Ready Or Not, a strategy, innovation and insight consultancy based in South London. With 25 years’ experience under her belt, she helps brands get closer to what people really need, and turn it into products, services and communications that work for people and planet. Denise also chairs Climate Action Lewisham.
The ‘S’ Word was a C Space study, which Denise led during her time there as Global Climate Lead. The award-winning research covered 11 markets and explored how people respond to sustainability.
