In today’s shopper economy, sustainability continues to influence consumers, with 46 percent saying they take environmental protection into account when selecting a product. Yet consumers express difficulty in knowing if a company is genuine, with a mere 25 percent trusting in the environmental claims made by brands.
If there’s no clear indication that a product is sustainable, it becomes difficult to convert intention to purchase – consumers will ask: is this really sustainable, or is this just another example of greenwashing? To connect with consumers on sustainability, consider leveraging your brand’s green product attributes.
What Are Green Product Attributes?
Green attributes are product elements that a shopper can engage with to align their personal shopping philosophies with your brand, its mission, and its products. With the right certification, distributors, brands, and retailers can better connect with consumers by providing educational data about a product and its composition, driving them toward a purchase.
Beyond the consumer mindset, these attributes offer transparency around your manufacturing process, and place your organization within the broader conversation surrounding corporate environmental sustainability goals – in turn, reinforcing a positive brand image that can set you apart from competitors.
73 percent of global consumers say that it’s important for companies to take environmentally responsible actions. According to GfK Green Gauge research, labeling is one of the most trusted sources of information for consumers to evaluate a product’s environmental impact – with most generally ranking labeling No. 1 or No. 2.
But how can your brand effectively showcase sustainable products to align with the eco-conscious consumer?
How to Obtain Eco-Friendly Certifications as a Seller
Consumers decide on the right purchase based on product content such as titles, marketing text, images, videos, enhanced content, VR imagery, and other elements. Most sellers will also state if a product meets industry certifications, conserves energy, and informs consumers that a product is truly a sustainable option.
The different industry and government certifications available signify that a product has been reviewed and verified. These certifications are often altered to account for change, such as industry updates and technological advancement. Some certifications are mandated, some not. For example, Energy Star is a global certification that considers a set of standards from the EPA that measures a product’s overall impact on the environment – including water and energy usage. Other certifications include TCO Certified, GreenGuard, EU Ecolabel, and WaterSense.
Manufacturers are encouraged – if not required – to acquire some of these product certifications. For retailers and distributors, it is a smart decision to display them in a way that allows consumers to compare other products that might meet their needs, personal preferences, or desired level of eco-friendliness. For instance, a consumer should be able to search for all dryers with an Energy Star certification, empowering them to make informed comparisons based on similar measurements and criteria.
This shift towards sustainability is not confined to the consumer level alone. Government and corporate buyers alike are taking active steps to procure products that adhere to renewable energy standards and incorporate a specific level of recycled material. This broader commitment to sustainability is shaping the entire supply chain, from the manufacturer to the end consumer.
Where to Show Sustainable Product Attributes
Most sellers include their sustainable attributes in the technical specification section of a product’s webpage. Along with these attributes come standard details most consumers seek, such as the size of a product, the weight, and other general specs.
Other sellers will display green attributes using enhanced content, also referred to as A+ content or rich content. Enhanced content is a freeform way to display product information that gives brands free rein to display graphics, images, and videos – bringing a product to life using a visual story. These forms of enhanced content often show icons and graphics indicating that a product is sustainable or has received a particular certification.
Given the rising demand for sustainable options, lacking green attributes on your products means missing a large segment of potential consumers and corporate buyers who are looking to make environmentally friendly purchases.
About GfK Etilize
This article was contributed by GfK Etilize – a leading provider of product data to manufacturers, distributors, and retailers worldwide. To learn more about how you can empower your e-commerce endeavors by harnessing the power of green attributes, visit https://www.etilize.com/sustainable-attributes
To contact GfK Etilize, visit this site.
