Increasing motivation for a sustainable future

Educating consumers on the sustainability story will go a long way to building future consideration for a sustainable home. However, what is also evident is that for most of us there is still a cost vs. conscience divide. Whilst there might be strong desire to opt for the sustainable option, costs are still a huge consideration and may end up nullifying any good intentions.  

This is even more exaggerated in current times, given the backdrop of the cost of living crisis that we are all facing. How do we cut through the noise to not only educate consumers, but really motivate them to act? 

This is when the message, and how it is delivered, plays a pivotal role. But to reiterate earlier comms, it is not a one-size-fits-all approach: it is fundamental that businesses truly understand their target audience to ensure that they talk to them in the most relevant, empathetic and effective way. It’s also vital to acknowledge that your consumers are not an homogenous lump with consistent views and motivators: we must be agile in our approach, flexing messaging accordingly to deliver the most compelling reasons to buy for your own individual consumers.  

Investing in research to test and learn what messages and channels resonate with your audience the most will help deliver an optimally effective campaign. This is especially true with digital channels now with the shift away from third-party cookies, and the likes of Meta leaning heavily on a creative-first approach to engage with their audience. Our research found that both Social Media and other online websites were the channels where people recalled seeing, and were most motivated by, sustainability content. Therefore, it is imperative that any messaging delivered in this space is as impactful as possible.  

As a start point, audience profiling of first-party data will help to grow an understanding of your database to develop tailored messaging. Or going one step further, investment in bespoke studies working with the likes of YouGov will provide the most in-depth findings into what really matters to your consumers and also what channels are most effective to reach them. 

In absence of either of these, there are a number of existing research tools and studies that can be used to provide insights. For example, Space & Time’s various property research products provide a thoroughly detailed analysis on the demographic makeup of certain locations, which can be overlayed with TGI (Target Group Index) data to yield insights such as prevailing Mosaic groups, likelihood to buy, views on sustainability and, vitally, media consumption.  

Likewise, research studies carried out through media partners can also offer invaluable learnings. For example, as a Google Premier Partner, Space & Time has access to bespoke brand health and awareness studies that can help you to understand current perceptions of your brand. Finally at the very simplest level, one very straightforward way that we can start to really understand what motivates consumers is simply by testing creative messaging within our current campaigns. For example, introducing A/B copy testing will help gain valuable insight into what messaging resonates most with our audience and has the greatest engagement.  

Once we have identified the most compelling message to engage our consumers, we can be increasingly targeted with how we deliver it. For instance, just as one example, working alongside data partners Space & Time are able to specifically pinpoint households by their EPC rating, creating a highly targeted channel to reach those that we know may be struggling with high energy bills with a cost savings led message. Alternatively running dynamic creative within social campaigns is an extremely effective way to ensure that the most optimum message is always delivered to the right audience, with messaging automatically delivered to people based on their interests, intent and actions. 

Ultimately, motivations will vary hugely by consumer, whether that’s money saving, sustainable features, or simply a desire to be more ethical. However, by putting the consumer at the heart of any communication, being empathetic in your tone and delivering the most relevant message to them, you can drive growth on the road to net zero. All done in a very sustainable way of course.