ESG Marketing

Before reading our top tips for putting your ESG initiatives at the heart of your marketing, make sure you check out last week’s post here, where we gave a run down of what ESG is. (And while you’re at it, check out the post before that about CSR for more context). 

We know that consumers today are more educated than ever before and expect more from the brands they support. Likewise, investors are on the hunt for investment opportunities that align with their own principles and concerns.

In order to satisfy these needs and catch the attention of potential customers and investors in your brand, we have come up with 4 tips to keep your ESG initiatives at the heart of your marketing:

1.

Know your audience

Gen Z are extremely tech savvy -- growing up with internet as a part of their lives, they know how to research quickly and make informed decisions. They are also quite typically on a budget as they are younger and less established. Baby boomers, on the other hand, have quite a large economic impact since they are generally more established and are less “on the fly” with decision making than the average Gen Z. These are just general examples, but it’s critical to remember who your audience is when planning your marketing techniques.

2.

Be authentic

Copying another brand’s ESG initiatives won’t get you far. Like we said – consumers are smart. Pick initiatives that will support YOUR brand and that align with your brand’s mission & values. You have a higher chance of catching someone’s attention and converting them to your brand if you find your own market niche. Since social media keeps us all connected, it would be very easy for someone to spot a copy-cat initiative or technique. 

If you see another brand doing something that you want to be a part of or use for your brand, make sure you give them credit, or even reach out and ask if they’d like to team up!

3.

Be transparent

ESG is a relatively new topic in the marketing world. It’s likely that your brand will just be adopting ESG initiatives and working out the kinks. Be honest with your audience about what is actually being done, what you strive to do in the future, and how you plan to get there. This can include check ins on Instagram, Facebook or a blog where you keep your audience informed about the actions being taken. Remember that ESG is constantly evolving and you will never have an “end point”!

4.

Be cautious of Greenwashing

Have you ever seen a company advertise their product in a green coloured container, with photos of leaves & a promise of “naturally derived ingredients”, and when you flip it over to read the ingredients, it’s the same as the other product that’s in regular packaging sold beside it? That would be greenwashing. Basically, it’s a company advertising their products to be environmentally friendly in order to appeal to the eco-conscious consumer. This is incredibly misleading and can actually cause more harm than good since consumers will lose their trust in you and may end up boycotting your brand. Use caution and only make promises that you can follow through on.

We hope you’ve found our last few blogs about ESG & CSR helpful, and that it’s inspired you to incorporate these new initiatives into your brand! 

Written by Katie Burcea