Designing sustainable behaviour

change:
An investigation into the design of
environmental messages and the role of new
media

Vanessa Stewart
Design Joint Honours
K0718047
FADA

HA3481: Design in Context III

Paul Micklethwaite
Word count: 2,556

January 14, 2010

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Designing sustainable behaviour change: An investigation into
the design of environmental messages and the role of new
media

I. Introduction

In 1985, the Coca-Cola Company took the biggest risk in the

history of their corporate existence. After conducting tastes with
200,000 consumers, they introduced a new formula for “the world’s
most popular soft drink” (see Figure 1). The result was a consumer
backlash unlike any the business world has ever seen. A few months
later, the original formula was back on the shelves (The Coca-Cola
Company 2006). Stories like these are a testament to the influence the
consumer holds over the products sold in stores. The only stronger
voice is the government, who continually regulate programmes to
benefit the environmental cause. In the same way, businesses are
adopting sustainable practice at a steady pace, in the face of
impending regulations and a new, more demanding and high-
expectation consumer. This leaves the consumer as the last piece of
the puzzle. To win over this consumer, a proliferation of charitable
campaigns, government programmes, ‘eco’ products, and ‘green’-
focused initiatives has saturated the marketing landscape within the
last decade.
Yet, despite the pervasiveness of the ‘green’ message, there
seems to be a baffling, if not paradoxical absence of consistent
commitment from the public. This is often referred to as the intention-
action gap. As green marketers, we ask: what have we been missing?
Furthermore, since the advent of the Internet and the social web,
traditional advertising strategies are being replaced with new media
initiatives. What role do the Internet and new media have in creating a
more effective message? And in what way can the design of ‘green’
marketing contribute to positive behaviour change?

II. Existing messaging channels

It might be said that the overall effectiveness of ‘green’

marketing on sustainable behaviour change is somewhat
disappointing as the majority of consumers have yet to adopt this
practice. To design new marketing techniques, it is useful to critically
analyse that which already exists. There appears to be four main
vehicles of the ‘green’ message present in the media and commercial
environment.

a. Government educational campaigns

First, take a look at government educational campaigns. This is a
promising avenue for the message, as the influence, funds, and
coverage available to the government are rarely topped. Take the Are
you doing your bit? campaign by the UK government that began in
1998 after the Kyoto negotiations a year earlier. It was an admirable

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recognition that, regardless of what climate change targets are
agreed, they can never fully be carried out without a change in the
actions of businesses and individuals. Fundamentally, the message
was good: “Every little thing I do makes a difference” (OECD 2000: 5).
However well-intended, this approach lacks enough relevance on a
personal level. Ecoalign (2005), an energy and environmental
marketing agency, argue that marketers pushing the ‘green’, energy
efficiency, conservation and sustainability message have created
“generic, washed-out messages that lack any real punch.” Indeed, all
human behaviour, even that which contributes to global warming, is
well-intended.

b. Big brand advertising

Big brand advertising is the second vehicle. As the expectations
of shareholders continue to rise, so does the pressure on corporations
to demonstrate their commitment to sustainability. Everywhere, big
brands are rolling out new ‘green’ marketing campaigns that are
incessant and ubiquitous. Cadbury’s Purple Goes Green campaign (see
Figure 2) that began in 2007 is the company’s initiative to reduce their
impact on global warming. Like many other companies introducing
sustainable practices, their motives are probably centred on the belief
that painting the company in a good light will ultimately result in
greater good will and stronger brand equity. Although the importance
of such initiatives should never be devalued, a reduction in carbon
emissions is not likely to convince people to buy more chocolate.

c. Charitable campaigning
Not-for-profit campaigns are another driving force for the ‘green’
message. Coming from an independent organisation, these campaigns
hold a level of credibility that would be difficult for business and
government to achieve. The recent 10:10 campaign, which aims to cut
ten percent of emissions by 2010, is a unique take on the traditional
‘green’ initiative. They have teamed up with organisations around the
globe and also have a dedicated micro-site on the Guardian’s website
to display their content. Unlike most charitable campaigns, this has
been a great attempt on a more simplistic grass roots level.
Furthermore, the 10:10 campaign has enabled people to fashionably
identify themselves with the cause through the creation of their
limited 10:10 metal tags (see Figure 3) salvaged from scrap metal. It
has attracted many celebrities and popular brands, such as Thom
York, Sara Cox, Microsoft, and Adidas. On the other hand, the
campaign falls short as it appeals to the ‘better nature’ of individuals
and organisations, with no real way of knowing whether the
participants will ever follow through on their commitments. At the end
of the day, making changes to reduce personal carbon emissions is
just another responsibility to worry about. Such a commitment could
easily turn out to be a ‘New Year’s resolution’ never carried through.

d. ‘Subvertising’

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 If traditional and respectable not-for-profit campaigning is not
enough to spur consumers to action, then a new form of activism
known as ‘subvertising’ must surely have value. Adbusters.org is an
excellent example of this new form of media. Tackling any issue from
“genetically modified foods to media concentration”, the organisation
uses creative media, spoof advertisements, and several campaigns,
such as the annual “Buy Nothing Day” to stir up a response from the
public. Just as the term suggests, these tactics are largely cynical and
anti-establishment. Undoubtedly, this will appeal to a specific segment
of the population – a segment that may not otherwise be reached
through conventional means. However, this approach also inherently
excludes the larger majority of people. And again, it employs the
‘information-awareness-action’ method fallaciously believed to be
generally effective.

III. What can design offer?

Certainly, the above case studies offer a valuable contribution to

generating awareness, but the question remains as to why the success
of conventional products has not been replicated with ‘green’ ones.
Viktor Papanek, in his book Design for the Real World, potentially
summed up both our problem and solution when he said: “Design is
the patterning and planning of any act toward a desired, foreseeable
end.” In the same way, an analysis of these methods reveals that most
have been designed, consciously or not, to produce the results they
are receiving. In fact, most of them use the basic method of lobbying
information. Whether it comes from the government, large
corporations, charities, or subversive organisations, people are largely
uninspired by facts and distant causes.

a. ‘Information’ is not the answer

Wendy Gordon (2002), author of Brand Green, discusses the
impact of the “circle of concern” versus the “circle of influence”. The
first pertains to those issues that concern us but are beyond our
personal control. This includes climate change, loss of natural
resources, and other sustainability issues. The second circle pertains
to our immediate environment, that which is within our power to
influence. This includes litter, graffiti, local education, and the health
of our families (Gordon 2002: 24). Put like this, it is easy to see why
people often feel environmental calls-to-action are ultimately
profitless.
The UK government’s Act On CO2 (actonco2.direct.gov.uk)
campaign is a good example (see Figure 5). The landing page of the
website has self-explanatory and leading navigation that negates the
need to dig deeper into the site: the first button is ‘Climate change:
the facts’ followed by ‘What you can do’, then ‘What government is
doing’, ‘What business is doing’, ‘Current campaigns’, and finally
‘About ACT ON CO2’. Before clicking anywhere into the site, it is clear
that the principal strategy is ‘information-awareness-action’.

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b. Personal and relevant messaging
Yet, surely if marketers can convince us to spend £500 on a
designer handbag, there must be a way to influence consumers to buy
‘green’. Gordon (2002) suggests that mass marketing tactics are the
best and possibly only way to send ‘green’ products mainstream. She
says: “We need to learn how to connect ‘green’ brands to the lives of
ordinary people” (Gordon 2002: 9). Take, for example, Texas’ Austin
Energy. In 2006, demand for their wind energy programme ‘Green
Choice’ outpaced supply. This was not the result of positioning the
premium-priced package as the admirable ‘right thing to do for the
environment’. Instead, it was the result of tying benefits into the
package that appealed to the lifestyles of their consumers, such as
public recognition in broadcast media and branding the programme as
“home grown” – thus appealing to the characteristic pride and loyalty
of Texans (Ottman, et al 2006: 30). This is perfectly in line with the
belief of Renzo Rosso, founder of the globally successful fashion and
lifestyle brand Diesel. He states: “Consumers need more subtle
motivations than ever to buy a certain brand. They have to identify
themselves with the product they are buying, with its lifestyle, its
attitude” (Pavit 2001: 64).

c. Points of parity
Sending ‘green’ products mainstream is not only achieved
through relating products to individual identity. Any kind of mass
marketing must include what is known as ‘points of parity’. These are
the “shared values between the target brand and its competitiors”
(Kellar 2006: 5). If ‘green’ brands wish to compete with conventional
ones, they must compete on these points. The US company Method
Products Inc. (www.methodproducts.com), which has just entered the
UK market, has achieved mass-market success in the relatively short
space of nine years (see Figure 6). This was attributed to placing their
household care products at a price level comparable to higher-end
conventional brands. For consumers, selecting the product with
environmental credibility is an easy decision when the price points are
the same.

d. Product quality
A further requirement of ‘green’ mainstreaming is product
quality. Simply put, if the quality of a product fails to be as good as or
better than conventional alternatives, people will not buy it. For
example, although organic milk may cost twice as much, increase in
sales has been exponential in recent years. This is largely due to the
growing negative publicity surrounding hormone-raised cows.
Moreover, a growing number of people purchase organic milk simply
because they claim it tastes better (Global Shades of Green 2008).
Even the mere belief that organic milk is better has returned positive
results for purveyors of the product.

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IV. The role of new media and communications

Yet, no matter how cleverly crafted the message, or how well a

‘green’ product meets the points of parity, the marketing landscape is
rapidly changing. With the advent of the Internet and new media has
come an opportunity to influence a more dramatic change in
consumer behaviour than ever before. Unlike in the 1950’s when a
placid, smiling blonde was enough to sell a bottle of Coke, the
consumer of the 21st century is increasingly skeptical and discerning.
Consumers have grown wary of commercial messages, turning to the
collective wisdom and experience of their friends and peers to learn
about products (Ottman, et al 2006: 33).

a. Leverage the ‘influencers’

This is why social networks and ‘blogging’ are exceptional tools
for corporate leverage. Where individuals share ideas, connect around
common interests, and spread their opinion of products, brands, and
corporations, it is possible to spread a corporate ‘agenda’. Seth Godin
(2002), author of Unleashing the Ideavirus, says: “We live in a world
where consumers actively resist marketing. So it’s imperative to stop
marketing at people. The idea is to create an environment where
consumers will market to each other.” The social web creates this
environment: one where good products will naturally rise to the
forefront, and where unsatisfactory companies will suffer greatly.
Brand advocates present a distinct opportunity for companies to win
the hearts of their target consumers. For example, when a blogger
forges a strong identity and authority over a subject area, followers
often become devout believers and subscribe to the blog’s content.
When a lifestyle or product is advocated, a perfectly suited audience is
reading about it – and converting – in near real-time.

b. Segment the audience

The ability to tailor a message to a particular audience is
another invaluable tool the social web offers. The endless amount of
media available to consumers today – such as the variety of
magazines – has caused information overload. As a result, traditional
advertisers are dealing with an irresolvable problem. No longer can
they reach a mass audience with any single communication. This is
one reason why the Super Bowl is able to charge what they do for a 15
second ad. On the social web, users convene around shared interests,
enabling organisations to communicate to an audience that is already
interested in their products. David Meerman Scott, author of The New
Rules of Marketing and PR, says to create “micro-sites”, each aimed at
a narrow target constituency. By implementing the right keywords,
users are reaching purpose-built landing pages replete with the
content they seek and the products that meet their needs.

c. Market with ‘permission’

Not only can a specific audience be targeted, but they can also

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be courted into offering their permission to build a relationship with
them. Godin (1999) defines advertising as “the science of creating and
placing media that interrupts the consumer and then gets him or her
to take some action.” In fact, every day, the average person is
exposed to over four hours of media (Godin 1999: 25-26). So how do
marketers break through all of the clutter and noise? Permission
marketing is a new concept of offering the consumer value before
demanding anything in return. Over time, using the attention offered
by the consumer and continually providing incentives, the marketer
can execute a curriculum, teaching the consumer about the products
or services they offer. The Concrete Network
(www.concretenetwork.com), for example, created a series of buyer
guides because they knew it would be useful to their market (Scott
2007: 22). In the long run, actions like these build the credibility and
authenticity of a company by providing value beyond commercial
exchange. However, permission marketing is a slow process and
requires genuine commitment and transparency from the given
company. Thus, it necessitates that the products or services be of
quality and live up to expectations. For this reason, permission
marketing is perfectly suited for ‘green’ companies seeking to reach
the right individuals.

V. Conclusion

In the face of our ‘green’ paradox, it is important to recognise

that the issue of sustainability requires mass-scale participation.
Consequently, there could never exist one remedy to influence
widespread behaviour change. A combination of approaches will be
necessary on a continual basis. Re-designing the message of
environmental product marketing is certainly a step in the right
direction. Furthermore, as we move into a society where information is
directed at us in excess, marketers need to reduce their ‘noise’ and
create purposeful, unique messages. Even so, ‘green’ brands will still
be unable to compete unless they are made available at an affordable
price, with comparable quality to conventional brands. Once marketers
begin to acknowledge this, new media provides an opportunity to
reach the right people; those who have consented to engage with the
company; and those who are keen to receive relevant products that
will reward and satisfy. This is the only ‘sustainable strategy’.