Consumers, and millennials in particular, are driving brands to be more socially responsible in all their marketing initiatives.  According to Neilson’s global sustainability report 66% of consumers are willing to spend more on a product if it comes from a sustainable brand. This number jumps to 73% for millennials who are hyper-engaged with socio-economic change.

Brands face the challenge of creating a marketing supply chain that combines brand innovation and consumer engagement whilst being empathetic to environmental needs. For packaging, where sustainability is considered the number one priority for many CEOs, this is a complex challenge.

Drinks brands, in particular, are working hard to address key factors affecting their sustainability footprint, including ethical sourcing, reusable and lightweight packaging, CO2 emissions and water waste reduction.

“Both the core product and packaging are becoming intrinsically linked in the mind of consumers, who are now also conscious of brand commitments to sustainable livelihoods and habitat conservation as well as responsible sourcing…… the packaging industry need to include these elements in their external communications”.

Liz Wilks, European Director for Sustainability at Asia Pulp & Paper

Do Good and Talk About It

There are a number of brand’s leading the line in the race for sustainability, here are a few of the best examples….

Coca-Cola recently launched a daring new consumer summer campaign (June 2019), in Belgium and the Netherlands, with the tagline “Don’t buy Coca-Cola if you don’t help us recycle”. Coca-Cola Director, BeLux Etienne Gossart says; “We have to reduce the use of packaging and insist that everything – also plastic – is returned. The future, we think, is circular: every used packaging can be turned into a new one” (retaildetail.eu).

In their “pursuit of a better tomorrow”, Carlsberg has created the new Snap Pack, which reduces plastic usage through innovative glue technology. No more plastic rings, only small pieces of developed glue to hold the cans together. This technique is robust enough to handle passage through the supply chain but can easily be snapped apart for recycling. This initiative will reduce the group’s plastic usage by more than 1200 tonnes per year.

Alistair Gaunt, UK Sales VP; “The new Snap Pack is a revolutionary new way of responsibly packaging Carlsberg Export – and we know that sustainability is as much a priority for retailers as it is for us, and of course shoppers.”

Saltwater Brewery, a Florida based micro-brewery, have developed a biodegradable six-pack holder made from leftover barley and hops in the beer-making process. Chris Gove, co-founder says “Instead of killing animals, our packing design will provide them with food”. It’s hoped this sustainability initiative will combat the growing problem of ocean plastic pollution.

To see how Brand has helped the likes of Coca-Cola, Diageo and SAB Miller with their packaging development or to discuss a specific project, please contact us at enquiries@brandims.com