Sustainability Blindness
Why Good Intentions Aren't Enough
Posted 25.11.18
We hear the word sustainability everywhere. Branding, advertising, packaging – it’s the buzzword ‘du jour’, used to describe everything from carbon offsets to compostable wrappers to vague promises of being “better for the planet”.
But here’s the problem: when everyone’s claiming it, no one’s cutting through.
Do all these brands truly understand what sustainability means for them? More importantly, do their audiences? When every product on the shelf wraps itself in green, the message loses all meaning. The result?
Sustainability blindness.
But here’s the problem: when everyone’s claiming it, no one’s cutting through.
Do all these brands truly understand what sustainability means for them? More importantly, do their audiences? When every product on the shelf wraps itself in green, the message loses all meaning. The result?
Sustainability blindness.
The Blind Leading the Blind
You might have a genuinely brilliant product making a real positive impact. But that’s not always how consumers see it. They’ve heard it all before, countless brands draped in eco-credentials with little substance behind the claims. Over time, audiences have become skeptical, even cynical.
Simply stating you’re doing good isn’t good enough anymore.
To stand out, brands need to go beyond the claim and show consumers what they’re doing and why it matters, not just to the planet, but to them.
Simply stating you’re doing good isn’t good enough anymore.
To stand out, brands need to go beyond the claim and show consumers what they’re doing and why it matters, not just to the planet, but to them.
From Message to Meaning
The challenge today isn’t convincing people that sustainability matters. It’s showing them what it means in their everyday lives.
Consumers don’t want to decode brand manifestos or wade through vague mission statements. They want to see tangible value, how your purpose connects to their experience, their choices, their world.
This is where storytelling, design and strategy need to align. A brand with meaning doesn’t just say it’s sustainable. It feels sustainable in the way it looks, sounds and behaves.
Consumers don’t want to decode brand manifestos or wade through vague mission statements. They want to see tangible value, how your purpose connects to their experience, their choices, their world.
This is where storytelling, design and strategy need to align. A brand with meaning doesn’t just say it’s sustainable. It feels sustainable in the way it looks, sounds and behaves.
Brands That Get It Right
Corona: Purpose That Fits Like a Glove
Corona's beach conservation activism is a masterclass in authentic brand alignment. For decades, the brand has been synonymous with beach culture - that iconic image of a Corona bottle with a lime wedge, condensation dripping down the glass, sand between your toes. When they launched their "Protect Paradise" campaign and committed to cleaning 100 islands by 2020, it didn't feel like a marketing stunt. It felt inevitable.
The genius? They turned their consumers into co-activists. Beach clean-ups became social events. Limited-edition packaging featured marine life illustrations. Every touchpoint reinforced the same message: if you love beaches, help us protect them.
The sustainability narrative wasn't bolted on, it was woven into the brand experience. Consumers didn't just buy beer; they bought into a movement that made sense for a brand they already associated with coastal living.
Patagonia: When Sustainability IS the Brand
Patagonia doesn't do sustainability as a side project, it's their entire reason for existing. Their "Don't Buy This Jacket" campaign is legendary precisely because it was so counterintuitive. A brand telling you not to buy their product? In a Black Friday ad, no less? It was bold, uncomfortable, and completely authentic.
But it's the follow-through that matters. Patagonia's Worn Wear programme actively encourages customers to repair, reuse and recycle their gear rather than buy new. They publish detailed supply chain transparency reports. They donate 1% of sales to environmental causes (and have done since 1985, long before it was trendy). When they sued the Trump administration over national monument protections, it wasn't performative, it was consistent with everything they'd ever stood for.
The result? A brand with cult-like loyalty. Consumers trust them because Patagonia's actions match their words, year after year, even when it's commercially inconvenient. Their sustainability isn't a claim - it's their identity.
Who Gives A Crap: Making Sustainability Accessible (and Fun)
Who Gives A Crap took one of the most mundane products imaginable - toilet paper - and turned it into a force for good. They donate 50% of profits to build toilets and improve sanitation in developing countries. But what really sets them apart is how they communicate it.
The tone is cheeky, irreverent and fun. Bright, boldly patterned packaging makes the product feel like a lifestyle choice rather than a bathroom necessity. Their website is transparent about the impact: "X million people helped," "X toilets built." No vague promises, just clear numbers. They've built a community around the idea that even your most boring household purchases can make a difference.
The lesson? Sustainability doesn't have to be serious or preachy. Who Gives A Crap proves that when you connect purpose to product in a way that's genuine and engaging, people don't just buy from you - they want to tell their friends about you.
What do these brands have in common?
They’ve connected their purpose to a real, tangible narrative that resonates with their audience. They’re not just claiming sustainability, they’re living it, visually and verbally, it’s baked into their brand DNA.
Corona's beach conservation activism is a masterclass in authentic brand alignment. For decades, the brand has been synonymous with beach culture - that iconic image of a Corona bottle with a lime wedge, condensation dripping down the glass, sand between your toes. When they launched their "Protect Paradise" campaign and committed to cleaning 100 islands by 2020, it didn't feel like a marketing stunt. It felt inevitable.
The genius? They turned their consumers into co-activists. Beach clean-ups became social events. Limited-edition packaging featured marine life illustrations. Every touchpoint reinforced the same message: if you love beaches, help us protect them.
The sustainability narrative wasn't bolted on, it was woven into the brand experience. Consumers didn't just buy beer; they bought into a movement that made sense for a brand they already associated with coastal living.
Patagonia: When Sustainability IS the Brand
Patagonia doesn't do sustainability as a side project, it's their entire reason for existing. Their "Don't Buy This Jacket" campaign is legendary precisely because it was so counterintuitive. A brand telling you not to buy their product? In a Black Friday ad, no less? It was bold, uncomfortable, and completely authentic.
But it's the follow-through that matters. Patagonia's Worn Wear programme actively encourages customers to repair, reuse and recycle their gear rather than buy new. They publish detailed supply chain transparency reports. They donate 1% of sales to environmental causes (and have done since 1985, long before it was trendy). When they sued the Trump administration over national monument protections, it wasn't performative, it was consistent with everything they'd ever stood for.
The result? A brand with cult-like loyalty. Consumers trust them because Patagonia's actions match their words, year after year, even when it's commercially inconvenient. Their sustainability isn't a claim - it's their identity.
Who Gives A Crap: Making Sustainability Accessible (and Fun)
Who Gives A Crap took one of the most mundane products imaginable - toilet paper - and turned it into a force for good. They donate 50% of profits to build toilets and improve sanitation in developing countries. But what really sets them apart is how they communicate it.
The tone is cheeky, irreverent and fun. Bright, boldly patterned packaging makes the product feel like a lifestyle choice rather than a bathroom necessity. Their website is transparent about the impact: "X million people helped," "X toilets built." No vague promises, just clear numbers. They've built a community around the idea that even your most boring household purchases can make a difference.
The lesson? Sustainability doesn't have to be serious or preachy. Who Gives A Crap proves that when you connect purpose to product in a way that's genuine and engaging, people don't just buy from you - they want to tell their friends about you.
What do these brands have in common?
They’ve connected their purpose to a real, tangible narrative that resonates with their audience. They’re not just claiming sustainability, they’re living it, visually and verbally, it’s baked into their brand DNA.
From Blindness to Belief
Sustainability blindness isn't a sign people have stopped caring. It's proof that brands need to stop talking and start showing. Consumers are still listening, but only to the ones who give them something real to believe in.
The future isn't about shouting "we're sustainable" louder than the competition. It's about proving it quietly, consistently, and creatively. When your story, visuals and purpose align, sustainability stops being a buzzword and becomes a belief.
This is exactly what our Brand Grounding Program helps brands uncover, the narrative that connects purpose to product, and gives your audience something real to believe in.
The future isn't about shouting "we're sustainable" louder than the competition. It's about proving it quietly, consistently, and creatively. When your story, visuals and purpose align, sustainability stops being a buzzword and becomes a belief.
This is exactly what our Brand Grounding Program helps brands uncover, the narrative that connects purpose to product, and gives your audience something real to believe in.
