Brands have a responsibility to lead us into a more sustainable world

The year 2023 marks the halfway point in the achievement of the 17 globally formulated Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which were adopted by all 193 member states of the United Nations in 2015. It is hardly surprising that the mid-term results are sobering. Now we can look in the direction of politicians or business leaders. But if we are honest with ourselves, we also know that each of us could do more - every day. Ride more bikes and public transport instead of cars, take a recyclable vegetable net when shopping, use environmentally friendly cleaning products, take shorter and colder showers and reduce fish and meat on our plates. To name just a few examples of a more resource-conserving everyday life. Anyone who feels slightly stressed by this list or who hears a quiet groan inside has a good excuse: We humans are not made for change. Especially not when it comes to our everyday routines. 

Man is a creature of habit

Why do we find it so difficult to change behavior? Why is it not enough to be determined or to be aware of the consequences? 

Put simply, in order to break habits, we have to penetrate the deepest layers of our brain, the limbic system. This is where all our long-practiced and learned processes are stored. This is where we find, so to speak, the morning grip on the car key or the recipe that has meat or fish as its main ingredient. These habits are so deeply anchored that we can switch into autopilot every now and then. This saves us energy and protects us from decision overload or stimulus overload. So the autopilot has a good function for now, but it is a hindrance when we want to change our daily routines. 

So where can we find incentives, inspiration, triggers or even temptations that reach us on an emotional and implicit level? Where can we find starting points to make it less stressful to actually translate our sustainable will into sustainable behavior?

Now brands come into play

We make decisions every day with the help of brands. When we reach for the supermarket shelf or fill our digital shopping basket, when we choose our mobility and in our daily grooming routine. What do I identify with? How would I like to be? What feeling do I want to associate myself with? These everyday decisions are not usually moments of great deliberation or fact-checking. They are made quickly, but can have a big impact. Brands have the power to motivate people to make more sustainable decisions - every day. And this gives them a special responsibility on the road to a more sustainable world. 

We could arrive much faster at a sustainable everyday life

A wonderful example of a brand taking responsibility is Unicorn. On the taboo period products shelf, Unicorn's branding style puts an entire product category in the shade and extends an invitation to a fun, more sustainable world that cannot be overlooked.

Tampons made from 100 percent organic cotton, on which "I'm going in there now! Over." or "Spotless through the night" definitely make you curious about other unicorn products and are perhaps the first step towards an even more sustainable menstrual cup (unicorn product name worth mentioning: Papperlacup).

Unfortunately, there are also brands that pretend or better said "claim", sustainable, natural, climate-optional CO2-neutral or good for the environment. For example, some advertise with the statement "No solid microplastic" on their skin care products. But even if these products are not solid, they may still contain liquid microplastics that are just as harmful to the environment. This is absurd, smells suspiciously of deliberate deception, and weakens trust in brands overall.

It will be exciting when the draft directive is "Green Claim Directive" of the EU Commission comes into force. This directive lays down precise requirements for environmental product claims, as well as a system of verification and sanctions. Will this finally put an end to obfuscation, lack of scientific evidence, and unclear or ill-defined terms such as "environmentally friendly"?

Now is the chance for a new role

Now is the time for brands, brand managers and brand builders to demonstrate their raison d'être, their relevance and their impact. Now is the time for brands to ensure that sustainable branding is no longer seen as just painting green, communicating intentions, or resource-saving brand management - but as a sound and impact-oriented sustainability strategy that defines in concrete terms how brands contribute to more sustainable choices. Now brands can step into the pioneer:in role and lead us into a more sustainable everyday life.

A role that would suit brands well, but for which not only the brands and the companies and people behind them are solely responsible. We brand consultants, strategists and designers are equally responsible. It is our task to accompany brands and companies with all our abilities when they step into this role. By using our creativity as a visionary ability. By finding the decisive insight in people's everyday lives. By staging brands and products irresistibly. By making change tangible and accessible for companies and people. Together we can do that.

*About the author: Marle-Maria Janßen is Executive Strategy Director and Associated Partner at MUTABOR and responsible for the agency's strategy expertise. After completing her dual studies in media and communications at DHBW Ravensburg with ZDF as a partner company, she started her career at Ogilvy and MetaDesign before joining MUTABOR in 2016. She strongly believes that brands and corporate identities are the key levers for transformation - both within an organization and in society.