Upping the Ante: How Brands Can Stay on Top of Evolving Consumer Expectations and Preferences
by Dimitar Vlahov
The notion that consumer attitudes are shifting in favor of brands that have strong sustainability credentials is not a new phenomenon in the year 2015. However, in spite of a good number of brands having made impressive commitments, their sustainability efforts may not necessarily be delivering the intended value to consumers or positive ROI for the brand. Therefore, brands would benefit from re-evaluating their sustainability agenda often and examining what exactly it is they are offering, to whom, and how. Research conducted by top researchers BBMG, GlobeScan and Nielsen offers new and interesting consumer insights that can help brands stay on top of their sustainability value propositions.
According to Raphael Bemporad, Chief Strategy Officer at BBMG, green marketers have been speaking to the wrong consumers, assuming that by engaging the most committed ‘advocates’ brands would create significant business growth, cultural relevance and change at scale. Instead, brands should be looking at ways to engage consumers who love shopping, design and product innovation, but at the same time have vested interests in sustainability, honesty and transparency. This group -- dubbed “The Aspirationals” by BBMG and their partners at GlobeScan -- are driving change in the marketplace, rooted in a desire for more authentic experiences and amplified human connections.
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Dimitar is a Director of Content Development at Sustainable Brands. He joined the Sustainable Brands team after earning a Master’s degree in Management Science & Engineering – focused on sustainable business – from Stanford University. Before Stanford, Dimitar worked in international development at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and also in economic consulting at Charles River Associates and NERA. Born and raised in Bulgaria, Dimitar left his home country for the first time about a decade ago to go to college in the U.S. He has since turned into something of an international man of mystery, thriving on global friendships, global food and global thoughts.
