Influencing the Influencers: How to Unlock Mass Adoption of Sustainable Products

Earlier this year we finally reached the tipping point for mass adoption of electric vehicles Bloomberg – stating that the 5 percent threshold “signals the start of mass adoption of electric vehicles, the period when technology preferences are rapidly changing.” While that number may seem low to many people, it’s a big step forward for an industry that has long been evolving for a consumer base that has opted for “gas-guzzling” SUVs and trucks over more fuel-efficient alternatives. And while this is partly due to consumers becoming more aware of their personal contribution to climate change, it is in many ways also due to automakers embracing the trend towards lower emissions and away from fossil fuels to produce greener alternatives, who are well built. beautifully designed and reasonably priced. In other words, people looking to buy an electric vehicle can do so at multiple price points, in a variety of styles, and without sacrificing form and function.

The shift to electric vehicles isn’t just good news for the planet; It also provides important insights into what it takes to influence consumer behavior and the role the entire value chain – from manufacturers to end consumers and everyone in between – plays in navigating the path to mass adoption of more sustainable products.

Urbanization has already put a lot of pressure on our cities; Still, in less than 30 years, nearly two-thirds of the world’s population will be living in urban areas. That’s nearly 7 billion people who will rely on brands to meet their current and future needs in the spaces they frequent every day. It is our responsibility not only to design and develop products that consider the environmental impact without compromising the consumer experience, but also to work with stakeholders in our value chain to help consumers understand that they do not have to compromise , if they adopt environmentally friendly products.

How do we do that? By influencing the influencers in our industries. As a manufacturer of sanitary products for the kitchen and bathroom
Charcoal burnerThe influencers of – this is how we reach many of our end users – are architects and designers. Kohler initiated an education and advocacy program named “The Responsibility of Design” — where business leaders regularly meet with designers to better understand changing consumer expectations and how the company, as a global manufacturer, can meet those demands. Here are three takeaways from those conversations:

• Involving consumers in the Scope 3 emissions journey

  Hear from Kohler, Logitech, Procter & Gamble and Visa on how they engage consumers to better understand the impact of their choices and help companies meet their climate goals at SB’22 San Diego.

  Label products with validated environmental claims: Think of them as nutritional information for products. Manufacturers can use Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) labels showing how a product was made, what materials it contains and where the materials come from; and To explain Labels to report product ingredients and use a simple color code system to identify chemicals of concern. At Kohler, we are committed to full product transparency through our partnership with International Living Future Institute — she organizes them Living products 50 Association of leading manufacturers who are committed to ensuring that healthy, high-performance building materials with full material transparency are the rule and not the exception.

• Offer products at multiple price points: Greener products need to be for everyone, not just the privileged few. We need to ensure that people on a tight budget looking for a toilet for their new home have quality options to choose from; The same goes for the developers who only want top quality products for their luxury apartment complexes. At Kohler, we push ourselves to make products across the socioeconomic spectrum.

• Use included language and visuals: The language of sustainability is complex and can be disconcerting as many words mean different things to different people. Sustainability professionals may have a deep understanding of how and why a particular product is better for the environment, but the average consumer doesn’t. If we want to change the way they shop, we need to clearly explain the product benefits and how they relate to issues affecting their daily lives. If we can better explain to consumers how their choices will have a positive impact while also benefiting them personally, we can accelerate adoption.

In many ways, it matters how we communicate with all our stakeholders about our products and make them aware of our sustainability efforts. The influencers in our industries cannot recommend eco-friendly products they don’t know exist, and probably won’t recommend them unless they understand why and why they are better than other versions on the market.

The good news is that consumers are looking for brands that are leaders. A
Deloitte
The study found that 55 percent of consumers want brands to raise awareness about issues like climate change, and 58 percent want organizations to change their practices. It’s up to us to keep pushing and investing in innovation and using innovative solutions to truly delight and deliver our customers so they don’t have to choose between sustainability and style.