CREATING SUSTAINABLE BRAND IMPACT
When brands focus on sustainability, they foster positive perceptions and make it possible for marketers to support future growth. Sustainability in branding refers to the skill to expand today while ensuring long-term growth is not jeopardized. It is more of a holistic strategic approach that emphasizes a long-term vision to excel rather than short-term tactics to increase sales yields.
It is a new paradigm that infuses the element of business responsibility in the brand strategy and gives an opportunity to differentiate it from the clutter of me-too brands. While sales growth and market share are important performance indicators of a brand’s performance, it is also important how the Company achieves them.
Brands that focus on sustainable impact add real value for their customers. It brings ethics and value-based decisions to the forefront, strengthening communication with key stakeholders, especially customers. It also addresses aspirational needs, aligning with customers’ cultural beliefs and providing a sense of safety, compliance, and a positive identity through brand ownership.
A sustainable thinking approach aimed at creating a positive and lasting impact helps the company address key material issues faced by the brand and identify the risks and opportunities. Even if the triple bottom line (economic, environmental, social) seems irrelevant to some, addressing these dimensions can create a powerful impact on customers’ minds.
Ultimately, the value you offer is the value you get back. You deliver a superior value proposition to the customer with sustainable benefits, you get it translated into a higher economic value for the firm. At the same time, it results in positive brand identity and brand loyalty. Customers are increasingly becoming conscious today of ethical practices, social responsibility, and impact Annual Report Design Agency on the environment, safety & health. So, when a brand creates a sustainable impact on target audiences, the customers who own and endorse the branded product in long term also become ambassadors to give a distinct identity to the brand.
Such actions generate a cycle that encourages greater transparency and lasting sustainability. A Company or brand cannot think of it growing alone at the cost of the environment or customers or community at large. The more the brand safeguards the interests of stakeholders, the environment, and the community, and takes risk mitigation measures sincerely, more is the more positive impact it creates in terms of the growth of the category and industry apart from achieving its own growth.
Rising consciousness about climate issues, development goals, and social care has changed customers’ values significantly. Long-term, customers will pay more for brands that truly align with their core values and beliefs. Thus, shifting brand strategy towards sustainability helps avoid compliance issues and positions the brand favorably in a world moving towards sustainability.
This approach is more important, when a brand striving for higher growth in the long term and natural resources are material for its growth & sustainability, or when a brand owns up a cause and creates a big positive impact. Given the uniqueness of each brand’s strategy, opportunity, and proposition, strategists should actively pursue inclusive growth and socio-economic value. When sustainable thinking is infused into the brand strategy, it confirms wider acceptance among the target audience.
At Brandure, we believe every communication asset—be it the brand name, logo, website, emailer, ESG or annual report, ads, newsletter, or packaging—should be consistent and work together. Such a holistic communication strategy generates synergy, maximizing sustainable brand impact. At Brandure, we’re committed to helping you achieve this vision.
Stephen Covey aptly said, “there are three constants in life…change, choice, and principles.” This quote is particularly relevant when applied to the journey of sustainable brand impact.