Supplies For a Cleaner Earth: Inside Brand Climate Advocacy

BlackRock recently pledged to invest in removing as much carbon dioxide from the environment as it emits by 2050. In the next three decades, United Airlines hopes to be carbon neutral. Levi Strauss has committed to cutting back on water usage and increasing energy-efficient processes. It’s hard to ignore: brands across the board are responding to customers’ increasing pleas to respect the environment in the face of the increased threat of super storms and climate disasters. Others listen but continue to shrug it off, believing it is a problem for another industry, a separate group of individuals. However, if there is a value that drives customers’ buying decisions, it is the businesses’ problem, and those that listen will be rewarded.

According to the Pew Research Center survey of 18,850 citizens in advanced economies, 81% of people “are willing to make changes to how they work and live to reduce the effects of global climate change.” While some will make more drastic changes than others (a growing number of young adults have taken to living out of vans on campgrounds), the majority prefer small good deeds—reusable water bottles, taking public transportation, thrifting, and recycling.

This drive to make small sacrifices for the environment is nothing new. Since the mid-1900s, leaders and citizens have advocated for climate-friendly practices. In 1979, President Carter heralded the solar panels installed in the White House, claiming “we must balance our demand for energy with our rapidly shrinking resources.” Six years later, public outcry followed the May publication of Nature magazine, confirming the ozone hole over the Antarctic. Two years after that, the American Experience with PBS records, “The Montreal Protocol is signed by the U.S., Japan, Canada, and 21 other countries, agreeing to phase out ozone-depleting CFCs by the year 2000.” These events pushed companies to rethink their environmental values—and even inspired the founding of new brands.

Just one year following the signing of the Montreal Protocol, in 1988, Seventh Generation was born as an environmentally sustainable alternative to traditional house cleaners. Their task was daunting: stand up as a viable option next to alternatives like Clorox and Lysol, brands that had been around for nearly a century already. Their spray bottles looked similar, their aromas smelled familiar, and the branding of the three companies resembled one another. The key difference? Seventh Generation’s mission: to create a more healthy, sustainable, and equitable world for the generations to come.

Thirty-four years after their inception, the environmentally committed company is still going strong. In addition to Seventh Generation’s advocacy for policy reform and climate pollution reduction, the brand has committed to exclusively using bio-based (made from plants or renewable agriculture, marine, and forestry materials) ingredients and materials for its products by 2025. By the same year, Seventh Generation will also enforce a zero-waste policy, ensuring “packaging will be reusable and reused, recyclable and recycled, or biodegradable.” Furthermore, the company is de-contaminating the water cycle used in product creation.

Seventh Generation isn’t doing all of this in addition to their current business cycle, but as an integral part of their model and mission. And it sells—by having a differentiating factor that attracts a broader range of customers, the company has proven itself to be successful against established industry heavyweights. The company isn’t sacrificing quality, either, consistently receiving positive reviews. In June of 2022, the team even won “Best Plant-Based All-Purpose Cleaner” on Good Housekeeping’s list of best all-purpose cleaners. Not bad for a “newbie” in the business.

Without ostracizing those who couldn’t care less about environmental values, Seventh Generation gives customers the option to live sustainably. In other words, they accommodate both types of customers without taking a side on the problem. There are two key lessons we can learn from this:

1. Authentically include missions that matter to your customer

Seventh Generation is far from the only brand that responds to customer values and concerns. Athleta, a women’s athletic clothing brand and Certified B Corporation, partners with like-minded, powerful women in the space to open inclusive clothing lines. Their mission? ignite a community of active, healthy, confident women and girls who empower each other to reach their limitless potential. Athleta proves its authenticity by staying true to its values, even when it’s risky for business.

Simone Biles, famous for being the most decorated Olympic gymnast in history, has two fashion lines with Athleta. Biles promotes a balance between achieving goals, challenging fears, and engaging with your support network. These words became even more real when Biles dropped out of several 2020 Olympic events, citing mental health issues. Taking a break from the competition didn’t make Biles less of an asset for Athleta. In fact, it made her more valuable. The brand’s authenticity became cemented in the fact that it practiced what it preached—even when it’s hard.

2. Show you care without re-writing your entire business model

Hewlett-Packard recently pledged to “reduce GHG emissions 50% by the end of 2030, and achieve net-zero GHG emissions by 2040.” The team also committed to reaching 75% circularity for products and packaging by the same year while “maintaining zero deforestation for HP paper and paper-based packaging.” For a company that’s business largely revolves around the production and use of paper, this is a big deal. Within the next decade, the company is planning to overhaul systems in an effort to slash GHG emissions in half.

This is hugely impressive and a battle that will have serious rewards if won. However, not all brands have to take such an extreme approach. Nike, known for athletic apparel and shoes, has a recycling, donation, and refurbishment program. Customers can donate old apparel and even purchase gently used items in the name of sustainability. This project is a much smaller push for the large company and probably helps make money (refurbishment allows Nike to sell the same item twice). Still, it shows customers that they are listening and adapting.

When customers talk, it is important to listen. While some respond by creating brands centered around the customer ideal, others simply incorporate it quietly into their model. Whether you follow Seventh Generation’s lead or do something as simple as Nike, it is crucial to respond to customers when they share the things that matter to them. Not only does it create new business opportunities, but improves the customer-business relationship.

Photo by Crystal de Passillé-Chabot on Unsplash