Sustainability advertising tends to target my demographic profile — a young, socially conscious female whose ideal Sunday plans include a $5 oat milk latte and a visit to the farmers’ market. Brands consistently see research that supports this stereotype. In a study by First Insight and the Wharton School, for example, Gen Z is the generation most likely to prioritize sustainability over a brand name. Elsewhere, Gen Z ranked the environment their number-one concern in Deloitte’s Global 2021 Millennial and Gen Z Survey.
But there’s a problem here: By narrowing the demographic focus to a handful of easy target profiles, brands exclude swaths of people — the people who most need to be included in the narrative. This may make sense (sometimes) from a commercial perspective; but it doesn’t serve the broader needs of our transition as a society.
If campaigns and communications repeatedly neglect people like you, you’ll start to think the subject isn’t for you. That is not okay. Sustainability issues affect every living being on this planet, regardless of age or gender. In addition to moral reasons for broadening our views, some of the data reveals that reality is much more nuanced.
at Sustainable Brands.
