Sourcing Your Client Into a Boycott

Promotional Products have long mirrored retail trends, and your job thus far has been to help your clients deliver their message by decorating the fashion-forward brands they want. No reason to stop now, right? In fact, you may have seen a recent advertorial from supplier Vantage Apparel that shared top trends, product recommendations and popular colors to watch in 2022:

Classically chic and academia-inspired, it’s no surprise why preppy aesthetics are returning to the runways, retail stores and, yes, promo apparel as well. From retro-inspired logos to layering oversized crews, prim and proper pieces with a collegiate influence are top requests for fashion-forward branded apparel.

But a new study into consumer awareness and engagement linked to sustainable consumption just released from Dentsu International and Microsoft Advertising should also have you thinking a little more about the corporate social responsibility of the brands you’re sourcing.

Want some key takeaways to share with your clients to get them on board beyond fashion-forward?

• Consumers say the time for talking is over, it’s time for action. 59 percent of consumers are prepared to force change by boycotting businesses seen as failing to prioritize the environment within 12 months.

• Mounting consumer activism is evidenced by an overwhelming 91% of the public wishing to see brands “show by example” and demonstrate the actions they are taking to support the planet. No less than 45 percent are willing to consider alternative brands and services to make this happen.

• 87 percent of the 24,000 people in 19 countries surveyed say climate change is their number one concern, ahead of Covid-19 (85%), the health of friends and family (79%), and the cost of living (76%).

So, now that you know this, how do you turn it into an opportunity? First, consider cost. More than 30 percent of those surveyed claimed to be willing to spend more on greener products and services to encourage change. You can always use more justification for fair margins. Next, there is so much confusion and conflicting information about whether a manufacturer is truly ‘green,’ so it opens a door to nimble brands changing with the times right now. A whopping 84 percent of consumers in this study expressed difficulty in knowing which brands and companies are truly green.

The fact is that the majority of your clients’ customers are behind the knowledge curve on the brands they crave when it comes to matching the brand’s carbon consumption with specific activities. Perhaps too focused on issues related to manufacturing, just 15 percent  of those surveyed believed that browsing the web for info on these brands also negatively impacts emissions.

Wait, how does that work? Every time you do a Google search, the transmission of that data pollutes the planet just a tiny amount. That's because it's a process that requires millions of physical servers around the world, each one sapping their own little piece of energy as millions of other people do the same thing. Or when you click on a news story, the content passes through a series of delivery networks, data hubs and web infrastructure, all before reaching that screen in your hand, all leaving their carbon footprint behind.

That can’t really be that much, right? The carbon footprint of our gadgets, the internet, and systems supporting them account for nearly 4 percent of global greenhouse emissions, according to the green French Think Tank The Shift Project. That is roughly the same amount produced by the global airline industry (in non-Covid-19 times). Have you given any thought to how your favorite brands are changing their advertising strategies beyond simply going digital?

Finally, still need more ammunition for the confidence that sourcing sustainably is both good business AND can support higher margins? Recent IBM data from over 18,000 consumers shows that nearly six in 10 polled are willing to change their shopping habits to reduce environmental impact. 80 percent indicate sustainability is important for them. And for those who say it is very or extremely important, over 70 percent would pay a premium of 35 percent, on average, for brands that are sustainable and environmentally responsible.

Hopefully, sometime in the not-too-distant future, issues related to the pandemic will take a backseat to the climate crisis as the biggest challenge our world is facing. There is no better time than the present for brands to be interested in being a part of the solution, both globally, and for your clients.