STRATEGIES TO WIN IN THE SUSTAINABILITY SPACE

From the Nielsen Finding Success through Sustainability section of its landmark The Evolution of the Sustainability Mindset global study released in late 2018.

IN THE SHORT TERM

• Understand the impact of ingredients and the level of scrutiny that consumers apply to the products they purchase.

• Connect the dots between what's healthy for the environment and healthy for the consumer.

• Communicate the value-add / benefit in your marketing.

• Incorporate the applicable sustainability claims on your packaging.

LONGER TERM

• Invest in product development, testing and research. As the market becomes more crowded, it'll take more to stand out.

• Support your launch with the right marketing, promotions and distribution. Bonus: Keep a pulse on your marketing and fine-tune your messaging in-flight.

• Seek to build and grow your sustainability strategy to encompass every part of the business.

• Build a roadmap for product enhancements you'd like to make, whether it's shifting to more sustainability focused suppliers, reducing your use of packaging materials, or changing the ingredient line-up across your portfolio.

• Address consumer scepticism and be wary of overused labels and claims.

• Understand that consumers and their expectations will continue to evolve.

• Get ahead of government bans and taxes and borrow successful tactics used in recent sugar and tobacco reforms.