INTRODUCTION

If you are wondering how to shape messaging that aligns people's actions with the sustainable impact you are building, you are at the right place! Yes, this episode will help you to find the right marketing argument that resonates with your consumers!

This episode follows on from episode 18 with Rosemary Cooper and Kate White. If you haven’t done it yet, listen to it! 

As Kate and Rosemary explained it, it is a lot about 

• overcoming the say-do gap
• taking a step by step approach to building an evidence-based marketing
• and testing! 

We already discussed 3 of the 5 SHIFT factors as key drivers of eco-conscious behavior. Let me give you a brief summary of the SHI of the SHIFT acronym:

• The S, Social Influence is about making a behavior seem socially desirable in some way, or more commonly engaged in by peers. I really liked the tips Kate gave to avoid backfire effects on this one. 
• The H,  Habit Formation is when sustainable choices become part of daily routines. About this subject, Rosemary gave us a very enlightening example about a haha moment of a start-up participating in the SHIFT program.
• The I, the Individual Self brings the question of how to appeal to what deeply drives individuals. This factor is very related to the different motivations shared in episode 15.

I liked how Kate and Rosemary took brilliantly the challenge to put their knowledge in perspective for packaging issues. Just as a reminder: Kate is an academic researcher in marketing and behavioral science and Rosemary works on implementing collaboratively circular business solutions. And they work hand in hand for a SHIFTing Consumer Behaviour program. 

In the following episode, you will learn:

• how to use emotions and concrete analogies fitting best your offer
• what is desirable for the future of reusable and single-use packaging 
• and how to activate the SHIFT framework

This was a dynamic conversation. And I hope that our laugh will keep your enthusiasm until the very end of this episode… because I will reveal how you can win a nice reward by participating in a contest with a very simple action. 

Now, let’s make room for the F and T of the SHIFT acronym:

• T for tangibility
• and F for Feelings and Cognition

At the end of the previous episode, Rosemary mentioned the sensitivity of people for storytelling while others will look for numbers and facts.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:

• « SHIFT. A review and framework for encouraging ecologically sustainable consumer behaviour», Katherine White & Rishad Habib (2018), SITRA Studies 132, Erweko:  https://www.sitra.fi/en/publications/shift/
• « SHIFT. Sustainable consumer behaviour change workbook», Katherine White & Rishad Habib (2018), Erweko: https://www.sitra.fi/en/publications/shift-workbook/
• The Culture Shift webpage of Share Reuse Repair Initiative to learn more about the SHIFTing Consumer Behaviour Program: https://www.sharereuserepair.org/culture-shift.html (The SHIFT pilot program report will be available on the same page).
• Episode #06: Reusable packaging as an asset for brands and their customers with Sophie Liu of Loop, from TerraCycle
• Episode #12: When cups initiate a reusable ecosystem to take the waste out of takeout with Cody Irwin of ShareWares
• Episode #17: 3 key benefits of reusable packaging with 5 guests of the 2021 series
• «Elusive Green Consumer», Katherine White, David J. Hardisty, and Rishad Habib (2019), Harvard Business Review:https://hbr.org/2019/07/the-elusive-green-consumer
• «How to SHIFT Consumer Behaviors to be More Sustainable: A Literature Review and Guiding Framework», Katherine White, Rishad Habib, David J. Hardisty (2019), Journal of Marketing: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0022242919825649
• Canadian examples in British Columbia: Ethical Chair,Fulfill Shoppe, Jarr, ShareWares, Reusables, and Nada
• RePack was mentioned as an international example. Check the direct link to their Decathlon Canada case study: https://www.repack.com/news//case-study-decathlon-canada-click-and-collect. 
• The guests also answered the question formulated in Episode #13: How can branding add value to your journey to sustainability? by Hélène Piette of Dragon Rouge London.

PARTICIPATE IN THE #FOLLOWINGTHEMESSAGE CONTEST! 

3 elements to send at [email protected] with «#FollowingTheMessage» as the subject: 

1. Take a PICTURE of one packaging with a message encouraging sustainable behavior. If it isn't in English, translate it for me, please.
2. Let me know if this message gives you the MOTIVATION and the means to react. 
3. Be sure to mention the name of the BRAND

Here is an example: 

Package Free Shop prints this message on their delivery boxes: 'I am not trash. If found in the trash, please return to recycling immediately'. Would you do that or not? Why? (see this link since I can’t share a picture on the podcast platforms: https://trashisfortossers.com/the-package-free-difference/) 

What happens next?

If all of the 3 steps are completed, I will SHARE your picture with your comment on social media with the hashtag #FollowingTheMessage. 

There are 2 CHANCES TO WIN:

• A draw among the first 20 participants. So, start your packaging hunt ASAP ;0)
• The person with the picture collecting the most comments, by September 2022, among the series of posts I will create from your submissions. So check the hashtag #FollowingTheMessage, and encourage your network to comment.

If you win, you will get notified by email with a personal link to a 25 cad coupon. No ‘garbage’ gift, more about an experience in a restaurant, an audiobook, etc. depending on where you are in the world. So, check your inbox from [email protected]! 

Have fun!

ABOUT KATHERINE WHITE FROM UBC SAUDER SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

Dr. Kate Whiteis Professor of Marketing and Behavioural Science at the UBC Sauder School of Business, in Vancouver, Canada. She is also the Senior Associate Dean of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and the Academic Director of the Peter P. Dhillon Centre for Business Ethics. 

Kate’s research focuses on how to encourage ethical, prosocial, and sustainable consumer behaviours. Kate was honored as one of the top 5 Marketing Researchers in the world by the American Marketing Association. Kate currently serves as Associate Editor for the Journal of Marketing Research and is on the editorial review boards of the Journal of Consumer Research, the Journal of Marketing, and the Journal of Consumer Psychology.

Kate has consulted on various sustainable behaviour-change projects with organizations such as The City of Calgary, Starbucks, Lululemon, the Share, Reuse, Repair Initiative, TransLink, My Sustainable Canada, BC Hydro, and Mountain Equipment Co-op. 

ABOUT ROSEMARY COOPER FROM SHARE REUSE REPAIR INITIATIVE (SRRI)

Rosemary Cooper has over 20 years’ experience advancing sustainable solutions that make business and economic sense while boldly advancing social and environmental goals. In doing so, she often emphasizes collaboration between business, government, and community.  

Since 2013, she has been catalyzing the transition to a circular economy with a focus on upstream innovations that design out waste and foster lasting and shared prosperity. She is the Project Director of the Share Reuse Repair Initiative whose mission is to build a circular economy that serves as a meaningful waste and climate solution, enables people to “live circular” and foster resilient local economies.  It is uniquely focused on bolstering the supply of circular goods and services while cultivating the cultural and consumer demand for that supply. 

She also teaches the Circular Economy at BCIT’s School of Business and provides consulting services on circular innovation and circular living.

WHERE TO FIND OUR GUESTS?

• Kate White’s profile: on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-white-51721711/ and at UBC Sauder https://www.sauder.ubc.ca/people/katherine-white
• Rosemary Cooper’s LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosemary-cooper/
• The contact page of SRRI: https://www.sharereuserepair.org/contact-us.html

PODCAST MUSIC

Special thanks to Joachim Regout who made the jingle. Have a look at his work here. 

I am happy to bring a sample of our strong bonds on these sound waves. Since I was a child, he made me discover a wide range of music of all kinds. I am also delighted he is a nature lover and shares the Look4Loops 'out of the box philosophy'. He is an inspiring source of creativity for me.