Brands should avoid normalising unsustainable behaviour

Brands and organisations developing sustainability communications should ensure they are not normalising negative behaviours, according to Ipsos behavioural scientist Greg Gwiasda.

person holding recycling bin

Speaking at an online event held by Ipsos on perceptions on Thursday ( 7th November), Gwiasda, vice-president, behavioural science, Ipsos in the US, discussed the ABC behavioural science model focused on three elements of behavioural change: attention, beliefs and compliance.

In relation to compliance, people look to others to understand experience and guide their own behaviour.

Citing the example that 3.7% of US homes have solar power, Gwiasda said: “It tells you the social norm is not to comply. So when thinking about compliance and getting people to change their behaviours, make sure you’re not normalising negative behaviours. Have you normalised bad behaviour? If so, reframe and speak of trends.”

The public see sustainability as important but are generally overly focused on easier actions such as recycling and using less packaging, and are not attuned enough to bigger steps such as switching to renewable energies, because of accessibility bias.

“Every time you drink a soda – something you might do every day – there’s an opportunity for recycling, versus renewable energy – you might even be wondering what that means. If it’s not accessible, it’s not as important,” said Gwiasda.

On the attention point, Gwiasda said: “Are people thinking about the issue? If not, create stories to drive accessibility – stories are better than numbers.”

When considering people’s beliefs, Gwiasda said brands should question whether they are linking responsibility to individual steps, and if they are not, they should talk concretely. “We tend to speak abstractly. We don’t put people in an action mindset, we put people in a desire mindset or a belief mindset.”

Gwiasda added: “Remove uncertainty. Make it easy, tell people what to do – not in an obnoxious way.”

Also speaking on the webinar, Sarah Feldman, editorial director at Ipsos Public Affairs in the US, discussed how the changed information landscape and populist context in the US was impacting people’s attitudes.

Feldman highlighted Ipsos polling in October 2024 that found that very few Americans who use Fox News or social media for most of their media could answer correctly a statement about voter fraud. 

Other research by the company has indicated that there are sharp divides in views on issues such as climate change, depending on political affiliation. Polling in summer 2023 by Ipsos found that 20% of Americans fear climate change could force them to move. However, Republicans are less likely to believe in climate change and so were less likely to report that they themselves have experienced extreme weather. 

However, a general trend towards scepticism of ‘traditional gatekeepers’ of information extends beyond the US. Feldman said: “There is a widespread belief that the ‘system is broken’. Across 28 countries we surveyed, most majorities agree with the statements ‘experts in this country don’t understand the lives of people like me’, ‘traditional parties and politicians don’t care about people like me’ and ‘the economy is rigged to advantage rich people’.”

Brands, on the other hand, are one of the few messengers to be viewed more favourably by the public, added Feldman, but noted: “While credibility and trust is hard won, it is easily lost.”

“For brands and businesses, especially in the US where the populist context is at the forefront, political identities are really critical to understanding where your consumers and stakeholders stand on critical issues. Without a line of sight into these issues, blind spots exist, so that’s why it’s important to do research to understand what these issues are.”

We hope you enjoyed this article.
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