In a trend that has emerged over the past few years, more and more brands are jostling to position themselves not just as products and services, but as responsible citizens. At the same time, consumers have become more focused on the impact that the brands they purchase have on the world, whether it’s environmentally, socially, or ethically.

As more brands talk about their approach to social responsibility, ethical operations, and environmental impact, it’s worth asking: does it matter?

It’s important to people

It's clear that social and environmental issues are at the forefront of people's minds. In Edentify's most recent Voice of Australia study of 500 Australians:

The importance of these attitudes was seen clearly at the recent federal election, with Greens and 'Teal' candidates with a focus on these issues performing particularly strongly.

These concerns are also important to people when it comes to brands, and many consumers now expect companies to have ethical and sustainability issues in mind.

It affects behaviour

While these issues are important to consumers, purchase decisions are more complex and affected by a range of factors. However, our research also shows that these decisions are influenced by ethical and environmental concerns.

Already we have seen a desire for consumers to take their own action, particularly when it comes to behaviours that affect the environment:

It's only going to become more important

The interest in ethical and sustainable issues is not going away. The strength of these attitudes and behaviours is driven in large part by younger people. Among Gen Z, 89% prefer to buy brands with good environmental practices, while 76% want to buy from brands that support social causes.

As the older, more resistant demographics fade, the need for brands to ensure they are operating in a responsible way will increase.

It takes more than marketing

As these issues grow in importance and prominence, and more brands realise the need to act, it will take more than spin to land the message. Consumers are skeptical of greenwashing and will call out brands when actions do not match words.

Being a good brand requires a focus from every part of the business, from the top down.

Brand Goodness

Edentify's Brand Goodness approach allows you to measure how "good" your brand is to consumers. By measuring consumer opinions about your brand, as well as the importance of these, we can tell you how well your brand is performing and how to improve.

More and more, brands and companies are being held responsible for their behaviours and business practices. As consumers become more demanding, being a "good" brand is no longer just nice to have, it is becoming an expectation.