Breakthrough: Seven Unlocks to Scaling Healthy and Sustainable Living

April 2021

According to the Global Footprint Network, humansare consuming resources at a rate of more than 1.7times faster than the planet can regenerate them.While there are no simple solutions, this imbalancepresents a significant opportunity to enable moresustainable lifestyles. Indeed, finding ways to engageand mobilize 8 billion people to live healthier andmore sustainably is arguably one of the greatpriorities of this Decade of Action as the world worksto achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

Results from GlobeScan’s annual Healthy &Sustainable Living consumer research program showthat there is a large gap between what people saythat they want to do and what they are actually doing.We need to recognize that there are still significantobstacles for most of us when it comes to aligningconsumption patterns and lifestyles with our values.

The study has been tracking consumer attitudes andbehaviors since 2019 with annual surveys of over25,000 respondents across 25+ countries aroundliving healthier and more sustainable lifestyles. Theresearch program has been collaboratively designedand launched with a range of partners —including CVS Health, IKEA, PepsiCo, Visa, and WWFInternational — to help better understand themindsets of people globally and how to best helpthem make positive changes in their lives and for theplanet.

Results of the study make it clear that climate changeremains a top concern for most, with 60 percent ofpeople globally saying it is a very serious issue —including 53 percent of Americans. Concern about theclimate and other environmental issues haveremained constant over the past year, even in thecontext of the pandemic and subsequent economicimpacts. Many consumers continue to feel guiltyabout their own environmental impact, with halfsaying that they would like to be “a great deal” moreenvironmentally friendly.

Nevertheless, only one-quarter claim that they havemade major changes to be more environmentallyfriendly in the past year, highlighting the significantgap between aspirations and current behavior.Consumers increasingly say that they are consideringrewarding more responsible offerings by companies,but the proportion who say they have actuallyrewarded responsible companies has remainedstubbornly constant over time.

So, what prevents consumers from consuming morein line with their values? GlobeScan’s Healthy &Sustainable Living study has identified sevenimportant “unlocks” to help consumers to changetheir behaviors and start aligning their lifestyles withtheir values and aspirations.

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When asked what companies could do to helpthem live healthily and sustainably, results fromthe study show that consumers most often pointto access to more affordable products andservices that are good for people and the planet.This is consistent across nearly all markets andgenerations, suggesting that premium pricing ofhealthier and sustainable options remains aprominent barrier for most. When faced with acheaper, non-healthy or non-sustainable option,many consumers often feel that there is littlechoice.

If brands do not make affordability a priority,healthier and more sustainable consumptionpatterns will never become a reality. Premiumpricing is the single most prevalent barrier toconsumer behavior change at scale. Brands likeIKEA are leading the way by attempting to bringsustainable solutions that are affordable toconsumers on a large scale, such as circularproducts, energy efficient solutions, and plant-based food options.

1. Make it affordable

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Although GlobeScan’s data show that trust inlarge companies has increased over the past yearas businesses have responded to the pandemic,trust in business remains low in many of themarkets surveyed and well below those ofscientists, NGOs, or even governments in somecountries. When asked about their trust in variousinstitutions to operate in the best interest ofsociety, net trust in global companies (those whosay they trust in global companies minus thosewho say they do not) ranks ninth out of teninstitutions.

As a result, many consumers are cynical aboutcommunications from companies. Only about half(51%) agree that companies communicate

honestly and truthfully about their social andenvironmental performance, while the other half(49%) disagree, making it difficult for brands tocommunicate and market in a credible way.Brands need to boost credibility bycommunicating better and being moretransparent, but also by using tools such as third-party certifications or collaborations withinstitutions that are more trusted, such as NGOsor academic institutions. FSC is a powerfulexample of a certification that helps boosttrust in brands.

2. Make it credible

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It can be hard for consumers to identifysustainable options unless a product or brand candifferentiate itself from the approaches of thestatus quo. To stand out, brands may need tomake radical rather than incremental changes(e.g., electric vehicles vs traditional cars) and/orthey need to engage consumers differently aroundproduct attributes (e.g., Patagonia). Consumersare certainly interested in understanding howbrands are trying to be more sustainable — asmany as 85 percent globally say they are veryinterested in learning more about the ways thatsome companies are trying to be more sociallyand environmentally responsible.

Nevertheless, few companies manage to standout. In the 2019 wave of the study, consumerswere asked to name a specific company or brandthat helps them live in a way that is good forthemselves, good for other people, and good forthe environment. More than half globally (56%)could not name any. Proportions who could notthink of a single company or brand helping themlive healthier or more sustainably were evenlarger in many markets in Asia, Europe, and NorthAmerica, including the United States where nearlytwo-thirds of consumers (62%) were at a loss for aresponse.

Clearly, companies must step up theircommunication and design efforts to reachconsumers trying to make healthier and moresustainable choices. But brands also need toinnovate to provide offerings that are radically,instead of incrementally, better for health and theenvironment so that consumers can see a realdifference.

One example of this is SodaStream, a PepsiCobrand that has been a unique example of anaccessible reusable model of consumption withmultiple health (low calories, no artificialingredients) and environmental (reduced single-use plastic) benefits.

3. Make it shine

GlobeScan’s research shows that consumersincreasingly feel that their desires collide withtheir environmental footprints. Almost half ofconsumers around the world (47%, up 13 pointscompared to 2019) say that what is good for themis often bad for the environment. At the sametime, people are increasingly feeling guilty abouttheir environmental impact (53%, up 10 pointscompared to 2019) and three in ten also say theyfelt ashamed about living a lifestyle that is notenvironmentally friendly in the past year,especially young people.

There is a big opportunity for brands to offerconsumers choices that are both desirable andsustainable, resolving the trade-off that manypeople feel they must make. This can best bedone through the development of better productsand services, as well as more effectivecommunications. Tesla has managed to create aproduct that has become both a sustainabilitygame-changer and an object of desire for many.Similarly, for both the high-end beauty and foodindustries, organic and sustainably sourcedingredients are increasingly becoming essentialselling points. However, these products are oftensold at a premium price, again limiting access formost.

4. Make it “yes, and…”

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One of the key insights from GlobeScan’s 2020Healthy & Sustainable Living study is that peopleare interested in engaging in behaviors that theybelieve are easy to change and are less keen onembracing changes that are perceived to be moredifficult.

Behavior changes that consumers perceive to beeasy and which are of high interest includeactions related to improving their personalwellbeing, changes in the household (e.g., savingwater at home, reducing waste), and choosingproducts with less packaging. Changes such asrenting items or buying them second-hand thatare more in line with the circular economy, eatingplant-based foods, traveling responsibly, and

adopting the use of new technologies like electriccars are all seen to be relatively more difficult andless desirable.

The strong correlation between levels of interestin behavior change and perceived difficultysuggests an opportunity to spur more actionthrough stressing convenience and demystifyingthe efforts in healthy and sustainable living.Showing consumers how easy it is to live in waysthey want is a simple but critical part of unlockinggreater activation. Visa provides an exampleof a company trying to eliminate friction fromsustainable behaviors, such as green mobility.The company is working with transit authoritiesaround the world to make public transit simpleand easy via digital payments.

5. Make it easy

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Consumers are increasingly looking to companiesand brands that stand for something beyondmaking a profit and turning out good productsand services. People around the world, especiallyyounger generations, are increasingly looking topatronize brands that make a positive differencefor people and the planet.

GlobeScan found that 87 percent of consumersnow say that they try to support companies orbrands that are making a positive difference insociety through their products, services, andoperations. This is up significantly from our Radarpublic opinion study in 2016, illustrating thegrowing interest among consumers in the wholenotion of purposeful brands.

CVS Health is a company that has fully embracedits purpose of helping people on their path tobetter health. That purpose not only guides theway the company does business, but also helpsCVS Health build deeper relationships with itscustomers. One of the company’s most notabledemonstrations of purpose was its 2014 decisionto end tobacco sales. Since then, the company’spurpose continues to be a critical factor in itssuccess and ability to engage consumers inhealth and wellness.

6. Make it meaningful

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One of the most challenging obstacles to greaterconsumer behavior change relates to theperception that others are not doing enough. Inthe 2019 Healthy & Sustainable Living study, thebiggest barriers mentioned by consumers to morehealthy and sustainable living include thesystemic role of key actors: not enough supportfrom government (47%), not enough support frombusiness (31%), not enough support from NGOs(22%), and the fact that other people are notdoing it (21%).

Through detailed advanced analysis of consumerresearch over many years, GlobeScan hasidentified that the ability to drive greater behaviorchange among consumers requires proof thatsocietal actors like government, companies, civilsociety, and fellow citizens are all doing their partto be sustainable. Without the reinforcement oflarge-scale signals that sustainable lifestyles arebecoming the norm, it is difficult for most peopleto change the way they live.

Helping to create the conditions for systemicchange is what WWF is attempting to do with itsmarkets practice – how to bring brands, science,policy, and consumers together to make marketswork better for sustainable outcomes and shiftproduction and consumption.

If brands are able to take action on each of theseseven “unlocks,” this will help consumers tochange their behaviors and start aligning theirlifestyles with their values and aspirations.GlobeScan’s research shows that youngergenerations in particular are looking for brands to

be transformative when it comes to social andenvironmental issues. There is a thirst forsomething more exciting and dynamic from themarketplace among younger people, and the morethat brands are able to help bridge the gapbetween people’s aspirations and actions, theeasier it will be for them to make the changesneeded to help realize healthy and sustainableliving at scale.

7. Make it big

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Stacy RowlandCommunications Directorstacy.rowland@globescan.com

Tove MalmqvistSenior Project Managertove.malmqvist@globescan.com

Contact Us GlobeScan is an insights and strategy consultancy, focused on helping our clients buildlong-term trusting relationships with their stakeholders. Offering a suite of specialistresearch and advisory services, we partner with business, NGOs and governmentalorganizations to meet strategic objectives across reputation, sustainability and purpose.

Established in 1987, GlobeScan has offices in Cape Town, Hong Kong, London, Paris,San Francisco, São Paulo and Toronto, and is a participant the UN Global Compact and aCertified B Corporation.

www.globescan.com

Enabling consumers to live more healthy and sustainable lives is an enormous opportunity for purpose-driven brands to build more trust, loyalty and market share and help to solve environmental and social challenges while doing so. GlobeScan’s Healthy & Sustainable Living: A Global Consumer Insights Project, an annual research program, was launched in 2019 and is designed to help organizations better understand the diverse mindsets of consumers that shape their barriers to, and enablers of, more healthy and sustainable living.

In 2020, GlobeScan partnered with CVS Health, IKEA, PepsiCo, Visa, WWF and others to identify opportunities for healthy and sustainable living and to share key insights to facilitate consumer behavior change.

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