Brand Dig: Brands that influence our behaviour, but can they change it?

Humans are definitely creatures of habit. Most of us have a daily routine that we rarely deviate from. It includes little things like catching the same train every morning or eating the same type of food – and it's very hard to break these habits even if there's a perfectly logical reason to.

So when we're told to act more sustainably by eating less meat, recycling more rubbish, and taking fewer car journeys, it's perhaps not surprising that only a few of us actually change our behaviour. It's not just because we're set in our ways. Some people also think it won't make a difference. But it can and it does. That’s the thinking behind World Wildlife Foundation’s Earth Hour.

WWF is asking everyone (in the world!) to turn their lights off for one hour this Saturday at 8:30pm GMT. The goal is to raise awareness that if individuals lead a more sustainable lifestyle it can have a significant effect on a global scale. Brands are one of the biggest influencers on our behaviour and some are trying to change it for good – but is it working?

Bosch is giving people the tools to eat sustainable seafood

While those who strip meat from their diet and replace it with fish might have good intentions to be more sustainable, ocean resources are also under significant strain. In fact around 90% of global fishing grounds are now considered to be ‘over-fished’ or ‘fully-exploited’.

As a way of reversing the decline the home appliance brand Bosch has partnered with WWF to change the way people eat fish in Singapore – one of the world’s biggest consumers of seafood. The recently announced two-part campaign is based on spreading awareness and education. The first is a cooking series featuring ambassadors from Bosch preparing popular fish recipes with sustainable seafood. The second is a WWF Seafood Cookbook that makes it easier for Singaporeans to implement that change.

Bosch and WWF recognise that in order to affect change it’s not enough just to spread the word. People must be given the tools to actually change their habits. Then there’s the question of will they?

J&J is making it easier to recycle in the bathroom

Recycling food packaging in the kitchen is becoming second nature. Many people have a separate bin for their plastics, cardboards and glass which means it much easier to recycle. But people’s behaviour in the bathroom is entirely different because few have a separate bin. In fact just 34% of regular recyclers admit that recycling products they use in the bathroom has never occurred to them.

Johnson & Johnson – which produces many of our toiletries and cosmetic products – launched a campaign in 2014 called Care to Recycle that offered tips, tools and information to encourage people to recycle in the bathroom. The company even gave away free recycling bins after research showed that people would be more likely to change their behaviour if they had separate bin in their bathroom.

But did it actually change their habits? According to a follow up study, nearly half of those who took part in the program reported an increase in their recycling efforts in the bathroom specifically. Another study revealed how those exposed to the campaign were more determined to recycle and increased their efforts to do so.

Kraft Heinz is pledging to change its own behaviour

Not every brand is trying to encourage more sustainable habits in consumers. Some recognise that they can still have a huge impact on the environment just by changing the way they operate themselves. And food giant Kraft Heinz did just that when it recently announced it would create a more sustainable supply chain by changing the way it sources palm oil.

At least half of the world’s food and personal care products contain palm oil - and yet its production is directly linked to major deforestation and human rights abuses. So the $26 billion food company is pledging to source the ingredient in an “ethical, transparent and sustainable matter.” But is this just a fluffy CSR goal or is there real action behind their words? It certainly comes at a time when NGOs like WWF and Rainforest Action Network have publicised and put pressure on the likes of Kraft Heinz for "wreaking havoc" on the environment worldwide. So the idea might not entirely be theirs.

WWF did, however, give the company’s efforts an overall thumbs-up in its most recent palm oil scorecard - the third sector equivalent of a "like" on social media to say "you're doing good".

As the world gets larger and overpopulation becomes the biggest issue around sustainability, it's of the utmost importance for brands to be eco-friendly. Brands that lead the charge by finding new and innovative ways to combat environmental issues are becoming increasingly integral to drive change within the industry and human behaviour. If you’d like to hear how we’ve been able to help agencies and brands identify opportunities to make the world a better place, then get in touch with us here.