Participating in a trend is a choice, but transitions affect us all, whether we choose to acknowledge it or not. We can't stop transitions; we can only understand and manage our reactions. Accepting a transition requires a different approach to target audiences compared to leveraging a trend. Because transitions affect society at all levels, customer profiles serve a limited purpose in maneuvering these complex situations.
Sustainability has moved well beyond the trend phase, evolving into an urgent and global transition. This is true for not only individuals, but also, private companies, the media, advocacy groups, and governmental institutions, requiring them to exist and act in the context of this societal shift.
Take, for example, our beloved food & beverage industry. Products and processes previously considered trendy are now signifiers of social resistance or the catalyst for identity battles. For companies targeting a broad audience, this can be paralysing. The institutional changes and volatile discussions can strike at the heart of what you do and who you are.
Relying solely on customer profiles is insufficient to address the challenges of a broad transition. Even within each profile, varied and overlapping reactions can exist. This creates complexity, but also lays out a path, as we see a set of similar reactions across groups. It is vital to understand these reactions and their causes, so that your organisation can best understand your position in the sustainability transition. Now, the question is: where to begin and what to know?
We can't stop transitions; we can only understand and manage our reactions.
We must start from an understanding that sustainability is no longer a trend, but an enduring global transition. It is easy, and often more comfortable, to subconsciously consider it a trend that we can opt in or out of. But the magnitude of the sustainability transition requires an active awareness of its breadth and consequences, as well as a significant shift in approach. Transitions happen whether you are a denier, passive, or an advocate: everyone takes part, whether they like it or not.
Resistance, paralysis, and advocacy are subconscious, psychological reactions that help individuals and groups understand and adapt to times of change, and ensure that everyone is heard and included. These reactions aren't linear or uniform – they can overlap, often in response to personal context and impact. Understanding them creates a space that eventually leads to conscious acceptance.
The magnitude and impact of transitions are difficult to overstate – they encompass all aspects of human life: economy, culture, politics, environment, and social structures. Additionally, they involve the shifting of long-established norms, values, attitudes, and behaviours.
The world around us shows that this is precisely what is happening with sustainability, both in environmental and interpersonal indicators. While we may not know what the 'end' of the transition will look like, the transition is underway, regardless of personal resistance. However, our reactions to this transition can influence its speed or direction through policies, regulations, or social intervention.
Interestingly, reactions of minimising, resisting, being paralysed and even advocacy all can arise from the fear of uncertainty. By understanding our subconscious reactions, both personally and within greater organisations, we can develop our conscious understanding and exert a considerable degree of influence.
Rather than allowing unconscious reactions to guide you, you must acknowledge the reality of where you stand and be transparent about it.
To navigate a transition in a genuine and impactful manner, organisations must understand not only the demands of their customers, but what reactions the organisations themselves are exhibiting. Without this awareness, there is a lack of a clear compass, causing organisations to operate reactively rather than proactively, paralysed by outside noise. This stagnation can lead to delays or surface level marketing efforts that can harm your perception and trust among your customers.
On the other hand, being perceived as fighting too hard can alienate a broader audience, even while resonating with a more niche group. Therefore, rather than allowing unconscious reactions to guide you, you must acknowledge the reality of where you stand and be transparent about it. This provides a path forward for the organisation and the target audiences it serves. When looking at that audience broadly, it is important to understand that they, too, represent different stages of and reactions to the transition, and ultimately take that into account when developing your communication strategies.
This three-part blog series will explore how to engage consumers in the sustainability transition. In this introduction, we emphasised that sustainability is not a trend but a transition, one that requires a holistic communication strategy. In the upcoming blogs, we will analyse various communication strategies to involve consumers in the transition, how they listen, and how organisations with a broad target audience can find the right pace. We will delve deeper into different customer positions in a transition and the consistent reactions of the psyche to change. Transitions are not new and, as history shows, neither are the ways in which we react.
At Conceptional, we are creative minds in Sustainable F&B Strategy and Solutions. We support our clients from F&B Strategy, Concept Development to Implementation and Performance Improvement. With the Sustainable Food route, we are eager to help foodservice brands and organisations to sustainably develop in a holistic and pragmatic way. The result is a tailor-made Sustainable Food Route, with concrete short and long-term objectives, translated into the impact on proposition, systems, processes, and organisation.
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