可持续发展品牌可以有目的性地帮助解决 COVID-19 问题

Research has shown that consumers care about companies who support causes that matter to them. Pre-pandemic, 74% of U.S. Millennials said they are more likely to buy brands supporting social issues they care about. For brands, this makes things simple. Rarely is there one cause that resonates so deeply with so many at once. The brands that pivot with purpose will ensure they not only survive, but build their reputations and grow loyalty over the long-term. 

To resonate with consumers, marketers need to reexamine their advertising to make sure that they are addressing consumers’ needs (while not appearing tone deaf) and connecting with them authentically. One social media influencer with millions of followers put it well when she reacted on Instagram to one brand’s shift to a one-for-one model to donate food to children impacted by COVID-19: “I love companies who take social responsibility seriously.” While brands can’t always count on public praise from their customers, this is both more authentic and more memorable than a paid ad.

As with any sustainability challenge, different industries will need to adopt their approaches to fit their unique skills, challenges and consumer base. However, there are some consistent themes across sustainability, brand loyalty and efficacy that demonstrate how brands can meaningfully pivot with purpose to advance the common good. 

安全第一

在远程医疗和延迟非必要医疗的时代，消费者正在为保证家人的安全而奋斗。对于注重可持续发展的清洁用品生产商来说，这意味着必须突出自己的消毒能力，而食品生产商则可能需要进一步向消费者强调如何通过日常食品选择来解决健康问题。

There are positive signs demonstrating that consumers’ appetite for sustainable goods hasn’t yet slowed. An analysis of product attributes by Nielsen BASES showed that when it came to household cleaners, the importance of organic, sustainable ingredients and natural claims have diminished in importance during the pandemic. However, the claim ‘Kills germs / bacteria in a natural way’ was one of the top three claims, just after products that said ‘Kills germs in an effective way.’ Moreover, consumers have already spent $33.6 billion this year on sustainable goods, up 15.8% compared to the same period last year week ended April 4, performing about four percentage points better than conventional products. 

Some of sustainability’s growth during the weeks when consumers were stocking up ahead of living restrictions were driven by out-of-stocks. However, in the weeks following, we’ve seen the gap between conventional and sustainable sales growth level off. We expect this trend will continue as economic challenges persist, but that doesn’t mean sustainability is out of the game. Now is the time to make sure you are doing all you can to reassure your consumers—in authentic, meaningful ways—about the efficacy of your product, thus increasing consumer adoption and loyalty in the most sustainable way possible: consistently and reliably delivering on a true consumer need. 

灵活调整制造和供应链

这场危机也提醒我们，可持续发展不仅仅是产品的成分、生产方式和消费者使用后的情况。可持续发展的品牌对消费者的需求保持灵活的反应，并拥有与之相匹配的灵活的供应链和运营。 

面对关键材料的短缺，一些不太可能的行业正在挺身而出，大显身手。服装、香水甚至酒类品牌都在重新利用其生产线，以满足对口罩、洗手液和其他必需品的需求。 

这并不是要改变品牌的宗旨或使命，而是要调整或扩展日常工作，以便更有效地满足消费者的需求，无论他们在哪里（也无论他们做什么）。 

寻求减轻痛苦

似乎在一夜之间，这种流行病给人们带来了新的挑战--从小小的不便到危及生命的情况--使我们的社会中存在的社会不平等和医疗保健政策暴露无遗。企业可以通过创造性地思考如何参与其中来减轻负担，从而减轻压力。 

向优先社区提供力所能及的捐赠

纸尿裤品牌已经介入支持单亲家庭和低收入家庭，冥想应用程序使一些服务免费，餐厅为医院员工提供食物，还有一些品牌采取了一对一的模式，即消费者每购买一件产品，就为医护人员提供一次实物捐赠。 

其中许多模式都涉及让消费者参与进来，为这些社区提供支持。然而，在这一时期，还有更多的人需要支持。包装消费品制造商和零售商也可以采用这种模式，利用他们与食品银行和其他非营利组织现有的、长期的联系，通过这种网络效应扩大影响。

将员工放在第一位

Over the past few weeks, countries around the world have seen record spikes in unemployment. Even as governments move to support their constituents, it’s businesses that may make the biggest impact on an individual’s life. Companies that communicate clearly, with leaders that act with empathy and who go above and beyond to keep their employees safe, will build brand loyalists for life. Nielsen data has consistently shown that consumers want to support companies that prioritize fair wages and other social responsibility attributes that positively impact the employees that power the brands they love.

减少待在家里的挑战

随着世界上大多数人被隔离在家中，新的、意想不到的挑战也随之而来--从家长们努力让孩子们玩得开心、在家工作，到在家中烹饪更多的饭菜以及处理比以往更多的包装。最近对美国销售情况的分析表明，与去年相比，宣传 "少包装 "和 "可回收包装 "的产品销量大幅飙升，增幅高达 100%。 

品牌有机会帮助消费者，为他们播下如何减少包装杂乱、重新利用旧容器或延长产品寿命的新种子。当消费者大批量购买产品以备不时之需时，他们就会意识到废弃容器的新用途，比如将旧洗发水瓶用作花盆。

我们该何去何从？

这次大流行病将考验许多品牌，它们是否以对社会负责和可持续的方式做出反应，不仅对其自身业务，而且对我们如何重建社区都将产生重大影响。 

品牌可以将自己定位为在近期危机中为消费者提供支持，同时也是通向未来的桥梁，随着时间的推移不断增强与消费者的联系。 

For food brands, there are glimmers of hope even as the shifting economy takes its toll on wallets. In France, during the pandemic sales of organic have continuously outpaced conventional products and performed particularly well in regions with a higher population of families. In both the 美国 和 法国, since the last recession, the industry has responded by expanding its range of private label organic offerings. Meaning, that there are more value-options available to consumers than in recent years.

A 2019 survey also showed that 56% of French people have a very specific diet dictated by animal welfare, organic, local and other sustainable attributes. Year-to-date, Americans have spent $81.8 billion on vegetarian diets as of the week ended April 4. For these consumers who have moved towards vegetarian, vegan, or plant-based diets, organic and other sustainable methods will have an important role to play as consumers balance their dietary needs with availability to spend. 

无论在什么时候，当品牌能够将 "我"--消费者--的健康与世界的健康联系起来时，我们就能看到可持续发展的成果随着销售额和品牌忠诚度的提高而增长。