Insights

This article explores how transparent and compelling messaging can boost trust and loyalty. We'll cover key principles, engaging diverse audiences, and real-world examples.

Your website is a great starting point for showcasing your awarded ecolabels, but there's many other areas to consider using them. Explore examples and guidance on using your ecolabels across various marketing channels in the article below.

Your guide to navigating the complexity of the UK's consumer protection law on environmental claims: The Green Claims Code

How can brands identify and choose packaging that works best for them and is also as sustainable as possible?

Use the Animal Welfare Policy toolkit that Intrepid developed and provided for free to implement best practices.

The easiest way to showcase your sustainability story on your website

ethy verified brands can demonstrate their commitment for a more sustainable future using ethy accreditation mark. Only companies that have successfully passed ethy's accreditation assessment are permitted to use the accreditation mark. It is important that the accreditation mark is used in accordance with ethy Trademark Usage Guidelines. Please download ethy Brand and Trademark Usage Guidelines from here. These guidelines explain how you can and must use and visually present our brand assets at all times. Your use of our brand assets indicates your acceptance of these guidelines, and you understand that your use of our brand assets in violation of these guidelines will result in the automatic termination of your license and/or affiliate partner status and/or permission to use our brand assets. Use of our brand assets must be expressly authorised in writing. Your use must not mislead consumers as to our sponsorship of, affiliation with or endorsement of your company or your products or services. Our brand assets are our exclusive property. All goodwill that results from your use of our brand assets will be solely for our benefit. You will not take any action that is at odds with our rights or ownership of our brand assets. Where used on a web page, our brand assets, as well as the mention of our name, should include embedded hyperlinks to our homepage: www.ethy.co.uk or to your brand profile page on ethy website. Our brand assets must be used in a respectful manner. Our brand assets may not be used in a way that harms us, our products or services, or in a manner which, in our opinion, lessens or otherwise damages our reputation or the goodwill in our brand assets. In other words, please do not associate our brand assets with any illicit or illegal activities or use them in a way that is deceptive or harmful. If you’re feeling unsure about the proper use of our logo or other assets, it’s always good to ask! Send us an email at marketing@ethy.co.uk Using ethy Brand Assets If you are a customer please sign in to your dashboard to access your brand-specific accreditation marks and certification. By using our brand assets, you indicate your acceptance of our Brand and Trademark Usage Guidelines, and understand that violating these guidelines will result in the termination of your permission to use our brand assets.

Summary of the revisions, new standards and guidance for ethy verified brands.

There are over 200 different names for palm oil. This list includes A-Z names that palm oil is also known as.

More than one-third of shoppers now actively choose brands that can demonstrate good sustainability practices and values, while one in three have stopped buying from certain companies because of environmental concerns (1). For brands, this means that understanding and maximising social and environmental responsibilities make good business sense. However, consumers need – and want – help in making sustainable choices. Some 88% of shoppers in the UK and USA say they’d like brands to help them be more environmentally friendly (2), while more than a third say that a lack of information is stopping them from choosing the most sustainable brands(3). Becoming ethy verified helps businesses give consumers the information they want at the moments that matter most, so they can make informed purchasing decisions. Give consumers the reasons they’re looking for to choose your brand. Using sustainability standards benefits businesses in a whole range of areas, from improved reputation and profitability to reduced costs and increased production(4). ethy’s corporate sustainability certification benefits: Amplify and safeguard brand reputation Proof-back your claims to ensure brand credibility. Consumers are more aware of greenwashing than ever before. Third-party verification shows that you have hard evidence of your sustainability efforts and are transparent about your business practices. This is key to avoiding accidental greenwashing and minimising the risks associated with making green claims. This authenticity is key to building trust and brand reputation. With ethy’s expert-backed verification framework developed in partnership with some of the most important authorities in the field of sustainability, ESG and CSR, you can be confident that your business is pioneering best practice. Supercharge sales with powerful communication 66% of global shoppers are willing to pay more for sustainable goods, according to the Nielsen Global Corporate Sustainability Report. However, it’s not always easy for consumers to identify the brands that are having a positive impact. Sustainability-smart consumers want accessible, no-fuss indicators of quality and distinction when they make shopping choices. ethy verified companies gain access to powerful visual communications tools that instantly convey a company’s verified positive impact on people, environment and animals, capturing the attention of potential shoppers. Using a third-party verification helps your company credibly stand out for all the good reasons. Showcase positive impact across products, shop windows, sales materials, marketing campaigns and corporate communications to give consumers the reasons to choose your brand. Increase reach and brand awareness Sustainability champions are a growing audience, yet with sustainability proving a confusing area for most consumers, we developed a top-rated digital solution that helps consumers shop by their values. ethy verified members gain access to our multi channel platform of 10,000+ conscious shoppers across the UK. Through our in-house editorial team, we deliver your company an SEO optimised brand profile on our mobile apps and website and put your company in front of thousands of responsible shoppers. On an ongoing basis ethy members enjoy opportunities to increase reach and brand awareness through features in various marketing campaigns, on-site promotions, collaborations and participating in ethy’s Ambassador Programme, including Review Club. Accelerate your sustainability strategy Build employee knowledge and incorporate sustainable practices while engaging stakeholders in your sustainability strategy. Sustainability is a journey, not a destination. It’s a path towards realigning your company to be more functional with nature. This means continuous improvement towards more sustainable practices. We support accredited companies along their journey through corporate sustainability workshops for you and your employees. Our routine workshops provide a cost-effective way to access expert training on sustainable company performance and engage employees in your sustainability strategy. Engaging in sustainability principles such as reduce, reuse, recycle, compost, circular economy and redesign can benefit companies financially too. Through ethy’s verified assessment and workshops companies can identify opportunities to reduce costs and improve profitability through improving operational efficiency. Shifting towards a more sustainable future means engaging all stakeholders in your efforts, from employees to investors. Verification boosts your reputation, attracts the best possible talent and serves as a helpful barometer to potential investors who are increasingly putting sustainability and ESG at the top of their wish-lists. Showcase contribution towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) According to the World Economic Forum, just 0.2% of companies globally were classed as acting “strongly” in line with the SDGs as of March 2021. The Global Goals are a collection of 17 interlinked goals designed to be a “blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all”. We believe that consumers and businesses have a leading role to play in this and our aim is to empower both to act for a more sustainable future. We have done this by developing a sustainability verification standard that is in alignment with the SDGs. That’s why our sustainability verification standard is developed in alignment with the SDGs. Going through ethy’s verification process demonstrates that you’re playing an active role in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and that sustainability isn’t just a CSR exercise for your business. Attract talent and engage your employees Three-quarters of millennials would take a pay cut to work at an environmentally considerate company(5) whilst two-thirds of UK workers have actively sought help and support with their mental and physical health and wellbeing in 2021(6). ethy verification helps companies communicate their sustainability agenda to attract and engage the top talent. We use positive, optimistic language in our materials, designed to get all stakeholders excited and inspired about sustainability and your company’s role within it. Happy and healthy people make a productive and sustainable workforce. ethy’s standards guide companies to ensure employee wellbeing is considered and incorporated at the heart of company culture. Convenient digital dashboard and dedicated support Bringing accreditation services to the 21st century, ethy’s digital solution offers a comprehensive dashboard to manage everything in one place. Companies can submit their assessment questionnaire and upload supporting evidence; review and approve their company listing; see the ethy app and website analytics for their listing; and access their personalised communications toolkit & assets as well as business resources and FAQs. Our team of experts are here to help you through the journey. You’ll always be able to talk to a real person through dashboard live chat, email or video calls. How long does it take to get ethy accredited? Typically it takes only a few weeks from submitting your assessment questionnaire results to a business having received verification and having a published profile on the ethy platform. However, the real timeline depends also on factors such as complexity of business, time it takes to receive any further supporting evidence required, approval of profile content, etc. How can my company get ethy accreditation? The questionnaire is straightforward, but we do ask for supporting information and data. It’s important that your claims can be backed up with hard evidence – this is central to the integrity of ethy verification and key to reassuring consumers that your company is taking sustainability seriously. If you want to learn more about the criteria and documentation required for each trust mark before applying see here. Got unanswered questions? See our FAQs or email us at support@ethy.co.uk. If you would like to talk to us or see a demo, please book here. You can add as many guests from your company as you need. Ready to start your accreditation journey? Apply here. Sources: (1) Deloitte: https://www2.deloitte.com/uk/en/pages/consumer-business/articles/sustainable-consumer.html (2) Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/solitairetownsend/2018/11/21/consumers-want-you-to-help-them-make-a-difference/ (3) Deloitte:  https://www2.deloitte.com/uk/en/pages/consumer-business/articles/sustainable-consumer.html (4) Iseal Alliance:  https://www.isealalliance.org/sites/default/files/resource/2019-05/Summary%20-%20Business%20Benefits%20of%20Standards%20Report.pdf (5) according to the 2016 Cone Communications Millennial Employee Engagement Study. (6) Fenews: https://www.fenews.co.uk/work-leadership/latest-news-data-confirms-workers-health-and-wellbeing-were-2021s-biggest-challenge-two-thirds-of-uk-workers-sought-health-related-support-last-year/

So your company has been making great strides to improve its environmental and social performance. But how do you go about letting the world know about it? Communicating your company’s positive impact can be fraught with obstacles. Not to mention that only 20% of shoppers trust brand sustainability claims according to a report by Compare Ethics. Greenwashing has certainly taken its toll on consumer trust, but how can companies with genuine intentions mitigate allegations of greenwashing and communicate their green credentials effectively? After all, well-crafted communications can unlock huge benefits and transform sustainability into a competitive advantage. It starts with transparency Greenwashing simply can't thrive in an atmosphere that embraces transparency. When the marketing of sustainable products or services is open and explicit, it prevents exaggeration and provides evidence. Companies hoping to garner trust should also own up to their pitfalls (not just triumphs), which can go a long way in gaining the respect of today’s shoppers. So how do you go about being transparent? Third party accreditation is a good place to start. According to Compare Ethics, 83% of shoppers would be more likely to trust a product’s sustainability claim if it had been verified by a third party. Our own ethy accreditation process provides expert assurance that a company has met a set of robust criteria through evidence-led assessment. Keep it simple Sustainability is a huge and complex topic, which can overwhelm people unless you keep things simple. While it may be tempting to include every possible piece of information around your sustainability endeavours, the everything-no-filter approach rarely leads to effective reporting. Focus on the metrics that are most important to your company and target audience. A picture paints a thousand words, and so we developed a way to communicate company-wide sustainability in just that - one picture. We call it the Impact Hive: Made up of proof-earned trust marks, the Impact Hive provides an overview of your company’s sustainability story in a consumer-friendly format. Make it positive The climate crisis is depressing enough without constant reminders of the doom and gloom scenario. Positive messages can make sustainability-related behaviours feel more accessible and less scary. Through uplifting messaging and imagery, companies can inspire collective action and install a sense of empowerment. At ethy, this is something we’ve carried through within our own brand DNA and embrace within our own communications around sustainability. Even something as trivial as our choice of colours play a role here! Understand your audience Audiences for sustainability communications are becoming increasingly diverse, as the wider public is taking a greater interest into sustainability. These varied stakeholders want different things from sustainability communications. While some might be focused on societal impact, others may be more concerned with the environment and preservation of nature. You’ll need to identify what each of your stakeholders want and how best to tailor your sustainability communications to meet their specific needs. Don’t be afraid to get help To reiterate, effective sustainability communications is a no easy feat. Consumer trust is at an all time low while brand loyalty has never been more important. This is where we come in! It’s time to proof-back your environmental and social efforts through ethy and use our pioneering communication solutions to spread the word in a credible way. Click here to speak to us today.

Derived from the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and developed with experts, ethy's trust marks help consumers understand your company's sustainability achievements. Awarded through proof-backed assessment, trust marks ensure claims are accurate and explicit. Only companies that have successfully passed ethy's accreditation assessment are permitted to use trust marks. Trust marks should be used to demonstrate specific environmental or social impacts relevant to the company. Trust marks should not be combined with any other assets and should be applied to be as visible as possible. In no circumstances are trust marks permitted to be hand drawn, re-created by any other organisation or person or incorporated into another organisation’s artwork. It is important that trust marks are used in accordance with ethy's Brand and Trademark Usage Guidelines. Please download the full ethy Brand and Trademark Usage Guidelines from here.

ethy verified brands are provided with a brand-specific Impact Hive (sustainability profile) to illustrate brand-wide sustainability achievements. Impact Hive is comprised of individual ecolabels, used collectively, like a beehive. Derived from the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and developed with experts, ethy's ecolabels help consumers understand your brand's sustainability achievements. Awarded through proof-backed assessment, ecolabels ensure claims are accurate and explicit. The Impact Hive represents brand-level sustainability achievements and is not meant to be used to represent a particular product or service. The Impact Hive should not be combined with any other assets and should be applied to be as visible as possible. The simplest and fastest way to use your Impact Hive is by embedding ethy widgets into your website. ethy verified customers can find instructions and design options in their ethy dashboard under the Communications Toolkit tab. In no circumstances should the Impact Hive be hand drawn, re-created by any other organisation or person or incorporated into another organisation’s artwork. Usage of the Impact Hive should comply with our guidelines. For full Impact Hive usage guidelines, please click here.

Verified Reviews and Sustainability Report

Explore climate justice, the role it plays in climate change and ways to integrate principles of climate justice into your operations.

Introduction In a world where environmental consciousness is at an all-time high, the rise of eco-friendly products and brands has been exponential. However, with this surge in green marketing, the concept of greenwashing has also become increasingly prevalent. In this blog post, we will delve into the overwhelming landscape of brands in the environmentally considerate market, explore the deceptive practices of greenwashing, and discuss the importance of verifying sustainability claims. Furthermore, we will introduce a strategic solution - leveraging impact-led landing pages to drive customer acquisition while authentically showcasing a brand's green and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) credentials. The Rise of Greenwashing Greenwashing is the practice of deceiving consumers into believing products and services are “greener” than they actually are, something we’ve talked about at length here on our blog. Since pre-covid, consumers have become more and more acutely aware of brand values with consumer behaviour shifting towards support of sustainable, impact-driven companies. One implication of the popularity of the trend has led to many brands making claims they think their audience wants to hear, without the necessary truth or substance to back it up accordingly. Perhaps one of the most prominent examples of greenwashing in recent years has been the Volkswagen emission scandal where Nitrogen Oxide pollutants were 40 times over the allowed limit despite touting it’s 'eco friendly' emission levels [Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-34324772] H&M was also caught out by the Norwegian Consumer Authority over it’s ambiguous use of the words “Sustainable”, “Green” and “Environmentally Friendly” - since there was no clear definition of these terms for consumers or supporting information this was ultimately construed as “misleading consumers”. Verifying Sustainability Claims Now more than ever, it’s crucial to ensure your brand remains transparent and authentic in its approach to making and marketing sustainability claims to ensure you don’t fall on the wrong side of sentiment. Reputations are slow to gain and fast to lose. Before you jump to making a claim and stake your brand's name on the line, consider whether you can whole-heartedly preach your sustainability claim without blurring the lines, ensuring you have adequate information to back it up if scrutinised. ethy gives you the tools to do just that, allowing you to cut through the noise and stay top of mind with your audience using our range of sustainability verifications. Impact-Led Landing Pages: The Solution But what more can be done? It’s one thing to have the badges and credentials to back up your claims, but too often we see them underutilised throughout the customer journey. If your prospective audience doesn’t see these verifications at key points, their overall impact is diminished greatly. One way of combating this is the use of an “Impact-Led Landing Page” (a term coined by our friends over at Būshy) to convey your positive credentials while guiding the user towards conversion. Landing pages have been used for a long time to deliver personalised user experiences to specific customer segments but the uptake for responsible brands has been slow. For merchants in the impact-driven space, the opportunity to amplify marketing effort by fusing principles of direct-response marketing with sustainability and branding, is a large one many are yet to capitalise on. Not only is it a great way to drive higher awareness of your brand principles to appeal to conscious consumers, landing pages can also greatly aid conversion efforts. Through the use of targeted offers and personalised journeys, many brands experience increased overall marketing efficiency as a result of increased conversion rates and bumped average order values. Even small compounding improvements in these metrics can have an exponential impact on bottom lines. When facing the rising costs of advertisement, focusing on optimising post-click experiences is a high-leverage action any brand can take to gain a competitive advantage and fuel their impact-led mission. So how can you create your own Impact-Led Landing Page? Designing an Impact-Led Landing Page For impact-led brands wanting to take the first steps towards better communicating their impact here’s some key elements to include in your landing pages: High Impact Headline + Subheadline: Feature a compelling value proposition that can easily be understood by your target audience within 3-5 seconds to maximise engagement. Avoid platitudes and vague language that could be construed under “Greenwashing”. Compelling, Irresistible offer: aim to drive higher first transaction value through the use of strategic product bundles that add value to the user experience or help deliver superior results when used in conjunction together. Consider the inclusion of “impact” offers to add to your offering, for instance a one-time donation with each bundle purchased could be a great way to support your cause while engaging customers with the mission. Transformation: Many brands feature the end transformation their product creates in the user’s life to help envision their new life. Take it a step further and incorporate any positive impact your product / brand creates so it’s woven into the fabric of the customer journey from the beginning. This helps create a connection between the customer’s purchase and the part they play in the greater mission of your brand. Social Proof: No one likes to be the first to try something new. Create desirability and trust for your brand by displaying user generated content, reviews, testimonials or 3rd party brand credibility logos of any publications your brand may have been featured in to reassure users they’re not alone and in good company. Impact Proof: It’s one thing to tell your customers about your positive impact, but showing them is another step towards building real trust and transparency with your audience. Prominently featuring your certifications and credentials that demonstrate a commitment to your mission is a great way to win over new prospective clients. One way of achieving this is through the incorporation of ethy's ecolabels within your landing page design or through the use of storytelling. Alternatively any awards, charitable work or NGO partnerships can be highlighted. Us vs. Them: Are you challenging a conventional brand with a better alternative? Illustrate your differences with a scannable graphic so that it’s instantly clear how your brand challenges the norm. Doing this can help quickly convey your unique strengths and solutions in relation to your customers end goals or desires. Call to Action: All landing pages should have one clear call to action aligned with the business objective with multiple entry points throughout the page. By removing distractions and focusing solely on the core objective you can increase the amount of users that take action through your landing page. FAQ’s: It’s natural your visitors will have questions lingering. Poll your audience, sift through support tickets and analyse reviews to help find common blockages to purchasing or repeating sentiment. Utilise your frequently asked questions section to overcome these objections while the user is actively engaged on your page to increase overall conversions and reduce support burden. Showcasing Green and ESG Credentials The above tips should provide a foundational understanding of the key elements needed to deploy your own impact-led landing pages for your marketing campaigns. Since this article focuses on the “Impact-Led” element let’s dive deeper into ways you can showcase your green & ESG credentials in your brand narrative. Certifications: If your brand has particular certifications such as B Corp, 1% for the planet or any one of ethy’s many ecolabels, you should ensure these are more than just visible in the footer of your main site. By strategically highlighting these certifications on your landing page and throughout the user journey, you can demonstrate your commitment to positive business practices. If you’re looking for a way to verify your efforts, ethy offers a wide range of certifications aligned with a mix of different impact goals. Partnerships: Many companies choose to form partnerships with aligned non-profit organisations. Your landing page is a great opportunity to showcase any collaborations and past work together. Using strategic partnerships like this can help lend credibility to your own cause while you promote their mission, a win-win for all involved. By highlighting an impact-aligned incentive, your business can be a force for good that your customers are happy to get behind. Measurable Impact: The above methods are great beginnings, however you can take your impact-messaging even further by showing tangible results from your impact-based initiatives within your landing page experience. For example, if you’ve helped remove 10,000 tons of ocean plastic, then demonstrating this to your audience is a great way to foster further positive engagement with your mission. Showing photos of your efforts and the physical results achieved follows the age old adage of “Show, don’t tell”. For incomprehensible numbers or amounts, converting these into an alternative more digestible format is a great way to help the impact hit home. Driving Customer Acquisition Impact-led landing pages serve as a powerful tool to showcase your brand's sustainability efforts and values, resonating with consumers who prioritise environmentally friendly products and ethical practices. By highlighting your commitment to sustainability, you can create a compelling narrative that captures the attention and trust of conscious consumers. These landing pages not only attract environmentally conscious consumers but also play a crucial role in converting them into loyal customers. Strategies for Maximising Reach and Impact To maximise the reach and impact of sustainability-focused marketing campaigns through impact-led landing pages, consider the following strategies: Targeted Messaging: Tailor your messaging on the landing pages to directly address the values and concerns of environmentally conscious consumers. Highlight how your brand's sustainable practices align with their beliefs and contribute to a better world. Different customer segments may resonate with different practices so knowing your audience is key. Visual Storytelling: Use engaging visuals, such as images or videos, to tell the story of your brand's sustainability journey. Showcasing real-life examples of your impact can resonate deeply with consumers and reinforce their trust in your brand. Timelines showing progress of an impactful project is a great way to combine your past impact and future goals in one handy visual. Interactive Content: Incorporate interactive elements on your landing pages, such as quizzes or calculators, to engage visitors and educate them about the environmental benefits of your products or services. This interactive approach can enhance user experience and drive conversion rates. Collaborations and Partnerships: Collaborate with like-minded organisations or influencers in the sustainability space to expand the reach of your marketing campaigns. Partnering with reputable entities can lend credibility to your brand and attract a wider audience of environmentally conscious consumers. By implementing these strategies effectively, you can not only drive customer acquisition but also build a community of loyal advocates who are passionate about supporting brands that prioritise sustainability and social responsibility. What’s Next? So you’re on-board and want to test these strategies for your own brand. How do you go about it? There’s two options. Dive in and see what sticks using the strategies and tactics from this post, think of it as the “DIY” route - perfectly acceptable. or… Get a helping hand to speed deployment up so you can avoid common pitfalls along the way and reap the benefits much faster. If you’re in the latter category, we’ve got good news. Our partner Būshy specialises in e-commerce growth strategies for impact-led brands. They’ve put together a special offer for ethy readers looking to launch their own impact-led landing page. For a limited time only, they’re offering done-for-you impact-led landing pages for one ridiculously low price. Which means you get: 1x Custom Impact-Led Landing Page 2x Design Revisions Included Personalised Video walkthrough of your design Usually this level of custom work would set you back a few thousand. However, since Bushy is looking to develop their impact-led landing page methodology and add some new case studies to the mix you can get yours built and launched for just £750. If you’d like to reserve your slot, go ahead and book your free landing page consult with Finn at Būshy by clicking here. Due to the intensive nature of the work, the offer is strictly limited to a max of 3 projects at any given time so don’t wait around. Conclusion In a landscape where greenwashing poses a threat to consumer trust and brand authenticity, the use of impact-led landing pages emerges as a strategic solution for brands aiming to showcase their sustainability efforts transparently. By implementing key elements like high-impact headlines, compelling offers, social proof, and certifications, brands can effectively communicate their green and ESG credentials while engaging environmentally conscious consumers. These landing pages not only drive customer acquisition but also cultivate a community of loyal advocates who align with the brand's values. By maximising reach through targeted messaging, visual storytelling, interactive content, and collaborations, brands can establish themselves as leaders in sustainable practices and ethical business, resonating with a growing segment of consumers prioritising environmental responsibility. The journey towards authentic branding and impactful marketing continues as brands navigate the complexities of today's environmentally conscious market, striving to make a positive difference in the world while building lasting relationships with conscious consumers.