COSMETICS BUSINESS LIVE
PROVENANCE
Transparency tech: How to future-proof your sustainability
marketing Speaker Jessi Baker
S
ustainability and social impact claims in marketing are vital to how you talk about your brand. As the number of people changing their purchasing preferences based on sustainability increases, brands without sustainability credentials will be irrelevant to shoppers by 2030. However, when 40% of green claims could be misleading, this results in more regulation on how brands can communicate. Avoiding greenwashing is no longer optional. The Competition Markets Authority released its Green Claims Code last September to crack down on claims in the UK, and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is preparing to update its Green Guides in the US. There’s been several cases recently of big brands being called out for greenwashing; mostly on recyclability claims and refillable packaging. Without publicly available evidence or certifications supporting claims, brands run the risk of being hit with a lawsuit or getting into hot water with the press. As more and more brands come under fire for greenwashing, it’s clear that there’s a higher reward in genuine, verified impact claims and credentials. At Provenance we have a goal to empower 1 billion citizens to choose products that match their values. The company is doing this by powering sustainability claims shoppers can trust, ensuring there’s credible proof points on products and brand and helping brands be transparent and accountable. We built the Provenance Framework as a rulebook for brands to communicate consistent and credible impact, consisting of 50+ Proof Points: shopper-friendly statements of impact, supported by proof. We’re trusted by over 200
Brands need to be able to back up their green claims, or risk legal trouble
beauty brands to date, including The Ordinary, Glow Recipe, Paula’s Choice and The Inkey List, and reach 1 million+ shoppers per month. Cosmetics Business Live coincides with the launch date of our latest consumer research report, exploring shopper expectations and how brands can win consumer trust. With London Research, Provenance surveyed 1,500+ beauty shoppers across Europe and America, and spoke with leaders from a number of brands and industry bodies, including Cult Beauty, Elemis, Douglas, Noble Panacea and B Corp Beauty Coalition. We found that 90% of consumers consider sustainability when buying beauty and wellness products, but 79% have difficulty trusting brands’ sustainability claims. In addition, shoppers said that independent verification is the key to winning consumer trust. Brands can’t afford to mark their own homework and sharing proof of independent verification is the most effective way to assure shoppers that your claims are fact, not fiction. Our biggest recommendations to brands are:
• Prioritise your positive impact: Sustainability is now an essential factor in modern purchasing decisions;
• Avoid buzzwords and vague claims: Steer clear of ambiguous claims that lack context like ‘eco’ or ‘green’;
• Be transparent about your products: List ingredients and share detailed sustainability information;
• Seek out independent verification: Independent, third-party verification is the customer’s most trusted source of sustainability information.
What we discovered sheds light on just why trust in the beauty industry’s green commitments is so low. But it also gives us a blueprint for how to do better, and for how brands that are making genuine progress in being eco-friendly can win the trust of sustainability-minded shoppers
cosmeticsbusiness.com December 2022 59
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