OUGD601 - Extended Essay - Structure 3

How do businesses / companies brand and market sustainable products?

How do businesses / companies brand and market sustainable products to influence / encourage sustainable consumption?

INTRO (500 words)

General Problem – Unsustainable behaviour / consumption

Sustainability definition

Sustainable Product definition

Outline argument views on sustainability in business, ecologism and from consumers

Relationships between brands, consumers and sustainability

How design is used to influence positive and negatively patterns of consumption

How design is used by brands to engage consumers with their sustainable activities and promote sustainable consumption

MODELS PERCEPTIONS AND IDEAS OF SUSTAINABILITY (1000 words)

Consumers ideas of sustainability / sustainable products

-        Not always know what sustainable is

-        Negative view / aesthetic

-        Negative view of sustainable consumption

-        Negative view / reliability / quality

-        Green washing / ethos

-        Expensive

-        Confusion over terms

-        Do people care about the environment?

-        Difficulties getting people on board    

Environmentalism vs Businesses idea of sustainability / sustainable consumption / sustainable products

Business

-        Growth

-        GNP as measure of health

-        Business dominant

-        Increased Consumption

-        Instrumental value

-        Anthropocentric

Environmentalism

-        Tech not solution

-        System change

-        Limits to Growth

-        Intrinsic Value

-        Reduced Consumption

-        Ecocentrism

-        Equity between generations

-        Move away from industrial tech and current paradigm

Can work together?

Sustainable Development

Reasons for consumption

-        No consumption impossible

-        Part of life

-        Maslow hierarchy of needs

-        Reflection of self / identity

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BRANDS, CONSUMERS, SUSTAINABILITY AND CONSUMPTION (1000 words)

Relationship between sustainability and brands – why they are becoming green

-        Sees benefits of sustainable initiatives

-        Perception

-        Demand from consumer

-        Competitive / success

-        Profit

-        Ethics add value

-        Forced to consider environment

-        Without these?

Relationship between brands and consumer – influence brands have on consumers through design – general needs etc

-        Brands influence behaviour

-        Increase uptake of sustainable products

-        Increase unsustainable consumption

-        Playing on Needs / Lack / Desires

Relationship between consumers and brands – influence consumers have on brands

-        Changing habits

-        Environmental concern peak

-        Awareness of issue

-        Changing Market

Relationship between consumers and sustainability – why they are going green – green consumerism - motivations

-        Emotions / guilt / feel good factor

-        Self benefit

-        Altruism

-        Concern for environment

-        Happiness

-        Self actualisation

-        Fit in

HOW DO BRANDS MARKET SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS? (2000 words)

Case studies

Green consumer types – Marketing groups

Techniques used to influence sustainable consumption

-        Hedonism

-        Understand needs

-        Market segments

-        Messaging – Cautionary vs positive marketing

-        Incentivising behaviour

-        Imagery

-        Ethics can’t replace quality

-        Trust

-        Emotions

-        Show benefits

-        Rational vs Emotional

-        Educate

-        Make it easy to understand

-        Make it convenient

-        Make it social

-        Normalising sustainability

-        Brands and ethos

-        Use of language

-        Ethos

CONCLUSION (500 WORDS)