5 tips to communicate about your sustainability
Red card for green-washing: let's give the green light to transparency.
Everyone knows it. You know it, the whole world knows it, your little neighbor from the 5th floor Mrs. Goulard and even the family of mice that lives behind your fridge know it: eco-responsibility is the DNA of our platform! From the composition of our products to our 100% ecological shipments, we have made a conscious choice from the very first day of the adventure to center our identity around the most total respect of our planet... Why? By conviction and even by passion. Then, over the years, it is with immense joy that we have been able to make an observation: this cause has become primordial for more and more consumers, too!
What's most beautiful in all this? It is that by using our platform, sustainability is also automatically the DNA of YOUR brand... With what it implies for the health of our planet, it's more than a benefit, it's essential. And that's not just us thinking... According to a recent study, eco-responsibility is important to 65% of fashion consumers.
That's great news for the environment, your business and your banker. Yet, among these 65%, some renew their wardrobe every month on Shein for the approximate price of a piece of bread. What could possibly explain this phenomenon?
The answer is simple: according to the same study, a large proportion of consumers say they do not know how to distinguish eco-friendly products from others. So, what do we do about this confusion? Are we leaving them in the dark, having to find scraps of information to nitpick? Oh no. No no no. We offer them projectors en masse and we transform this cave into an ocean of light, as much light as in the stadium of France or Elon Musk's bathroom.
All this thanks to effective communication on eco-responsibility... Of which we give you the 5 keys just below! Ready for take-off?
Green the Infinite and Beyond!*
Tip #1: Make yourself look good, yes, but remain authentic!
"Environmental sustainability is one of the areas where the fashion industry needs urgent transformation."
"We believe that reducing supply chain waste and investing in modern production techniques are essential starting points for building an ecologically sustainable industry."
These pretty inspirational quotes didn't come from a noble crochet beanie maker on Etsy.
We found them on SheIn's website, you know, the ultimate fast fashion boss.
The truth is that it is not enough to sprinkle a paragraph with key words like "green", "eco-friendly", "respectful of the planet" to communicate well on eco-responsibility. It will make you look like that boastful little Chad who told the entire fourth grade class that he had ancestors who belonged to the French royalty. We're not fooled: we want some proof!
Of course, you can always use these adjectives. The best thing is to accompany them with verified data: the kind we already provide you with on a platter, devoted as we are... For example, you can mention the fact that your deliveries are 100% carbon neutral, your packaging 100% plastic free or talk about the clean composition of your organic and recycled products. You can find this valuable information on our website, especially on this page. You are spoilt for choice!
The other ironclad argument for eco-responsibility? The ecological label. When there is the slightest debate about a brand's true respect for the planet, it arrives like an avenger in a green organic cotton cape to set the record straight. In the TPOP catalog, you'll find no less than 7 different eco-labels: 7 ways to demonstrate to your beloved customers that no, your speech is not fluff, it's much better. Like high-quality fleece. Find their descriptions and the corresponding products in our article on the subject:
In short, communicating about your eco-responsible brand is not only about persuading people to buy... It's having the exciting mission of educating consumers! YES, of course you can do it: you were even born to do it.
Tip #2: Talk about quality
The ecological argument is not equally important to everyone. Some people will have other concerns in mind: themselves, their families, their loved ones, themselves, their careers or even themselves. More seriously: it takes everything to make a world. It's normal! Rather than being frustrated by this fact, let's be ingenious...
Let's explain: the number one argument for buying clothes, all countries combined, according to the Bain study? The quality of a product. The number one technical characteristic of eco-responsible products? Their quality, thanks to more robust textile and meticulous finishing touches.
What a delightful coincidence.
The criteria of quality and durability speak to the vast majority of consumers because their benefits are more concrete. Quality can be felt and proven over time and use, while eco-responsibility is a more abstract notion... Many people do not understand its true meaning or are simply not sensitive to it. Like a child who is made to eat vegetables because they are arranged in the shape of a smile, to convince the most reluctant, do not hesitate to highlight the quality and durability of your eco-responsible products!
Tip #3: Stay consistent
You're the head of a great eco-responsible brand because these values are important to you... Or maybe because it's a criterion that your target really cares about: you're here to replenish your accounts before your vacation in Madeira. Whatever your motivation, it will be indispensable to be consistent about your ecological commitment!
All along the line, starting with the choice of products in your catalog: on our side, no risk, since our products are sorted strictly according to the requirements of respect for the planet. We're talking about other suppliers you can use when you're a print-on-demand store. To offer next to an organic cotton beauty a dirty polyester t-shirt... Well, it's going to stand out like a sore thumb.
Consistency in your range but not only! In your marketing too, as in the choice of your physical supports. It will be good to pay attention to their composition, their quantity and their impact on the environment. Yes: if you claim to be eco-responsible, handing out flyers as if it were raining may seem contradictory.
Last piece of advice: pay attention to the choice of your partners, such as influencers, for example. They can be beneficial for your brand: a recent study conducted by Zalando proves it by stating that 52% of consumers say they need others to show them the way to eco-responsibility. Bingo: that's exactly what influencers can do! On the other hand, broadcasting the reel of Johanna, 22 years old, wearing your t-shirt while leaning on her brand new 4X4... This could be detrimental to your reputation. Give your great brand the great team it deserves!
There are several questions to consider: are my actions in line with my brand's DNA? Do my ambassadors live up to my reputation? Where is the love? Oh no, that's the Black Eyed Peas.
Tip #4: Talk about the entire product life cycle
That's it! You have acquired an eco-responsible product: your mission as an activist for the health of our planet has been successfully completed. You are now a member of the Pantheon of great actors of Sustainability. Planet Earth welcomes you with a superb cheerleader choreography, under a rain of confetti that is actually soy sprouts, while Mother Nature pops the champagne (organic, fair trade).
Okay, we may be exaggerating a bit, but here's the impression that some brands give: that buying eco-responsible is THE ultimate solution to fight against the pollution problem of the textile industry. It's true, it's the lever on which retailers have a real, concrete hold: offering consumers products that are cleanly and ethically designed.
That's great, of course! However, as an e-commerce brand, we have an incredible opportunity: to have a voice, thanks to our marketing platforms like social networks. Why not use it to convey other ways to make things happen?
Production is just one level of a greener approach to textiles. Careful maintenance of products, upcycling, wearing a garment longer... These small gestures are easy to implement and contribute to make textile an industry that is no longer linear but circular. Because we always think of everything (except watering the plants, we are human, after all), we had prepared some literature that you can get inspo from to share these good practices...
Talking about the whole cycle of responsible consumption means taking on the role of a specialist rather than a seller. Trust us: it's the role of a lifetime. The Oscar for best actor in circular fashion is yours.
Tip #5: Dedicate a page to sustainability on your website
Being a Print on Demand designer requires you to wear as many different hats as Justin Bieber: graphic designer, digital marketing manager, technical support, web designer... We know: it's a big job, and we're proud to see you juggling all these missions with the spectacular skill of a Cirque du Soleil member.
A word of advice: if there is one job you shouldn't neglect, it's writing the texts for your store. "The website is the mirror of your brand's soul" said a famous saying (we don't remember well but we're pretty sure). If the only pages of your website are those of your catalog and your general sales conditions, your brand will send back a vague image, without flavor, without identity: in short, nothing that suits it!
We'll never let you doubt it: your business sparkles with personality. Among its most characteristic features is its eco-responsibility... Why not dedicate a page to it? This is what more and more brands are doing on their websites, whether their commitments are well-founded or not. Having a page on sustainability on your website will help you on two levels:
- 🌱 As mentioned at the very beginning of this article, for many consumers, distinguishing one eco-responsible brand from another is difficult... So why not take them by the hand and guide them? Thanks to an informative and well-organized page, sprinkled with hard data rather than vague terms, you will position yourself in the eyes of your visitors as a true ambassador of eco-fashion.
- To be in the small papers of search 💻 engines Through the use of keywords related to theSustainability On your web page, they will be able to rank you better in their results and make you more visible to an environmentally conscious audience. Example: in anticipation of a spiritual retreat in Bali, Eglantine is looking for an eco-friendly graphic t-shirt on the theme of Yoga. Perfect! That's what you're all about. With the search for "eco-friendly yoga t-shirt", Eglantine will be much more likely to come across your store sooner if you have an entire web page dedicated to the eco-responsible nature of your brand.
Head to your keyboards: no one else will be able to speak better about your ecological commitments than you.
The public wants green brands. Really green.
Not the green of dollar bills... The green of wild grass with morning dew. The green of a young maple shoot, determined to see the world evolve for a long time to come. Poetry aside, the public wants to stop being taken for a ride.
By choosing TPOP as your POD supplier, you've already done part of the work: you're running an eco-friendly store. Now you're faced with the important task of bringing that spotlight to as many people as possible... For a star like you, it shouldn't be complicated at all.
Sources: Bain, Zalando