How Can Brands Best Celebrate Earth Day? By Not Celebrating

Earth Day was created to educate and advocate for the protection of our environment, but it has also become a day for promo codes and planet-themed product lines. Those that use the day to drive sales rather than impact miss the opportunity to lead. Far more important—for the planet and your prospective customers—are the 364 days that follow. What we need is action. And this year’s theme, Invest in Our Planet, is a direct call for businesses to act now. Here are five things to consider for making sustainability a daily, lived business priority. Transparency is a competitive advantage In a world where customers have a supercomputer in their pocket and social media at their fingertips, transparency is critical for building and maintaining consumer trust. A global study found 40% of company claims about sustainability to be misleading, so it’s no surprise that consumers are skeptical and struggle to find companies that actually live up to their promises. Make it easy for them, and be open and honest about where you stand. Clearly communicate the practices that back up your values, where you’ve made progress and even where you’ve fallen short and why. Even Patagonia, a gold standard for environmentally conscious consumer brands, is no longer calling itself a sustainable company, recognizing that despite its efforts it’s still part of the problem. Adweek’s 12 Sustainability Stars Are Making Meaningful Strides Toward a Livable Planet Use your influence There’s long been an effort to use storylines in film and television to advance important societal issues. Why not do the same with your advertising and marketing? General Motors' 2022 Super Bowl ad, featuring the cast of Austin Powers in a comedic approach to addressing climate change, raised the profile of its electric vehicles and created a genuine cultural moment. And it’s backed up by keen business strategy: Less than 5% of Americans own electric vehicles, yet over half are open to buying them in the future. You should also think beyond the ad spots to model and normalize sustainable behaviors. Google now lists the estimated carbon emissions of your travel plans. Brands like Silk and Clif Bar joined together with other businesses to lobby Congress for climate action. Finding ways to infuse sustainability throughout your operations can help demonstrate a company’s commitment to ensuring there is no daylight between your marketing and your values. Think hard about privilege The good news? Consumers are increasingly willing to pay more for sustainable products. The reality? The ability to do so is a privilege many do not have. Particularly amid rising inflation, household brands that create options for consumers to do right by both the planet and their pocketbook could gain customer loyalty. Equity in climate change and environmental sustainability must be a consideration. Act as if the future is now—because it is The environment is Gen Z’s No. 1 concern. Making sustainability a core value and business practice won’t just help future generations navigate climate issues, it will also help your business attract and keep future customers and employees. Increasingly for younger consumers, consistent and meaningful practices around environmental and social responsibility are the price of admission for their brand loyalty. More than 1 in 4 millennials and Gen Zers worldwide now say their purchasing decisions have been influenced by businesses’ impact on the environment, and roughly half of Gen Zers say their values have played a role in their career choices. Adapt accordingly. Don’t wait on perfect Be transparent about your company’s sustainable practices and goals—but you don’t need to already have reached net zero carbon emissions to lead by example. Bring your customers and stakeholders along as you to innovate, take risks, invest in new solutions, learn from mistakes and adapt. The scale of the challenges facing our world can be overwhelming, but people want to be part of the solution. Brands that make clear their solution includes them will have the edge. Yes, my headline might be clickbait—clearly, we can all take a day to celebrate and focus on the needs of what the Dalai Lama calls “our only home.” But the daily actions we take and the values we live, as individuals as well as businesses, are what matter most for the planet and, increasingly, our customers. Our Climate Reality Demands Radical Action From Brands, Not Meager Promises