Cocoa Sustainability Guide: Craft Your Story
Cocoa Sustainability Guide: Craft Your Story
Packaging
This is the point of purchase, so converting consumers here will give you the most return on investment. Use a label and use it on the front of pack, so that a consumer can easily distinguish in one second that you are committed to sustainability. A label alone is not enough as most of the time consumers are not well familiar with it. Strengthen your sustainable message with a powerful claim showing that you care.
Social media, influencers, and PR
Sustainability is a hot topic, so it will get attention. It is also a positive story that people want to be associated with, so they are more likely to share with others. That is the fantastic thing about sustainability - people will support your brand for free, because they believe in what you are doing! Importantly, sustainability doesn’t need huge media budgets to communicate, as you get a word of mouth effect.
Your website
This is a great place to house additional information, so that consumers and other stakeholders can verify what they have seen on pack or read online, which will build your credibility in this space.
Retailer and e-commerce websites
This is another point of purchase, so make sure your product descriptions online reflect your sustainability credentials. For retailers that have filters to help shoppers find sustainably-sourced items, make sure your products are flagged correctly.
You can make use of the tools that have been created by the cocoa program you've chosen to get the most impact from your communications. Some key learnings to keep in mind:
- Tell your consumers why sustainability matters to them - tie it to their needs and values. If your consumers want to feel fulfilment when buying your products, tell them about the positive impact you create for cocoa farming communities for example.
- Some consumers have the perception that sustainability means compromise on other aspects of quality, so make sure to emphasise the existing product attributes.
- Sustainability can be complicated - so use sustainability as a simple filter a consumer can use. Use a label and a clear message.
- Transparency, authenticity, human connection, local communities and environment are some positive consumer associations to leverage.
For Cocoa Horizons, we have a lot of ready-made tools to help you tell your consumers a convincing cocoa sustainability journey. The Cocoa Chronicles can help by translating sustainable cocoa messages into consumer facing stories, driven by consumer benefits. Get inspired to leverage your sustainability impact and drive your brand's purpose.
If you are a brand, retailer, or manufacturer requiring support with your sustainability journey, checkout our Cocoa Sustainability Guide: Getting Started, or contact your local Barry Callebaut representative.
