Sharing your green claims might be harming your sales…
And not just because of the attitude/behaviour gap.
It’s well known (although still often ignored) that focusing too heavily on the sustainability credentials or brand purpose behind your product can actually stop people buying.
That’s because behavioral studies have proven an unconscious bias assuming that ‘eco-friendly’ products are poorer quality.
And marketing 101 is to sell the benefits, not the features (your customers want to know how the product benefits them, before the planet).
But did you know that behavioural science can also tell you how many claims/benefits (sustainability or otherwise) you should make to increase sales?
The magic number is 3.
Your customers are smart. They know, whenever they encounter your marketing, advertising or packaging, that you’re trying to sell to them. So they’re alert, and skeptical.
A behavioural study analysed a number of product categories and found that 2 claims was not persuasive, and too many became unbelievable, and led people to like the product less.
People that were shown 3 claims found them to be 10.4% more persuasive – which could result in a significant uplift for your sales.
It’s because 3 is the lowest point at which we start to recognise pattern – which means it’s where we feel informed enough to make a decision.
So what does this mean for your green claims?
Sustainability-focused brands often see their green credentials as a differentiator, and go against the behavioral science to prioritize these.
But if the science says no more than 3, that’s precious space where you need to focus on benefits to the customer, in order to be persuasive.
Our own research and A/B testing at 181st Street has found that shifting the priority of sustainability in your messaging hierarchy, and specifically highlighting your positive impact post-purchase, can make a significant impact on both initial conversion rate, repeat purchase rate and customer loyalty.
Where we implemented this in an FMCG brand’s email marketing last year, we saw a 67% increase in revenue from that channel in just 3 months.
To get more behavioural insights like these direct to you inbox, sign up to our Mind The Gap series and inspire your next campaign!
Research Source: Shu, S. B., & Carlson, K. A. (January 2014). When three charms but four alarms: Identifying the optimal number of claims in persuasion settings. Journal of Marketing.
