I’ve undertaken a number of research projects over the past couple of years, looking at issues around sustainability and the recycling of food and drink packaging. I’m not breaking any client confidentiality when I report that one of the things that stands out across all these studies is the number of people who claim they recycle almost everything.
It would appear the vast majority of UK adults are behaving pretty much perfectly in this regard – consistently across our studies over 90% say they recycle ‘always’ or ‘most of the time’.
I suspect the reality is a little different – and I believe industry sources and local authorities will support this. But if the numbers aren’t completely reliable, there is still a really important finding here, and it goes to the heart of human motivations.
I believe many of these respondents are answering the question positively because they believe this is how society wants them to behave. Even if they don’t recycle everything, all the time, they sense this is the right thing to do. Instinctively –and even in the anonymity of answering an online questionnaire – most human beings seek to conform.
This basic trait can be very helpful to the functioning of society. But it can also lead to other, less helpful consequences.
Fleeting conformity vs long-term commitment
When societal momentum shifts, the same force that propels a trend can just as quickly dissolve. It’s a precarious truth that brands, retailers and manufacturers must navigate, because mistaking fleeting conformity for long-term commitment is a gamble that can leave once-thriving categories struggling to survive.
The rise of plant-based alternatives to meat and dairy was not built on vast numbers of people becoming vegan or vegetarian. Of course, numbers of both groups have risen, but the vast majority of consumers who bought these products have been ‘flexitarians’ who see the virtues of plant-based products but don’t want to fully commit, or simply ‘dabblers’ who were enticed to give these alternatives a try.
When the world around you seems to be shifting towards ordering oat milk in lattes, or sticking the latest high-profile meat-free burger on the barbecue, it’s tempting to join in. Again, the impulse is to be seen to be doing the right thing.
And that’s where a lot of the recent woes in the plant-based sector have arisen. There is a fragility at the heart of a market when most of its consumers are following the crowd. If prices rise (or simply seem to be rather expensive), if products don’t quite live up to the hype, or if the fad doesn’t seem quite so compelling and ‘on trend’ any more, they will move on.
The Prime example
Prime drinks is an even shorter-lived example. In the space of two years it moved from being actively sought after at ridiculous prices – at one point, 12 bottles were selling on eBay for £400 – to declining by almost 50% in 2024. It began appearing on reduced to clearance shelves in some stores.
The same impulse to be ‘in with the right crowd’ can lead the mainstream away from a sector just as quickly as they entered, if it lacks a really compelling reason for being.
So for those who will naturally be seduced by big rises in market sales and consumer penetration when they launch into an apparently buoyant, ‘on trend’ sector, a word of caution. Make sure you understand the core motivations of your consumers – are they loving your product, your brand story, or just riding the wave you’ve jumped on with no real commitment to repeat the process?
Chris Blythe is the director of The Brand Nursery
No comments yet