The New Normal: Attract & Retain Customers in the Age of Sustainability | The Disruption House
The world has changed significantly in the last few years, and as a result, businesses need to change too. With sustainability and inclusion becoming critical to the success of any business, companies must look for ways to attract and retain customers while staying profitable. However, this can be a daunting task, especially in today’s challenging economic environment. In this blog post, we will explore the strategies that businesses can use to appeal to customers who are looking for sustainability and inclusion in their purchasing decisions.
Put Sustainability and Inclusion at the Heart of the Business Strategy
If you want to attract customers who value sustainability and inclusion, then it’s essential to make these issues part of your business strategy. This means investing in green technology and sustainable practices, such as reducing waste, recycling, and using renewable energy. Additionally, companies must prioritize inclusion by ensuring that their products, services, and marketing efforts are accessible to everyone, regardless of race, gender, or ability.
Communicate Your Efforts to Customers
Once you have made sustainability and inclusion a part of your business strategy, the next step is to communicate your efforts to customers. This can be done through marketing campaigns, social media, and other communication channels. Customers want to know that the companies they support are doing their part to protect the environment and promote diversity and inclusivity. By sharing your sustainability and inclusion initiatives with your audience, you can build trust, establish your brand as socially responsible, and attract more customers.
Engage Customers Through Authenticity and Transparency
In this social media age, customers are more adept than ever at identifying greenwashing or virtue-signalling. To really build trust with customers who care about sustainability and inclusion, businesses must show their authenticity and commitment to these values. This means being transparent about the environmental impact of your products and services, and showcasing the diversity and inclusivity of your staff and customers. By doing so, you can create an inclusive brand that resonates with your audience and keep them engaged.
Personalization and Flexibility
In today’s fast-paced and ever-changing world, customers want personalization and flexibility from the companies they do business with. This can be achieved through personalised marketing campaigns, customised products and services, and flexible payment options. Giving customers the power to choose what they want and how they want it can help businesses build strong customer relationships over time.
Embrace Technology
Finally, in this digital age, businesses must embrace technology to stay competitive. This means using digital marketing channels to reach a wider audience, adopting mobile payment options to make transactions easier, and utilizing customer relationship management software to improve customer experiences. Companies that are slow to adopt new technology will struggle to keep up with the competition and risk losing their market share.
Businesses need to recognize that sustainability and inclusion are no longer “nice to have” but critical to their success. By putting these values at the heart of their business strategy, communicating them to customers, and engaging customers authentically, companies can attract and retain customers who care about these issues. Additionally, prioritising personalisation, flexibility, and technology can help businesses stay ahead of the game and succeed in an ever-changing world. We hope that this post has provided you with valuable insights into how you can attract and retain customers in the age of sustainability and inclusion.
To read more on McKinseys view on Inclusivity and Sustainability continue reading here
Take our free 2 minute quiz on ESG as a starting point to indicate where your business is currently and where you need to be in order to attract and retain customers. Click here
