.jpg)
Attentional bias is a real problem when it comes to communicating your sustainability credentials because too many shoppers consider all available environmental factors and possibilities when making purchasing decisions. However, our emotional state often influences what we give our attention to and we tend to pay more attention to something that emotionally stimulates us. So make your sustainability communications emotional for optimal cut through.
The more that shoppers are touched emotionally, the more they will focus on the sustainability related emotional stimulus over any other product attribute.
How can I use emotion to encourage shoppers to make sustainable purchases?
Shoppers need emotion in-store and what they emotionally attend to with will be the most appealing, so long as the right emotions are targeted. So, if you want shoppers to emotionally attend to the sustainability aspects of your brand in-store, there are several aspects you should consider:
Come up with a sustainability related emotional hook
Emotions grab attention much faster than rational concepts and thoughts, so make sure you have an emotional trigger for shoppers to first attend to and engage with.
Make your sustainability initiatives emotional
Whatever your brand is environmentally famous for, make sure to give shoppers an emotional reason to accept that fame. How will it help them fight, flee, fornicate, and save planet Earth?
Fight reason with emotion
When your competitors are making strong (but rational) claims, present shoppers with an emotional alternative as to why your brand is sustainably preferable.
In summary, attentional bias gives you a great way of using sustainability to make your brand look disproportionately appealing. But equally, the wrong emotional attention can seriously damage brand performance. So, find your best emotion and communicate it effectively.
