5 ways to improve your brand’s green messaging (and 5 businesses doing it right)

Since this one’s a big boy, let's skip the pleasantries. You know why you’re here. I know why you’re here. And you know that I know that you know why you’re here. It’s in the title. If you want to talk about climate action or anything environmentally adjacent on socials, or in general, this is how you do it.

1. Everyone should have a voice in the climate crisis

There’s one term you need to get to know if you want to take climate action messaging seriously, and that’s ‘intersectional environmentalism’. Specifically coined by climate activist Leah Thomas and based on intersectional theory, devised by scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw. It’s a shorthand for the understanding that the sociopolitical circumstances of a group will define their climate change experience, which in turn inform unique forms of discrimination and privilege.

In the UK, communities of colour are more likely to experience health problems as a result of being more likely to live in close proximity to areas of environmental hazard. Worldwide, the population of the Global South is disproportionately affected by heatwaves, crop failures and extreme weather, while the Global North is disproportionately responsible for causing these catastrophes. I.e. If we want to make real change, it starts with helping and raising awareness for the people most affected.

A great place to start if you want to see this kind of thinking in action is, unsurprisingly, the Intersectional Environmentalist organisation. Committed to improving the lives of those impacted most by environmental injustice through environmental decision-making, movements and educational systems, their socials are a great place to start if you want to see this approach in action, complete with gorgeous visuals and engaging storytelling.

2. There is space for nuanced conversation.

With over 20m subscribers and counting, Kurzgesagt is an incredibly popular German animation studio that covers science, technology, politics, philosophy, and psychology via gorgeous visuals, all in a relatively condensed fashion, striking the balance between Instagram infographics and more inaccessible academic research.

With a name that roughly translates to ‘Long Story Short’, it’s YouTube series ‘In A Nutshell’ balances detailed information, discussion and accessibility via gently provocative titles such as ‘Is Meat Really That Bad?’, ‘Is It Too Late To Stop Climate Change? Well, it's Complicated.’. Through videos like this, it's evident that Kurzgesagt does their best to pose reasonable questions for and against. Even if you’re dipping in and out, the content goes at a slow enough pace to keep up with, and works by and large as audio-only should you want to have it on in the background.

All that being said, one of the most admirable qualities of the channel is its willingness to admit when it gets wrong via retractions or redux’s of its content - there’s strength in accountability when it’s done right. Even among Kurszgesagt’s detractors, you’ll find equally nuanced takes in lengthy comments or via full on video essays - nuanced discussion begets nuanced discussion!

With such a strong visual style and tone of voice, it’s easy to spot the Kurzgesagt copycats cropping up (say that fast five times), but even if you don’t have the budget for animation like this, YouTube welcomes all, so long as what you’re offering is engaging.

3. Show, don’t tell

A classic that bears repeating. If you want to get people excited about climate action, you’ve got to show them people they think are cool getting involved and having a cool time doing it and that they can do it too. It really is as simple as that. Climate action can be holding a flare at a protest march, but it can also be making a really tasty, aesthetically pleasing, cost-effective dinner without breaking the bank or turning your kitchen upside down.

There are lots of creators embodying this kind of vibe right now. SpicyMoustache, TurnipVegan, JacobKing, FitGreenMind to name just a few. All these creators bring their own style to the table, as they share recipes, and educate their audience on ethical food alternatives, but what radiates from all of them is mutual respect, understanding and a love for what they do. Passion is cool, authenticity is cool, respect is cool. Check them out and you’ll see what we mean.

4. People are multidimensional, so your marketing strategy should be too!

One of the biggest misconceptions about vegan/vegan adjacent people is that they want their whole life to be defined by it. It’s why things like Nando’s plant-based options work and vegan dating apps like ‘Grazer’ generally don’t. Vegans (and people generally) don’t want to always be going against the grain or wearing a badge that says ‘I’m brilliant, look at me’ for their ethical outlook. This is where brands like Trash Planet come in.

An emerging ethical footwear brand that uses recycled and organic materials in place of traditional materials such as leather and suede, Trash Planet understands that wanting a greener world and being fashion-forward needn’t exist separately. You might be all for sustainability, but this doesn’t necessarily mean you want shoes with a leaf design where a Nike Swoosh might normally be. Sometimes you might just want a decent pair of trainers, and that’s okay!

This is reflected not just in their footwear, but in their marketing and socials. Gone are the typical leafy greens and earthy tones that clog up this kind of marketing. On their Instagram and you’ll find minimalism, memes and real people wearing their products. They make no bones about who they are, what they’re about, but it doesn’t feel preachy, or dated, or boring. Full marks. Way to be Trash Planet.

This is why psychographics are important in marketing and are critical to a great strategy. No matter who you’re selling to and no matter what you’re selling, your marketing approach should make your audience feel seen as the multi-faceted people they are.

5. Put your money where your mouth is

Finally, no matter how you approach climate action in your marketing, there ultimately needs to be weight behind your words if you want to really get your audience onside and engaged in what you’re trying to tell them.

We’re somewhat biased here, but here are few better examples of this than Dear Green Coffee Roasters. Consistently going above and beyond to ensure that every facet of their product is ethically sound, you can view a whistle stop tour of all the great things that make them who they are here.

Dear Green exemplifies that being switched on and making an effort doesn’t need to be your whole personality, but should be quietly integrated into as many facets of what you do as pgreen-messaging-and-5-businesses-doing-it-rightossible. It’s not about bigging yourself up, or belittling the efforts of others. It’s about inspiring others through authentic effort.

Find this info useful? What you might not know is that we also did a full whitepaper on green messaging last year! Packed with legislatory info, dos and don’ts when it comes to conversations around environmental concerns, you can request a copy here: https://bit.ly/44I699b