People won’t buy products just because they’re green.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard this from CPG brand managers:

“Consumers tell you in your surveys that they care about sustainability, but we don’t see any evidence of that. They don’t buy products just because they’re green.”

Well, that’s right. They don’t buy products just because they’re green. Generally, they buy products with a four-pronged value proposition:

• Better performance
• Better pricing
• Reduction in scary-sounding chemicals
• Less waste (which really means removal of guilt about waste)

It’s hard to cram all four of those things into a simple consumer promise, and it’s hard to make something that performs better, is lower-impact and is less expensive. Thus, what happens is the phenomenon we’ve been describing in our latest free Pulse report called, “I just wanted to buy some milk!”

In an effort to communicate sustainability at the shelf, we’ve made it way too complicated and left a consumer wondering, “Is a paper package better than a plastic one? Is locally sourced better than organic? What about the treatment of animals — free range is important but so is hormone-free?” And all of that makes them ask, “How do I make the right choice?!” Which means they then defer to a brand they’ve bought in the past, the one their mom used to buy or maybe one a hot YouTuber has been talking about.

Our research is helping brands learn how to clean up messy messaging and turn confusion into an opportunity. Sign up at the bottom of this page to receive our third and final chapter of “I just wanted to buy some milk!” It gives you hard data about both consumers’ confusion and what they actually want from brands. It gives you clear direction on how to cut through the noise, communicate in a simple, clear, compelling way, and drive sales and loyalty. It also unpacks the loss of trust that so many of us feel in institutions and our brands — and even in the third-party certifications we’ve relied on to guide us in our purchases.

Our report will give you great direction to truly succeed in the marketplace with green claims. Yes, even in this political moment.