Honest // Open // Transparent

From sustainable packaging to personalised retail solutions, brands are looking at a new landscape in terms of how they interact with consumers.

A New Sustainability survey found that 89% of those surveyed ‘care personally’ about protecting the planet; 92% said they are trying to live more sustainably, while 83% would always pick the brand that has a better record of sustainability; and 90% agreed that companies/brands have a responsibility to take care of the planet and its people.

We look to see how this thoughtful process will expand in current and upcoming trends.

Dubbed ‘Glass Box Brands’ by Stylus, transparency between brands and consumers is clear and brands are looking to include more than just one point of interest. For example Desavery’s skin care products that are sustainable, natural, and improve cognition – brands are taking a multidimensional approach to sustainability.

The self-care surge has inspired a revolution of products and brands designed to keep you healthy. From Casper’s sleep Dreamery to Nikes app which incentives workouts with specialised offers, creating a healthy lifestyle is essential in building consumer relations, brands are looking at how they can help consumers invest in their own self-care.

Responsible brands are not just reacting to the individual and the environment, but to social justice, too. Beer brand Brewdog created a pink beer that sells at 20% less than the blue version to start conversation on pay equality. FabFitFun’s subscription boxes are completely sustainable and they work with foundations such as ASPCA, Pencils of Promise and The Starlight Foundation to name a few.

New York’s Roasting Plant Coffee lets customers see the beans roast and then be made into the coffee in their cup. Constructed into the interior, it’s ingrained in the education and aesthetic of the store.

QR codes are becoming another way brands can educate customers without filling retail spaces with copy. Popular in Asia, brands like Nike, Etsy and Zara are now using QR codes to inform about the fabric, design and craftsmanship behind a product or line.

In an era where ‘Fake news’ fills our screens honesty is refreshing and enticing to consumers. Denver coffee tech start-up Bext360 uses blockchain to create trust and transparency. The weight and grade of the coffee beans produced is sent to buyers ahead of the coffee bean auction so buyers can make an informed choice.

• Brands should invest in new technologies to help build trusting relationships. Innovations like blockchain and QR codes will be vital in the next few years to show honesty in companies.
• Multidimensional brands will look to include more than one USP in their products, to entice and encourage sustainability and self-care.

• Sustainable Luxuries
• The New Nurture Economy
• Retail’s Curiosity Craze
• Political is Personal // The Revolutionary Consumer