Consumer Interest In Water Sustainability ‘On The Rise’

Paying close attention to consumer interest and demand is paramount for any business keen to thrive and grow, and one of the most pressing matters affecting the general public these days is, of course, climate change and the environment.

There are many different aspects of the climate crisis driven by rising global temperatures, including extreme weather events like flooding and drought, forest fires, elevated sea levels, habitat destruction, loss of biodiversity, increased hunger and malnutrition, and so on.

But one that appears to be weighing heavily on the minds of consumers at the moment is water sustainability, with new research revealing that social media conversations on this particular topic have almost tripled in the last 12 months, up 186 per cent year on year.

Multinational conglomerate Diageo’s latest report – How Can Brands Successfully Communicate On Water Sustainability Actions? – has found that water pollution is currently the biggest topic driving internet search interest and social media conversation around the world, with water and climate change themes accounting for 28 per cent of all water sustainability conversations.

The drought crisis, in particular, has come out on top as one of the leading topics on social media, with interest predominantly coming from Mexico, India and the US, with people discussing specific topics within the context of their own countries.

For example, people in India appear to focus predominantly on water quality during the monsoon season, while in Mexico the online conversation is typically about the ongoing water crisis in the region.

In the UK, meanwhile, the interest seems to be on searching for local and real-time water quality updates. Here, it appears that consumers are generally educated on water sustainability, seeking out accountability, transparency and proactivity from both businesses and the government.

Social mentions highlight concerns over water pollution as worries grow over the increase in raw sewage discharges into the natural environment.

However, positivity can also be seen towards local initiatives such as GrowUp Farms, which run on 100 per cent renewable energy to divert emissions and waste, as well as testing new water-saving solutions to reduce wastewater.

In all, two interlinked trends have been identified in the UK: water resources and quality of water treatment, and pollution and contamination raising concerns over water management.

Consumer interest can be registered here through online searches such as ‘reusing water’, ‘greywater’, ‘recycling’, ‘water quality today’, ‘water quality now’, demonstrating concern for the environment and awareness of the general conversation around water sustainability, as well as a desire for greater transparency and accountability over water usage and consumption.

Commenting on the findings, Deb Caldow – global marketing sustainability director with Diageo – said: “Water is in every product we make at Diageo, which is why water stewardship is a key pillar within our sustainability strategy.

“This report proves that water sustainability is a rising online topic amongst consumers, and its valuable insights will allow us to authentically share our progress on water stewardship, through fresh storytelling. We hope that others in the industry find the report as useful as we do.”

How can businesses engage with consumers over water sustainability?

The Diageo report identified that consumers increasingly want to see brands adopt innovative practices when it comes to water issues, such as by working with experienced partners to provide exposure of and credibility to an organisation’s sustainability initiatives.

It’s essential that the message is authentic, however, and that the tone used to talk to consumers is hopeful and positive so that they are left feeling empowered. Companies using storytelling to illustrate their environmental impacts saw up to a 33 per cent increase in engagement, so this could be one strategy to consider.

Furthermore, seasonality was revealed as being particularly important as a driver for consumer interest, so communicating brand initiatives should involve local context and align with peaks in interest.

It was concluded that brands are most successful at inspiring consumers with water communications when a clear link to environmental impacts is provided in a way that’s both engaging and relatable.

Imagery can be used to promote stronger emotional responses, while specific, relatable and tangible goals successfully outperform more generic posts and images, especially when these are used in digital and social media contexts.

Hopefully, this will all be excellent food for thought if your business is planning to boost its blue credentials this year and show customers that you’re taking the water crisis and climate change seriously. If nothing else, from a purely financial business perspective, it makes perfect sense to do just that.