“Buy less!”: this disconcerting phrase, recently uttered by Paulo Azevedo, chairman of Sonae, could well be on several billboards across the country. At a time when we are celebrating the newly imported tradition of Black Friday, and when Christmas is approaching, this appeal shocks, provokes and makes you think. The reminder is inevitable: back in 2011, Patagonia, an iconic brand of environmental activism, published an image of a jacket in The New York Times accompanied by the phrase “Don’t buy this jacket”. The message was clear, visionary and surprisingly relevant even today: there is an urgent need to combat unbridled consumerism in favor of a sustainable future.
With a few years’ delay, this trend seems to be arriving in Portugal. The message is unquestionable: we need to consume less. Our production and consumption patterns are unsustainable and the effects on the planet are increasingly visible and impossible to ignore. You only have to look at our neighboring country and what recently happened in Valencia to realize that the consequences are on our doorstep.
It’s unavoidable: consumers are tired of empty words, buzzwords, green lettering and aspirational photographs of nature. The Marco 2024 Global Consumer Report, published in September, reflects this reality: 90% of Portuguese consumers believe that many companies claim to be sustainable only for promotional purposes. This is serious and represents an alarm bell that should not be ignored. It means that we marketers are doing our job badly.
However, this scenario represents an extraordinary opportunity. Consumers have never been so aware, so demanding or so willing to prefer more sustainable choices. Brands that know how to respond to this demand, and that are committed to transparency and responsibility, will have an outstanding position. But beware: it’s not enough to communicate, you have to act. Concrete actions that show consumers your real commitments to sustainability are fundamental to building trust and proximity.
In a time of consumerism, having the courage to say “Buy less!” is not just a provocation: it’s a positioning. It’s a statement that is beginning to emerge in Portugal and that sets some brands apart among the most demanding and informed consumers.
However, companies need to find the right balance: sustainability cannot just be a marketing tool. No sustainability action should be carried out solely for communication purposes and for a company’s good image. On the contrary, all sustainability actions and practices must be implemented with a purpose and as an end in themselves, in line with the company’s strategy, mission and values.
Marketing has the role of communicating these measures, showing how they create value and leverage the business, always in an authentic way. Likewise, it is essential to recognize failures and share improvements. Saying “we’re not doing everything right yet, but we’re working to improve” is, paradoxically, one of the most powerful messages for winning the public’s loyalty.
Fortunately, Portuguese brands are responding to this call for change. Small companies like Mind the Trash and Maria Granel paved the way for sustainable consumption at a time when there was little or no talk of these issues in our country. Giants like Delta are showing that sustainability can be scalable: adjusting supply chains, optimizing processes and rethinking packaging.
Even historic brands like Benâmor, which is almost 100 years old, have been innovating. In 2019, they launched a refill system for reusing the aluminum packaging of their products, combining tradition with innovation. These examples show that, regardless of size or age, all companies can – and should – reinvent themselves, innovate and adapt to new consumer models. In this way, and with teamwork between the various departments, such as product, innovation, logistics and, of course, marketing, new solutions and new products can be found that meet what consumers are looking for.
It has never been more urgent for marketing professionals to understand their role in the transition to a more sustainable future. The climate crisis is the greatest global challenge of our time, but it is also a unique opportunity to promote changes in behavior and create strategies aligned with corporate sustainability.
And if we have to say “Consume less!”, let’s say it loud and clear. Because, in the end, marketing isn’t just about selling, it’s about understanding the moment, meeting people’s needs and, more than ever, being an agent of positive change.
Opinion article by Inês Martins, Head of Marketing at Worx, published in PME Magazine on December 9, 2024.
