Placement

As the outcome of this study highlights that there is still a lack of awareness and lack of knowledge present in the consumers’ minds about sustainable Home Hygiene products and how they can contribute to the future of the planet, it is inevitable to provide the necessary attention to the Placement part of the marketing mix. This part will outline and assess the optimal strategy when it comes to channels, assortment and in-store navigation and transportation.

84 7.3.1. Channels

Since the lack of awareness and knowledge emerges as a barrier for consumers from engaging in the shopping of sustainable goods based on this research, both the channels of communication and the availability of the products is assessed in this section. Educating consumers about this issue and providing them with information that they are looking for can help them overlook the barriers and shift their behaviour towards more sustainable decisions.

Providing the needed information to consumers is very important, and as the findings of the primary research revealed, consumers occasionally visit the brand website or other online channel as well in order to gain information on the product. Channels like television, and various social media sites were mentioned, thereby it is suggested to focus on supporting channel as well besides in-store. Television appearance was mentioned by all of the participants of this study as a channel where they feel like they receive information about the products, thus is it recommended to secure television spots for the green products and provide information about how buying the product contributes to sustainability.

In addition to this, consumers often mentioned that the availability of the different sustainable products is a barrier that they experience when trying to shop sustainably, therefore the findings of this research suggest to put significant effort on achieving high market coverage for the sustainable products. When the distribution of these products is not high, consumers can only find them in bigger stores or supermarkets, and they don’t have the option to pick from a high selection of sustainability products. In order to convert buying green products into a consumer habit, and enable consumers to shop sustainable goods in a less conscious level, it is essential that they can access these products easily and in the same way as they access conventional cleaning products.

Another important aspect of placement mentioned by consumers is the fact that they have a hard time finding the sustainable products in-store. Moreover, some consumers do not think of sustainability instantly, and would just purchase conventional goods as a habit. However, if they are reminded of the importance of sustainability in the store and are presented with the option of buying green products instead of regular cleaning products, it was expressed by them

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that there’s a high chance they would consider to purchase sustainable goods instead.

Therefore, it is addressed that in-store communication should be maximized. It is suggested to place educational materials at the place of sale in order to provide the necessary information to consumers who are considering buying these products. Furthermore, the importance of secondary placement emerges, as this can maximize the visibility of the sustainable product, and provides a great platform as well for a powerful communication regarding the sustainability issue that this product can help solve or make better.

7.3.2. Assortment and in-store navigation

Another aspect of the Placement leg of the marketing mix is the assortment and navigation in stores between the different products. As the results of this research points out, some consumers are confused about the difference between conventional and sustainable products, and have a hard time finding them in the store. In order to help them find the product category or the product itself they seek to find it is advised to use navigational material at the place of the purchase to clarify the difference and lead consumers to the right product category. This, however, can be a challenge, as different retailers have different store navigation and assortment structure, but their partners can influence this in certain ways. Therefore, it is suggested to try and work closely with the biggest retailers on the market in order to improve the navigation and separation between normal and sustainable products in order to increase the visibility of green products within the entire Home Cleaning category.

7.3.3. Transportation

Finally, transportation is considered as part of Placement. The outcome of this study shows that consumers are often having an issue with the authenticity of the companies’ sustainability efforts, hence it is important to not only produce a product that itself is made of natural ingredients and recyclable packaging, but consider the entire supply chain and optimize every procedure in order to maximize the sustainability of the company. This includes production and transportation as well. People can trust the brand more if they have the information that the company is doing everything they can, not just produce a product that is natural. Knowing

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that the entire process - including transportation - is optimized can help them overcome this barrier and increase the reputation of the brand, therefore the trust as well.