A study by consumer goods manufacturer Unilever suggests that influencers on social media can have a positive impact on consumer behavior, especially when it comes to sustainability.
Unilever examined the role of social media content in sustainable purchasing decisions. In cooperation with the British Behavioral Insights Team (BIT), a government institution dedicated to the application of behavioral research, the content of influencers was put to the test.
BIT built a simulated social platform that showed people different types of content and measured the resulting change in behavior of 6,000 UK, US and Canadian consumers.
The results showed that social media is one of the most influential sources of sustainability information for consumers. 75 percent of people say they are more willing to adopt new behaviors to save the planet after seeing something about sustainability on social media.
Influencers have the greatest impact on sustainable decisions for 78 percent of respondents, ahead of TV documentaries (48 percent), news articles (37 percent) and even government campaigns (only 20 percent).
Unilever adds that 83 percent think TikTok and Instagram are helpful places to get advice on living more sustainably. For the younger participants aged 18 to 34, this value was even higher at 86 percent.
Social media content is influencing people towards a more sustainable lifestyle
Dove and Hellmann’s, two Unilever brands, commissioned 30 pieces of social media content to encourage the behaviors that have the biggest impact on a person’s carbon footprint: reducing plastic and reducing food waste.
The tested study content was divided into two categories: Content that emphasizes the problematic behavior and its far-reaching consequences and makes extensive use of data and statistics was marked as “pragmatic”. “Upbeat” ranked practical tips for living more sustainably, emphasizing the benefits for the individual and often in a surprising, often humorous, tone.
The results show that both types of content encourage people to behave more sustainably: 75 percent of respondents said the content made them more likely to save and reuse plastic, buy refillable products, and freeze and recycle leftovers.
In measuring actual behavior change, the study showed that both facts and practical advice led to action. Of those who watched “pragmatic” content, 69 percent tried something new to reduce their plastic or food waste. 61 percent of those who viewed “optimistic” content acted accordingly.
Promotional content from brands is also helpful
Brand-sponsored content was seen as “engaging, authentic and informative” as non-branded content, and participants supported social media creators showing sustainable content. Eight in ten (77 percent) approved of influencers encouraging their audience to engage in eco-friendly behavior and 72 percent approved of selling products or services geared towards sustainability. 76 percent were encouraged to take action after seeing content from Unilever cosmetics brand Dove on reusing plastic.
Conny Braams, Unilever’s chief digital and commercial officer, said in a statement: “People are struggling to make sustainable decisions because of a lack of simple, immediate and trusted information. We want to continue working with our partners to improve the sustainability content produced by our brands and to support the content creators we work with.”
“Together we will learn what only generates likes but no action, and what content is that simplifies and popularizes sustainable decisions.”
Professor David Halpern, leader of the Behavioral Insights team, added: “This study is the first of its kind in the world and the largest controlled online study examining the impact of different types of social media content. The potential of social media for behavior change is clear and the results show that there is huge potential, laying fertile ground for further research in this area.”
This article was published on FashionUnited.uk. Translation and editing: Barbara Russ