The sustainability movement has moved from fringe groups to mainstream consumers. Research shows 70-80 percent of consumers say they look for products with an environmentally friendly focus, and they’re willing to pay for them.
So it’s only natural that consumer and retail brands turn to email to attract environmentally conscious customers and promote their own efforts. Some run themed email campaigns during April to capitalize on Earth Day (April 22) or April as Earth Month. Others include a sustainability statement in every email template.
Keep reading for more details and examples from brands that have nailed the sustainability message in their email campaigns.
Fewer campaigns mentioned sustainability
So this was a surprise. We wanted to find out if more brands were getting on the sustainability bandwagon in three popular industry segments: apparel, beauty/personal care, and subscription ecommerce. We measured brand mentions of sustainability terms like “sustain,” “circular,” “environment,” and “earth” for apparel, beauty/personal care, and subscription ecommerce from January 1 to April 1 in 2022 and the same period in 2023.
We discovered the number of mentions actually fell across all three verticals, from 11.8 percent for apparel brands to 22.8 percent across beauty groups. The total number of campaigns sent in the same time period also fell but to a lesser degree—3.5 percent for apparel and 5.7 percent for beauty.
Subscription brands buck trend: Although their overall numbers are smaller than apparel and beauty/personal care brands, subscription brands like Sun Basket and Grove Collaborative increased their sustainability messaging by 6 percent from January 1 to April 1, 2023, even as they sent 5.8 percent fewer campaigns.
Some brands make every day Earth Day
Want hands-on advice and plenty of email examples? Start with our Earth Day strategy page. One piece of advice urges marketers to bake sustainability into every message to boost authenticity. Home meal service Sun Basket follows that recommendation by adding a sustainability message in every email, beginning with its welcome series.
Sometimes you have to read the copy closely to find it, as in this win-back email, but it’s there: a reference to “sustainable meats,” a subtle nod to one of the biggest concerns among sustainability-focused diners.
Earth Day entry: ‘Sustainable by Design’
Need more Earth Day inspiration? Check our hand-curated Earth Day email example list, where you’ll find this email from Tata Harper Skincare. The brand details its sustainability efforts in a stand-alone campaign timed to promote Earth Day/Month.
Earth Day is just one of the holidays and special events you can plan for with tips, strategy, email examples, and more. Visit our Holiday Email Marketing Center, and sign up for a free MailCharts account!
