1GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY REPORT Copyright © 2015 The Nielsen Company
The susTainabiliTy imperaTiveNew iNsights oN coNsumer expectatioNsOctOber 2015
2 GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY REPORT
COnsumer brands ThaT demOnsTraTe COmmiTmenT TO susTainabiliTy outperform ThOse ThaT dOn’T• Inthepastyearalone,salesofconsumergoodsfrombrandswitha
demonstratedcommitmenttosustainabilityhavegrownmorethan4%
globally*,whilethosewithoutgrewlessthan1%.
• Sixty-sixpercentofconsumerssaytheyarewillingtopaymorefor
sustainablebrands—upfrom55%in2014and50%in2013.
It’shardtoignorethesirencalltoprotecttheplanet.Ortoremain
unmovedbythosefacingincreasinglypoorlivingconditionsacrossthe
globe.
Asaresult,manyconsumershaveadoptedmoresustainablebehaviors.
Othersareworkingfororsupportingorganizationsdedicatedtosocial
andenvironmentalchange.
Consumersaretryingtoberesponsiblecitizensoftheworld,andthey
expectthesamefromcorporations.Sowhenitcomestopurchasing,
theyaredoingtheirhomework.Checkinglabelsbeforebuying.Looking
atwebsitesforinformationonbusinessandmanufacturingpractices.
Payingattentiontopublicopiniononspecificbrandsinthenewsoron
socialmedia.
“Consumerbrandsthathaven’tembracedsustainabilityareatriskon
manyfronts,”saysCarolGstalder,SVP,Reputation&PublicRelations
Solutions,Nielsen.“Socialresponsibilityisacriticalpartofproactive
reputationmanagement.Andcompanieswithstrongreputations
outperformotherswhenitcomestoattractingtoptalent,investors,
communitypartners,andmostofallconsumers.”
*Across1300+brandsin13categoriesinanaverageof13countries.
3GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY REPORT Copyright © 2015 The Nielsen Company
what does it meaN to be a sustaiNable coNsumer braNd?Thereareawiderangeofbusinesspracticesthatbrandsuseto
demonstratecommitmenttosustainability.
Manycompaniesareusingtheirvastresourcestosupportnon-profits
andcivicorganizationsdedicatedtosustainability.Othersaresourcing
materialsinamannerthatismoreenvironmentallysafe.Stillothers
aretakingsmallersteps,suchasrecyclingorinstallingenergyefficient
lighting.
Byintegratingsustainabilityintotheirbusinessmodelsandpurpose—
towhateverdegree—companiescanbothhelpsocietyandincrease
goodwilltowardtheirbrands.
Consumersaremixedinhowtheyassessabrand’scommitmentto
sustainability.Forsome,seeing“organic”onalabelatthecorner
storeismostimportant.Othersarelookingatbrandstoutingamajor
reductioninglobalcarbonfootprint.Forothers,it’sanassociationwith
areputablenon-profitthatgivesbacktothecommunitiesaroundthem.
Regardless,thedatashowsaclearlinkbetweendoinggoodforthe
communityanddoingwellwithconsumers.Togetamorenuanced
picture,Nielsen’s2015GlobalCorporateSustainabilityReportleverages
insightsfromthefollowingsources:
• Onlinesurveyof30,000consumersin60countriestoassesshow
sustainabilityimpactspurchasingdecisions
• Actualretailsalesdatatodetermineifcaringandbuyingtruly
converge
• Deepdiveanalysisintowhichmarketingstrategiesbrandsuseto
demonstratetheircommitmenttosustainability(Seepage17forfull
methodology.)
Overall,resultsconfirmconventionalwisdomthatthemarketfor
sustainablegoodscontinuestoexpand.Thereareofcoursevariations
byregion,demographicsandcategory.Butwhat’smostclearisthe
opportunityforsignificantbrandgrowth,onaglobalscale,forthose
willingtolistenandrespondtoanewkindofconsumer.
Thefindingsinthissurveyare
basedonrespondentswithonline
accessin60countries.While
anonlinesurveymethodology
allowsfortremendousscale
andglobalreach,itprovidesa
perspectiveonlyonthehabits
ofexistingInternetusers,not
totalpopulations.Indeveloping
marketswhereonlinepenetration
isstillgrowing,audiencesmay
beyoungerandmoreaffluent
thanthegeneralpopulationof
thatcountry.Inaddition,survey
responsesarebasedonclaimed
behaviorratherthanactual
metereddata.
about the global surVeY methodologY
4 GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY REPORT
“Thehierarchyamongdriversofconsumerloyaltyandbrand
performanceischanging,”saysGraceFarraj,SVP,PublicDevelopment
&Sustainability,Nielsen.“Commitmenttosocialandenvironmental
responsibilityissurpassingsomeofthemoretraditionalinfluencesfor
manyconsumers.Brandsthatfailtotakethisintoaccountwilllikelyfall
behind.”
Toriseabovethecompetition,companiesshouldfullyunderstand
consumerexpectationsandlearnwhatitmeanstopositiontheirbrand
assustainableinthemarketstheycareaboutmost.
A 2015 Nielsen global report on new product
innovation1 revealed that consumers want more new
products on the market that are affordable, healthy,
convenient, and environmentally friendly. In fact,
a notable gap exists between the percentage of
consumers wanting more eco-friendly products (26%)
and those who say they purchased them (10%).
1“LookingtoAchieveNewProductSuccess?ListentoYourConsumers,”June2015,TheNielsenCompany
the findings suggest a gap in prOduct availability— a lack Of inventOry (perceived Or real) is an OppOrtunity fOr grOwth, says farraj.
5GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY REPORT Copyright © 2015 The Nielsen Company
susTainabiliTy inFluenCes COnsumer purChase inTenTInaworldofchoice,thereasonswepurchaseoneproductover
anothercanbedrivenbyamultitudeoffactors.Asconcerns
abouttheenvironmentandcorporatesustainabilitycontinueto
buildmomentumaroundtheworld,understandingtheconnection
betweensentimentandpurchasingactionshasneverbeenmore
important.Areproductsmeetingtheneedsofconsumers?Are
marketingeffortsreachingtherightconsumerswithmessagingthat
resonates?
Togainbetterinsight,Nielsenpolled30,000consumersin60
countriesacrosstheglobeandaskedthefollowingquestion:
“Thinkingabouttheconsumablebrands(non-durable)you
purchasedinthelastweek,(suchasfood,drinks,toiletries,over-
the-counterdrugs,etc.),howmuchinf luencedidthefollowing
factorshaveonyourpurchasedecision?”
*Keysustainabilitypurchasingdriverswerecategorizedaseither“VeryHeavyInfluence”or“HeavyInfluence”bythepercentageofrespondents
Theproductsaremadebyabrand/companythatItrust 62%
Theproductisknownforitshealth&wellnessbenefits 59%
Theproductismadefromfresh,naturaland/ororganicingredients 57%
Theproductisfromacompanyknownforbeingenvironmentallyfriendly 45%
Theproductisfromacompanyknownforitscommitmenttosocialvalue 43%
Theproduct’spackagingisenvironmentallyfriendly 41%
Theproductisfromacompanyknownforitscommitmenttomycommunity 41%
Isawanadontelevisionaboutthesocialand/orenvironmentalgoodthe 34%
product’scompanyisdoing
Key purchasing drivers as weighted by all survey respondents*
6 GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY REPORT
braNd trustToppingthelistofsustainabilityfactorsthatinfluencepurchasingfornearly
two-out-of-three(62%)ofconsumersglobally:brandtrust.
“Brandtrustandreputationareparamount,”saysGstalder.“Anexcellent
reputationmakesitfarmorelikelyacompanywillbewelcomedintonew
communities;partnerwiththemostrespectednon-profitsworkingon
issuesconsumerscareaboutmost;andbeago-tosourceforproducts
andservices.Andwhatweknowforsureisthatsustainabilityisplaying
anincreasinglysignificantroleinconsumerdecisionmaking.”
Whenitcomestosalesintent,commitmenttotheenvironmenthasthepower
toswayproductpurchasefor45%ofconsumerssurveyed.Commitmentto
eithersocialvalueortheconsumer’scommunityarealsoimportant(each
influencing43%and41%ofrespondents,respectively).
Retaildatabacksuptheimportanceoftheseinfluencers.In2014,65%oftotal
salesmeasuredgloballyweregeneratedbybrandswhosemarketingconveyed
commitmenttosocialand/orenvironmentalvalue.
“Thisindicatesanopportunityforbrandsthathavealreadybuiltahigh
leveloftrustwithconsumerstoevaluatewherebesttointroducesustainable
productsintothemarkettodrivegrowth,”saysGstalder.“Ontheflipside,
largeglobalconsumerbrandsthatignoresustainabilityincreasereputational
andbusinessrisk.Thismaygivecompetitorsofallsizes,theopportunity
tobuildtrustwiththepredominantlyyoung,socially-consciousconsumer
lookingforproductsthatalignwiththeirvalues.”
health aNd wellNessConsumersarelookingforproductsthatarebothgoodforthemandgood
forsociety.Aproduct’shealthandwellnessbenefitsareinfluentialpurchase
decisiondriversformorethanhalfofsurveyrespondents(59%).Products
madewithfresh,natural,and/ororganicingredientscarrysimilarweightwith
consumers(57%).Findingopportunitiestobridgethetwoisapowerfuland
impactfulwaytoconnectwithconsumers.
2NielsenBASESLineExtensionDATABASEPast10years(2003-2008vs.2009-2013)AllCategoriesandCountries
Nielsen’sInnovationPractices,whichconductspre-markettestsonnewproductsandconcepts,aswellassalesforecasting,hasseenasignificantincreaseinevaluationsfornewproductswithsustainabilityrelatedclaims,suchasorganic,allnatural,andenvironmentally-friendly.Thedemandforevaluatingtheseconceptshasmorethandoubledinthepastfiveyears2asconsumerprioritieshavechanged.
7GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY REPORT Copyright © 2015 The Nielsen Company
tV adsTVadshighlightingacompany’scommitmenttopositivesocialand/or
environmentalimpactareinfluentialinthepathtopurchasefor34%of
globalrespondents.
Brandsthatactivelyreinforcesocietalcommitmentmustamplify
andsocializetheirmessageusingmultiplesourcesanddistribution
channels.SaysGstalder:“Whilemarketinggooddeedsiscriticaland
expectedbyconsumers,authenticityandcredibilityareessential.Using
multiplecommunicationmethodsisimportant,suchasthird-party
validation(newscoverage),annualreports,affiliationwitharespected
non-profitorcivicorganization,employeevolunteerism,advertising,or
reportingactualworkinthecommunityonawebsite.”
deVeloped Vs. deVelopiNg marketsWhiletherelativeimportanceofsustainablefactorsthatinfluencethe
pathtopurchaseisconsistentacrossregions,theoverallrateswere
lowerinNorthAmericaandEuropethanintheMiddleEast,Africa,Asia,
andLatinAmerica.Consumersindevelopingmarketsareoftencloser
toandmoreawareoftheneedsintheirsurroundingcommunitiesas
theyareremindeddailyofthechallengesaroundthem,whichleadstoa
desiretogivebackandhelpothers.Thissuggestsagreaterlikelihoodto
seekoutandpaymoreforsustainableproducts.
“Consumersindevelopedmarketsarefloodedbychoice,oftenmaking
themmoreskepticalandthereforehardertoinfluence,”saysFarraj.
“Consumersarestartingtoconsidersustainablepracticesabasiccost
ofentry,ratherthanamarketdifferentiator.Goingforward,brandshave
todefineacredible,relevantsocialpurpose,delivergreatersocialvalue,
andcommunicatethatvalueeffectivelytoattractandretainconsumers.”
8 GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY REPORT
number OF COnsumers WillinG TO pay mOre COnTinues TO riseNielsenalsoaskedits30,000surveyrespondentsin60countries
acrosstheglobe:
“Howmuchdoyouagreewiththefollowingstatement:Iamwilling
topayextraforproductsandservicesthatcomefromcompanies
whoarecommittedtopositivesocialandenvironmentalimpact?”
Sixty-sixpercentofglobalrespondentssaytheyarewillingtopay
moreforsustainablegoods,upfrom55%in2014(and50%in2013).
Andit’snolongerjustwealthysuburbanitesinmajormarketswilling
toopentheirwalletsforsustainableofferings.Consumersacross
regions,incomelevels,andcategoriesarewillingtopaymoreif
doingsoensurestheyremainloyaltotheirvalues.
Sustainabilitysentimentisparticularlyconsistentacrossincome
levels.Thoseearning$20,000orlessareactually5%more
willingthanthosewithincomesgreaterthan$50,000topaymore
forproductsandservicesthatcomefromcompanieswhoare
committedtopositivesocialandenvironmentalimpact(68%vs.
63%).
There are some notable regional differences in willingness to pay more.Andwhencombinedwithdataonpurchasinginfluencers,ameaningful
picturestartstoemerge.
Whenitcomestosustainability,thefindingsshowitisgenerallyharder
toinfluenceconsumersindevelopedmarketstopurchaseorpaymore.
ConsumersinLatinAmerica,Asia,MiddleEast,andAfricaare23%-29%
morewillingtopayapremiumforsustainableofferings.
sixty-six percent Of glObal respOndents are willing tO pay mOre fOr sustainable gOOds, up frOm 55% in 2014 (and 50% in 2013).
2015
2014
2013
50%
55%66%
9GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY REPORT Copyright © 2015 The Nielsen Company
“Sustainabilityisaworldwideconcernthatcontinuestogain
momentum—especiallyincountrieswheregrowingpopulations
areputtingadditionalstressontheenvironment,”saysFarraj.“An
increasingnumberofconsumersindevelopedregionsconsider
sustainabilityactionsmoreofanimperativethanacostlyvalue-add.”
Age matters too.DespitethefactthatMillennialsarecomingofage
in oneofthemostdifficulteconomicclimatesinthepast100years,
theycontinuetobemostwillingtopayextraforsustainableofferings—
almostthree-out-of-fourrespondentsinthelatestfindings,upfrom
approximatelyhalfin2014.
Theriseinthepercentageofrespondentsunder20,alsoknownas
GenerationZ,whoarewillingtopaymorewasequallystrong—from
55%oftotalrespondentsin2014to72%in2015.“Brandsthatestablish
areputationforenvironmentalstewardshipamongtoday’syoungest
consumershaveanopportunitytonotonlygrowmarketsharebutbuild
loyaltyamongthepower-spendingMillennialsoftomorrow,too,”says
Farraj.
Butdon’tabandonBabyBoomersinthequestforMillennials.Fifty-one
percentofBoomers(50-64)arewillingtopayextra,anincreaseof7%
sincelastyear.Thissegmentremainsasubstantialandviablemarket
inthecomingdecadeforselectproductsandservicesfromsustainable
brands.
10 GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY REPORT
keY iNFlueNcers For those williNg to paY moreWhenwelookagainattheinfluencesonpurchaseintent(fromthechart
onpage5),wefindthatforthosewhoclaimtheyarewillingtopaymore
forsustainableofferings,theirlevelofinfluencefromsustainability
factorsincreases10to13percentagepoints.
marketers need tO cOnnect messaging with the causes that matter mOst tO cOnsumers and that alsO align with their brand.
Amongthe66%ofglobalrespondentswillingtopaymore,over50%of
themareinfluencedbykeysustainabilityfactors,suchasaproductbeing
madefromfresh,naturaland/ororganicingredients(69%),acompany
beingenvironmentallyfriendly(58%),andcompanybeingknownforits
commitmenttosocialvalue(56%).Sales,andcouponsdidn’tevenmake
thetopfive.Forthisgroup,personalvaluesaremoreimportantthan
personalbenefits,suchascostorconvenience.
“Whenitcomesdowntofinancialcommitment,asustainablesentiment
shiftstooneofincreasedsocialawarenessandresponsibility,”saidFarraj.
global respondents
those willing to pay more
Theproductsaremadebyabrand/companythatItrust 62% 72%
Theproductisknownforitshealth&wellnessbenefits 59% 70%
Theproductismadefromfresh,naturaland/ororganicingredients 57% 69%
Theproductisfromacompanyknownforbeingenvironmentallyfriendly* 45% 58%
Theproductisfromacompanyknownforitscommitmenttosocialvalue* 43% 56%
Theproduct’spackagingisenvironmentallyfriendly 41% 53%
Theproductisfromacompanyknownforitscommitmenttomycommunity 41% 53%
Isawanadontelevisionaboutthesocialand/orenvironmental 34% 45%
goodtheproduct’scompanyisdoing
top sustaiNabilitY purchasiNg driVers For global respoNdeNts Vs. those williNg to paY more
*Forthosewillingtopayextra,theimportanceofthesefactors
increasedthemost
11GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY REPORT Copyright © 2015 The Nielsen Company
reaChinG COnsumers WhO Care Demonstratingcommitmenttosustainabilityhasbecomeabasic
costofentry.
Regardlessoftheirdegreeofcommitment,companiesacrossthe
globearefindingwaystoleveragesustainabilityaspartoftheir
marketingstrategy.
Wedefined“demonstratedcommitment”byabrand’suseofoneof
thefollowingtacticswithinitsoverallconsumermessagingstrategy:
1. Claim Only: branddirectlyindicatesaconnectiontosustainabilityonaproduct’slabelorpackaging
2. Marketing Only: branduseswebsites,newscoverage,andothermessagingvehiclestopromotepositivesocialand/orenvironmental
impactinthelocalorglobalcommunity
3. Claim + Marketing: brandusesaproductclaimandalsointegrates
sustainabilityintoitsmarketingpromotion
marketiNg sustaiNabilitY iNitiatiVes is a Far more commoN strategY thaN usiNg product claims oN labelsNotallbrandsoffersustainableproducts.Marketingsocialand
environmentalimpactinitiativesisthepredominantstrategyusedto
reachconsumers.In2014,65%oftotalsalesmeasuredgloballywere
frombrandsthatusedamarketing-onlytactic.
12 GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY REPORT
tactics used bY braNdsgloballY
*as a percentage of total sales measured globally
chart 2
chart 3
claim + marKeting
claim only
marKeting only
none
4.3%
29%
7.2%
2%
4.3%
65%
0.9%4%
growth
value share among brands measured
3DoingWellByDoingGoodSustainabilityReport2014,Nielsen
WhileChart3showsthataclaim-onlytacticcorrelateswiththehighest
growthinsales(7.2%),brandsusingthistacticaccountforonly2%of
globalsales.Thismakesaclaim-onlyapproachrelativelyuncommon
acrossallregionsandcategories.Itislikelyusedbysmallerbrands
withlessresourcestomountmarketingcampaignsand/orlessmedia
competition.Overall,traditionalmarketingisadriverofsalesgrowth
forbrandscommunicatingsustainability.On-packcommunicationis
helpful,butrequiresmarketingtoreinforcethemessagingandensure
thatthemessagereachestherelevantconsumers.
However,claimsareimportanttoMillennials.In2014,51%of
Millennialsreportedcheckingtheproductpackagingforsustainability
claimsbeforemakingapurchase3.Andyetonly31%oftotalsales
measuredwerefrombrandsthatprovidethoseclaims(eitheraloneor
supplementedwithmarketing).Thisindicatesanopportunitytoincrease
brandrecognitionamongthiskeydemographicatthepointofpurchase.
29%
4%
65%
marKeting only
claim + marKeting
none
claim only 2%
13GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY REPORT Copyright © 2015 The Nielsen Company
lookiNg through a regioNal leNsMarketing-onlytacticsremainthemostcommonlyusedstrategy
acrossregions.Again,thismaybeattributedtothefactthatalarge
percentageofbrandshavenotyetdevelopedsustainableproducts,yet
recognizethatdemonstratingotherwaystheyareadvancingsocialand
environmentalcausesisimperative.
Butweshouldn’tignorethefactthatthepercentageofsalesthatcome
frombrandsusingbothproductclaimsandmarketingismuchhigher
indevelopedmarkets—36%inNorthAmerica,41%inEurope,and
48%inthePacificcountriesofAustraliaandNewZealand,compared
toonly9%inLatinAmericaand19%inAsia.Onceagain,thissuggests
thatmarketersmustworkhardertomeetconsumerexpectationsin
developedcountries.
TacTics used by brands in each region
*Asapercentageoftotalsalesmeasuredineachregion
eurOpe
54%
2%
2%
1%2%
3%
1%
41%
nOrth america
61%
36%
asia/pacific
66%
10%
4%
21%
latin america
88%
9%
claim + marKeting claim only marKeting only none
14 GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY REPORT
lookiNg through a categorY leNsSustainableclaimsaremoreprevalentamongconsumablebrandsinthe
studythanthosethatarenon-consumable.
Brandsthatuseaclaim+marketingsustainabilityapproach—including
babyfood(85%),coffee(78%),snacks(60%),andtea(61%)—comprise
themajorityofsalesmeasuredinthesecategories,respectively.
Incontrast,manyhome-goodscategoriesprimarilyuseamarketing-only
sustainabilityapproach.Brandsusingthisstrategy—suchashousehold
cleaners(86%),laundrydetergent(82%),papertowels(91%),andbath
tissues(69%)—accountforthemajorityofsalesmeasuredintheir
categories.
Theheavieruseofclaimsforconsumablegoodsmayindicatethat
customersconsidersustainabilityahigherprioritywhenbuyingproducts
theypersonallyconsumevs.thoseusedaroundthehouse.Thispresents
anopportunityforconsumableproductsthatfocussolelyonmarketing
toaddclaimstotheiroverallstrategyforincreasinggrowth.
Themarketing-onlyapproachusedbythemajorityofcompaniesselling
non-consumablegoodsmightreflectdifferentconsumerexpectations.
Sustainabilitymindedshopperslookfornon-consumableproductsmade
bybrandswithareputationforbeingsocial-and/orenvironmentally-
friendly.Thatreputationcanbeshapedbyamarketing-onlycampaign
beforeconsumersevenenterastore.
However,it’sworthnotingthatinsomenon-consumablecategories,use
ofclaimscancorrelatewithhighersalesgrowth.Whenwelookedatthe
laundrydetergentcategory,brandsthatusemarketing-onlytacticsshow
anegativevaluesalesgrowthof0.1%.Bycontrast,brandsthatusea
claimtactic(eitheraloneorwithmarketing)showhighergrowth(9.6%
amongclaimonlyand5.3%amongclaim+marketingbrands).Thedata
showssimilartrendsamongpapertowelsandbathtissue.
15GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY REPORT Copyright © 2015 The Nielsen Company
susTainabiliTy TacTics used by brands in each caTegory
*Asapercentageofcategorysalesmeasuredglobally
claim + marKeting claim only
marKeting only none
water
2%
4%
51% 44%
snacKs
1%
11%
28%60%
diapers
1%
78%
23%
laundry det.
82%
6%12%
coffee
1%
7%13%
78%
cereal1%
3%
48% 48%
paper towels
91%
8%
tea
3%
22%
13% 61%
cooKies
79%
2%4% 15%
hh cleaner
1%
86%
12%
1%
csd
1%
99%
bath tissues
12%
69%
3%16%
baby food
4%8%3%
85%
16 GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY REPORT
FIVE WAYS TO WIN WITH SUSTAINABILITY BRANDS THAT DEMONSTRATE COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY OUTPERFORM THOSE THAT DON’T.
1. FOCUS ON THE GROWING INTEREST FROM MILLENNIALS AND GENERATION Z
Overall, the number of consumers willing to pay more for brands
committed to a positive social and environmental impact continues to
rise—reaching 66% in 2015. Nearly three-out-of-four consumers ages
34 and under willing to pay more.
2. HIGHLIGHT BRAND TRUST AND COMMITMENT TO SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT TO DRIVE PURCHASES
For more than half of consumers (62%), brand trust tops the list of
factors that in�uences purchasing. Brands may have an opportunity
to increase trust by demonstrating commitment to social and
environmental sustainability, which is even more important for
consumers who are willing to pay more.
3. HAVE A DISCERNING SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGY
Consumers in developed markets are harder to in�uence and many
consider sustainability a basic cost of entry. Brands have to de�ne a
credible, relevant social purpose and deliver greater value. Conversely,
consumers in developing markets display the highest priority for buying
sustainably and giving back to the community.
4. SUPPORT YOUR EFFORTS WITH MARKETING
Marketing good deeds is just as important as o�ering a sustainable
product and is key to attracting and retaining consumers. Across
categories measured globally, 65% of total sales come from brands that
use marketing-only tactics to communicate sustainability e�orts.
5. KEEP REGIONAL, CATEGORY AND DEMOGRAPHICS IN MIND
To rise above the competition, you must de�ne the social purpose
of your brand and fully understand consumer expectations. Di�erent
marketing tactics will have various rates of e�ectiveness based on the
region, category and age group.
17GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY REPORT Copyright © 2015 The Nielsen Company
abOuT The nielsen GlObal sTudy
NielseN global surVeYTheNielsenGlobalSurveyofCorporateSocialResponsibilityand
SustainabilitywasconductedbetweenFeb.23-March13,2015,andpolled
morethan30,000consumersin60countriesthroughoutAsia-Pacific,
Europe,LatinAmerica,theMiddleEast,Africa,andNorthAmerica.
Thesamplehasquotasbasedonageandsexforeachcountrybased
onitsInternetusers,andisweightedtoberepresentativeofInternet
consumers.Ithasamarginoferrorof±0.6percent.ThisNielsen
surveyisbasedonlyonthebehaviorofrespondentswithonlineaccess.
Internetpenetrationratesvarybycountry.Nielsenusesaminimum
reportingstandardof60percentInternetpenetrationoranonline
populationof10millionforsurveyinclusion.TheNielsenGlobalSurvey,
whichincludestheGlobalConsumerConfidenceIndex,wasestablished
in2005.
retail sales aNalYsisThefindingsfromtheretailsalesinformationincludedinthisreportare
collectedfromstoresusingelectronicpoint-of-saletechnologyand/or
teamsoflocalfieldauditors.Thedatarepresentsacross-sectionof1,319
brandsamong13categories(bothconsumableandnon-consumable
categories)acrossanaverageof13countries*forthe12-monthperiod
endingDecember2014.Onaverage,thebrandsmeasuredinthisstudy
represent73%of2014valuesales(USD)ineachcountry-category
analyzed(privatelabelbrandswerenotincluded).Storeswithin
Nielsen’sworldwideretailnetworkincludegrocery,drug,convenience
anddiscountretailers,who,throughvariouscooperationarrangements,
sharetheirsalesdatawithNielsen.
*Argentina,Australia,Brazil,Chile,China,Colombia,Germany,India,Italy,Philippines,Russia,Singapore,SouthKorea,Thailand,UK,U.S.[1]
18 GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY REPORT
about nielsen NielsenN.V.(NYSE:NLSN)isaglobalperformancemanagement
companythatprovidesacomprehensiveunderstandingofwhat
consumersWatchandBuy.Nielsen’sWatchsegmentprovidesmediaand
advertisingclientswithTotalAudiencemeasurementservicesacrossall
deviceswherecontent—video,audioandtext—isconsumed.TheBuy
segmentoffersconsumerpackagedgoodsmanufacturersandretailers
theindustry’sonlyglobalviewofretailperformancemeasurement.By
integratinginformationfromitsWatchandBuysegmentsandotherdata
sources,Nielsenprovidesitsclientswithbothworld-classmeasurement
aswellasanalyticsthathelpimproveperformance.Nielsen,anS&P500
company,hasoperationsinover100countriesthatcovermorethan90
percentoftheworld’spopulation.
Formoreinformation,visitwww.nielsen.com.
Copyright©2015TheNielsenCompany.Allrightsreserved.Nielsenand
theNielsenlogoaretrademarksorregisteredtrademarksofCZT/ACN
Trademarks,L.L.C.Otherproductandservicenamesaretrademarksor
registeredtrademarksoftheirrespectivecompanies.15/9053
19GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY REPORT Copyright © 2015 The Nielsen Company