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YOU CAN’T FAKE IT
TIL YOU MAKE IT
By Paul Frasca
It’s fair to say that we’re in an industry where it’s easy to get caught up in the
magic - the beauty biz sells the hope of transformation, self-improvement and
inclusivity, and on the most part, it really delivers. But given all that’s happened in
the last 12 months and the growing number of conscious consumers, I’ve started
thinking about how we ‘sell sustainability’ in our businesses… and do we deliver?
Let’s agree that the ‘green-washing’ movement has (finally!)
moved out. When eco was introduced to the mainstream, it was
kind of a trend; a label spruiking ‘natural’, which was enough to
propel your business into the ethical category and satisfy the new
eco-consumer. But there was rarely an actual eco-impact in that
bottle; it was full of empty promises.
We’ve come a long way since then, though. Young Aussies are
living the consequences from past actions and now they actually
care about what’s behind the label - they’re passionate, informed
and armed with the power of a dollar they won’t give up easily.
I’m normally a big fan of ‘fake it til you make it’ (words to live by
when you’re trying to get a start-up taken seriously), but when it
comes to adding sustainability practices or statements into your
business, this MO needs to go in the bin.
And with the help of the recent Junkee Media 2020 Youth
Research report, I’m going to show you why.
FACT: 70% of young people really give a sh*t about Sustainability
and the Environment
Second only to mental health, and coming in above gender
equality. It’s one of the big, profound issues of our time, and we
can no longer pretend it’s just the hippies who care.
FACT: 89% are taking environmental action in their own lives
They’re reducing the amount of fast fashion they buy, actively
avoiding single-use products, increasing their reusables collection
and even reducing their meat consumption - the youth market
is not just aware they now have environmental choices, they’re
making them. You know what else? 51% said their environmental
actions had not changed because of COVID-19. I think Junkee
summed it up best: “It’s a passion so deep that not even a global
pandemic could stop them.”
FACT: 79% are willing to sacrifice chemical-based beauty
treatments to help the environment
You can only work with what you have available to you, I
completely understand. But are you researching your suppliers’
sustainability practices like a young Aussie is researching yours?
It’s true that the beauty industry has a long way to go to provide
more sustainable product options (it’s a single-use wasteland!),
but there are incredible companies out there innovating and
offering solutions - even if they’re small ones for now. Think
biodegradable, compostable, recycled, recyclable, machinewashable,
FSC certified (for paper products), and certified
organic.
FACT: 56% say the most
important quality in a
brand is acting ethically/
with integrity (and 33%
say it’s giving back to the
community)
Now that I’ve put the
hard word on about your
product choices, I’m
sorry to say, but stocking
eco-friendly treatments is
just not enough anymore.
56% need you to prove
you’re acting with
integrity - that’s more
than half. And I should
point out that it was the
third-highest on a list
of 19 options, beaten
only by “has good
quality products” and “is
environmentally-friendly”
(see above facts 1, 2 and
3).
This is where faking it won’t just hurt your client’s feelings, it could
eventually really hurt your bottom line. Offering a trend-based
‘green’ statement, whacking up a social media post claiming your
virtual support for a cause, or introducing a practice you can’t
explain end-to-end is eventually going to catch you out.
Believing what you’re implementing and understanding it start to
finish, creating a staff culture that accepts and advocates this,
and visibly acting upon these practices in full view of your clients
is the only way to satisfy (and grow!) this important segment in
your business. At Sustainable Salons, we’re passionate about
helping our salon members successfully introduce sustainable
practices through an awesome induction, ongoing education and
transparency, fun and meaningful engagement opportunities,
and a super simple recycling and community benefits system that
your clients can actually touch and feel, and see you do.
And nothing is more real than that.
Keen to join the movement? Find out more at
www.sustainablesalons.org!
64 Beauty Biz Year 14 Issue 1