Can companies build circular services into their customer experience to earn a trusted relationship with the 81% of consumers who say they will buy more products and services from brands that help them live sustainably? We often talk about the circular economy and its benefits for people and the planet. Still, for many, the circular economy sounds like a lot of additional work to sort and drop off materials for reprocessing. People don’t like the sound of “reduce and reuse” because the media tells us it means “less and worn out,” not “better and good for people and planet.”That narrative needs to change. My special guest is Allen Adamson, author of the new book, “Seeing the How: Transforming What People Do, Not Buy, to Gain Market Advantage.” Allen is a partner with Sustainability in Your Ear host Mitch Ratcliffe at global branding and marketing agency Metaforce.
A more sustainable economy will be built on high-quality products that last longer and are energy- and water-efficient, representing new standards of value that include caring for the planet and ensuring resources are available for future generations. In “Seeing the How,” Allen proposes employing eight distinct “lenses” to scrutinize a company’s marketing, packaging, advertising, and selling strategies. The objective is to attract consumers to novel circular services that promote the reuse of materials and prevent them from ending up in landfills. Allen’s lenses — which include joining forces with other companies and customers, seeing like a concierge, and going the rental route — are paths to a circular economy with new local layers that make recycling, composting, reuse, donations, and repairs a seamless part of every product experience. Join in a brainstorming session about building sustainability into everything. You can find “Seeing the How” on Amazon and Powell’s Books, and learn more about Allen and Metaforce at metaforce.com.
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