Year: 2015
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: Besides contributing to the actual sustainability performance of a product-packaging combination, packaging can also play a role in communicating about sustainability. Such green marketing aspects of packaging may either focus on the sustainability credentials of the packaging itself, or on the credentials of the product contained (or even the company or brand). Communication about sustainability can be explicit (in words or labels) or implicit (through materials, images and/or colours). The implicit form could be described as sustainable aesthetics. The explicit form can be presented either as factual information or in the form of stories. People engage more with stories than with factual information, as it allows for easier connections with previous experiences. Hence, storytelling makes for a compelling marketing tactic. Instead of telling a story yourself as a brand, enabling and encouraging your consumers to tell your story to their peers offers strong marketing potential as well. This paper will explore sustainable storytelling through packaging by reviewing the literature on storytelling within marketing, with a specific focus on sustainability and on packaging. Furthermore, two small empirical studies will be presented, followed by a design case study.
Authors: Renee Wever, Raisa Schermer, Laureen Smit, Linda Vos
Institution: Delft University of Technology
Language: English
Subfield: Marketing
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2288484569