A Better Way to Market Sustainable Products

By Tensie Whelan & David Linich | May 21, 2025
Research by NYU Stern’s Center for Sustainable Business (CSB) and PwC

Overview

Consumers prefer sustainable products. Companies must prove growth, show price premiums, and balance sustainability with other product features. They also need to build trust when claims and certifications conflict.
Research from NYU Stern CSB and PwC shows leaders clear the business case, boost product appeal, and support credible, nearby sustainability claims. Each word links closely to its partner, so ideas connect fast and read easily.

The Business Case for Sustainable Products

• Sales data from Circana covers 40% of the U.S. consumer packaged goods market. Products marketed as sustainable grew at 12.3% per year from 2019 to 2024. This pace is more than two times that of conventional items.
• By 2024, sustainable products reached almost 24% of all sales in key categories.
• PwC’s 2024 survey tells us that consumers pay 9.7% more for sustainable goods on average. Real market data shows these items get a 26.6% premium. Some products, like paper, coffee, cereal, and chocolate, even see premiums of 50% or more.

Key Strategies to Maximize Marketing Impact

1. Recognize Customer Segments & Category Reach

Millennials, city dwellers, college-educated buyers, and high-income shoppers buy more sustainable products.
Some items, like dairy, attract customers of all ages.
Know your target customer and product category by linking clear ideas to one another.

2. Amplify Sustainable Appeal Through Core Product Qualities

Marketers blend a product’s main benefits—taste, quality, and performance—with one or two sustainability claims.
For example, a chocolate bar highlights rich flavor and green production.
This mix boosts appeal by 30 percentage points across all groups when ideas connect in short, clear links.

3. Focus on Consumer-Valued & Trusted Claims

Consumers value claims that protect their health by avoiding harmful ingredients, offer cost savings, support local farmers, and secure a better future for children. They also value claims that preserve animal health and use local or sustainable sources.
Claims about biodegradability, climate neutrality, traceability, and certifications need extra support. These words must pair closely with evidence to build trust.

4. Maintain Precision and Provide Evidence

Do not use vague words like “natural,” “clean,” or “safe.” These terms invite legal issues.
This warning is clear for products meant for children or directly applied to the skin or eaten.
Companies need to watch changes in rules. They must follow regulations like the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, Due Diligence Directive, and potential Green Claims Directive.
A close link between value chain analysis and traceability makes claims strong and precise.

Conclusion

Sustainable products grow faster and earn higher prices. They also connect with the right customers when marketing is done right. By pairing sustainability with core product values and using clear evidence, companies can build trust and make strong connections through each paired word.

About the Authors

• Tensie Whelan – Distinguished Professor of Practice at NYU Stern and Founding Director of the Center for Sustainable Business.
• David Linich – Principal at PwC US who works on decarbonization and sustainable operations.

For companies aiming to grow in the market of sustainable goods, these clear, evidence-based ideas help create value for consumers while strengthening competitive advantage.

Design Delight Studio curates high-impact, authoritative insights into sustainable and organic product trends, helping conscious consumers and innovative brands stay ahead in a fast-evolving green economy.