The new scale delivers greater perception of the difference between a D-rated machine and a B-rated one – thereby encouraging consumers towards the highest efficiency rated machines. The fresh design for how the information is presented substantially increases transparency across all the pertinent data. Direct access via the QR code to the complete energy information does the job.
The intense life disruption that we’ve all experienced – and continue to experience - has increased people’s sensitivity towards brands ‘doing the right thing’. Climate change, and the actions companies take around that, fall very definitely within that same mindset.
Last year, 80% of people said that how brands act during a crisis impacts whether they will buy from that brand in the future – and 75% had recall of specific companies being a force for good.
In this landscape, there is potential for manufacturers to win a strong following by filling the unmet needs of a well-off, ‘sustainable savvy’ consumer group.
It would mean developing smaller capacity appliances but with same high energy efficiency rating and the same technical features and good looks as the larger capacity models.
Taking washing machines as an example: This would result in a 4-6kg load machine with the new B rating that includes inverter motor, smart functionalities and possibly automatic dosage system and steam cleaning… as well as certain other key functions that our research has shown to be influential with the ‘sustainable savvy’ group.
On top of this would be an essential marketing campaign educating people on true overall energy use of their appliances and helping them understand the optimal balance for their particular lifestyle and household needs.
