Tesco is aiming to become a brand that is “purpose driven” with the launch of its first press campaign talking about its commitment to tackling food waste and goal that no food safe for human consumption will go to waste within its UK operations by the end of 2017.
The press campaign alludes to the Champions 12.3 report, a global survey of 700 companies – including Tesco – which shows for every $1 businesses invest in reducing food waste, they can save $14 in operating costs.
Although Tesco has been on a journey to combat food waste since 2009, the campaign marks a bold step change for the supermarket’s marketing, which is typically focused on food or in-store features and services.
Speaking on a press call yesterday (1 March), Tesco CEO Dave Lewis admitted there has been a realisation internally that Tesco must now push its ethical message “even further”.
He told Marketing Week: “We’ve been at the forefront on reducing waste for quite some time. Before my time here, Tesco was the first retailer to publish an audited end-to-end food waste report back in 2013; we’re now in our fourth year of that. But yeah, I’ve acknowledged we now have to pick this up and push it even further [through our communications].”
According to data from Lewis’s old employer Unilever, 33% of adults would buy a product from a brand because they believe it is doing social or environmental good. That equates to a €966bn (£817bn) untapped opportunity, given that the size of the marketing for sustainable goods is €2.5tr (£2.1tr).
And Lewis admitted these findings have inspired his thinking when it comes to Tesco’s renewed push into combatting food waste.
He added: “I’m aware of the Unilever report and it proves what consumers need now is trust in the business behind a brand and we want our customers to know Tesco will behave responsibly on their behalf.
“We want to become a brand that is purpose driven as ultimately this builds trust and is exactly what any customer should expect from a business like ours.”
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Source: Marketing Week
Tesco pushes ethical message as it looks to become a purpose-driven brand