Iris > Case Studies > BRITA's Greening Good Guide: A Sustainable Step Towards Reducing Single-Use Plastic

BRITA's Greening Good Guide: A Sustainable Step Towards Reducing Single-Use Plastic

Applicable Industries

Plastics
Recycling & Waste Management

Applicable Functions

Procurement
Sales & Marketing

Use Cases

Predictive Waste Reduction

About The Customer

The customer in this case study is BRITA, a well-known water filter company. For the past nine years, BRITA has been working with its lead UK PR agency to shift its brand perception from being solely product-focused to being inspiring, purpose-led, and culturally relevant. BRITA is committed to addressing the serious issue of single-use plastic and promoting sustainable habits among its customers. The company aims to help people make small changes in their daily habits to reduce their environmental footprint and feel good about their personal green wins.

The Challenge

BRITA, a renowned water filter company, faced a challenge in changing its brand perception from being merely functional and product-led to inspiring, purpose-led, and culturally relevant. The company aimed to address the serious issue of single-use plastic without resorting to negative or shaming tactics. Research conducted by BRITA revealed that over half of Brits believed they could do more to reduce their environmental footprint at home. The excessive purchase of single-use plastic, including buying plastic bottled water, was identified as the nation’s biggest ‘green guilt’. The challenge was to help people make small, manageable changes to their habits that would make them feel good about their contribution to sustainability.

The Solution

BRITA, in collaboration with its PR agency, launched The Greening Good Guide, a list of 10 resolutions to help Brits make small changes to live more sustainably. To support the launch of this integrated PR campaign, they partnered with photographer Mary McCartney to capture powerful images of BRITA’s ambassador Joanna Lumley surrounded by plastic waste at a waste facility, dressed entirely in sustainable clothing. To further dramatize the issue and encourage positive action, a paid social campaign was created featuring Joanna in a series of comedic sketches as a ‘sustainability agony aunt’. The campaign was promoted on BRITA’s social channels. To ensure the campaign reached a broad target audience, collaborations with influencers were initiated to document their experiences of making sustainable changes at home. A partnership with Good Housekeeping also invited consumers to share their questions with Joanna as part of a live Q&A to help them to ‘Green Good’ at home.

Operational Impact

The campaign has been successful in changing BRITA's brand perception and addressing the issue of single-use plastic in a positive and engaging way. The campaign has received extensive coverage in every national newspaper, including The Telegraph, The Daily Express, The Times, The Daily Mail, The Mirror, The Sun, Express Online and Mail Online. It has also been featured in regional print outlets and consumer magazines. The campaign has effectively reached a broad target audience, helping the nation to make simple changes and feel good about their personal green wins. The collaboration with influencers and the partnership with Good Housekeeping have further enhanced the campaign's reach and impact.

Quantitative Benefit