The key to broadening the reach of ESG marketing is to understand what different groups of consumers value and align ethical activities with their real life needs. Practical consumers want to look after their health and save money; they are interested in easy, visible improvements to their lives. Values-focused consumers are more idealistic, closely scrutinising how brands deliver on promises and often striving to set a good example for their children. Image-oriented consumers are motivated by a sense of style and social recognition and prefer trendy sustainable experiences they can get involved in. Brands need to adopt the right narratives and choose suitable approaches to achieve real conversion of ESG values.
Anita Li, Senior Research Analyst – Consumer Trends and Lifestyle, China
Market Definitions
ESG stands for environmental, social and governance. These are the three key areas by which a company’s or organisation’s sustainability and social impact is measured.
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Executive summary
- Key topics in this report
- Definitions
- What you need to know
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The big picture
- Progress on sustainable development goals is slow at global macro-level
- Frequent extreme weather events drives an awakening and mobilisation at micro-level
- Graph 1: extreme weather events in the country where I live encourage me to personally do more activities to protect the environment, 2022-24
- ESG is becoming a matter of everyday relevance
- Chinese consumers expect more from brands
- Graph 2: ‘I expect brands to take the lead on addressing environmental issues’, 2025
- Graph 3: ‘I believe that institutions/companies should do more to address inequality’, 2025
- Stronger policies provide systemic support for sustainable transformation
- Decentralisation of ESG communication: more interesting, more specialised, more down-to-earth
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Consumer insights
- Engagement in ethical activities
- Ethical activities have a graduated distribution, based on ease of participation
- Graph 4: ethical activities, 2025
- Older consumers value frugality, 30-49s buy environmentally friendly products, younger groups prefer second-hand and are passionate about speaking out
- Graph 5: ethical activities, by age, 2025
- High-income individuals have a stronger sense of social responsibility, with the highest engagement in everyday environmental protection and deeper involvement
- Graph 6: ethical activities, by monthly personal income, 2025
- Price tolerance and marketing preferences
- Consumers more inclined to pay for ESG features that benefit themselves and can be intuitively understood
- Graph 7: price tolerance for ethical products, 2025
- High-income groups more willing to pay a high premium for health and a sense of reassurance, animal-friendly products and full lifecycle sustainability
- Graph 8: willingness to pay a premium of more than 10% for ethical products, by monthly personal income, 2025
- Graph 9: willingness to pay a premium for ethical products, by monthly personal income, 2025
- Consumers have a positive attitude towards ESG marketing and value long-term commitments and personal relevance
- Graph 10: attitudes towards ESG marketing, 2025
- Brand image: environmental protection remains the priority but brands expected to care for broader range of social issues
- Graph 11: initiatives to create a positive image, 2024
- Graph 12: initiatives to create a positive image, 2025
- Social responsibility priorities: protect the environment for broad reach, help disadvantaged groups for biggest boost
- High-income groups more interested in systemic issues, value shift from self-interest to the common good
- Graph 13: initiatives to create a positive image, by monthly personal income, 2025
- Drivers of participation in ethical activities
- Ethical behaviour is no longer looked upon passively as an ethical requirement, but as an active life choice
- Graph 14: drivers for ethical activities, 2025
- Younger people do it for themselves, older people do it for others
- Graph 15: drivers for ethical activities, by age, 2025
- Health and influencing others are important for high-income consumers
- Graph 16: drivers for ethical activities, by monthly personal income, 2025
- The life-focused are low-key and pragmatic, the values-oriented participate fully, the socially-driven express themselves loudly
- Graph 17: ethical behaviours, by drivers for ethical behaviours, 2025
- Motivational driver: living a better life
- Pragmatists who focus on physical and mental wellbeing are willing to pay for a sense of reassurance, health concepts tend to resonate
- Graph 18: respondents willing to pay a premium for ethical products, by drivers for ethical behaviours, 2025
- Graph 19: initiatives to create a favourable image, by drivers for ethical behaviours, 2025
- Older people especially willing to pay a high premium for a sense of reassurance
- Graph 20: willingness to pay a premium of up to 10% for ethical products, by age, 2025
- Graph 21: willingness to pay a premium of more than 10% for ethical products, by age, 2025
- Older people also favour brands that care for their health and engage in good deeds
- Graph 22: initiatives to create a positive image, by age, 2025
- Saving money is exciting, not embarrassing: younger consumers are making thriftiness fun and trendy
- Graph 23: ethical behaviours, by drivers for ethical behaviours, 2025
- Younger consumers use creativity to save money and embrace environmental protection
- The cost-conscious have more cautious and negative attitude towards ESG marketing
- Graph 24: attitudes towards ESG marketing – strongly agree, by drivers for ethical behaviours, 2025
- To appeal to money-savers, offer clear incentives and keep it simple and interesting
- Graph 25: attractive ESG marketing features, by drivers for ethical behaviours, 2025
- Motivational driver: doing the right thing
- High-income women in their 30s and 40s could become leaders for ethical issues
- Graph 26: drivers for ethical activities, by gender and age, 2025
- Graph 27: drivers for ethical activities, by gender and monthly personal income, 2025
- Parents become role models as their children grow up
- Graph 28: drivers of ethical behaviours – to influence or inspire those around me, by marital status, 2025
- Graph 29: drivers of ethical behaviours – to influence or inspire those around me, by age of one’s children, 2025
- Consumers focused on values and influence are more actively engaged in ethical activities
- Graph 30: ethical behaviours, by drivers for ethical behaviours, 2025
- Values-driven consumers focus on substance, the long-term view and credibility as well as a high quality product experience
- Graph 31: barriers to purchasing ethical products, by drivers for ethical behaviours, 2025
- Graph 32: respondents willing to pay a premium for ethical products, by drivers for ethical behaviours, 2025
- Values-oriented consumers want brands to meet their social responsibilities, transparency and sustained commitment are key
- Graph 33: attractive ESG marketing features, by drivers for ethical behaviours, 2025
- Graph 34: initiatives to create a favourable image, by drivers for ethical behaviours, 2025
- Motivational driver: creating a good image
- Sense of accomplishment drives younger people in higher tier cities, trendy lifestyles appeal to middle-income groups in lower tiers
- Graph 35: drivers of ethical behaviours – pursuing a trendy lifestyle, by monthly personal income and city tier, 2025
- Graph 36: drivers of ethical behaviours – achieving a sense of accomplishment, by city tier and age, 2025
- Younger men want to expand social connections and gain social recognition
- Graph 37: drivers for ethical activities, by gender and age, 2025
- Those focused on image express their positions loudly through what they buy and public participation
- Graph 38: ethical behaviours, by drivers for ethical behaviours, 2025
- They will pay a premium for locally made, animal-friendly products with full-lifecycle environmentally friendly credentials
- Graph 39: respondents willing to pay a premium for ethical products, by drivers for ethical behaviours, 2025
- Sustainability is the norm: consumers wanting a good image have high expectations of everyday products
- Graph 40: barriers to purchasing ethical products, by drivers for ethical behaviours, 2025
- Tangible local impacts elicit greater trust from these rational and cautious consumers
- Graph 41: attitudes towards ESG marketing – strongly agree, by drivers for ethical behaviours, 2025
- ESG marketing should be cool and fun as well
- Graph 42: attractive ESG marketing features, by drivers for ethical behaviours, 2025
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Issues and insights
- Marketing insights based on motivational driver groups
- Leverage the thrill of effortless money saving, use creativity to give sustainability a sense of ritual
- Creative young savers: stylish living on a budget, sustainability through everyday ingenuity
- Starbucks Earth Day: from effortless offline freebies to online “bring your own cup” fun
- From empty bottle to vase: turning upcycling into an elegant life ritual
- Convey ESG concepts through accessible family experiences
- The principled role models: leading by example to convey values, influencing families and influencing the world
- Recycled goods party: a sustainability-themed amusement park for all ages
- Plasters in fun recyclable tin box introduce environmental protection into everyday parent-child interactions
- Combine activities with trendy scenarios, engage in interesting and meaningful value co-creation
- Values-driven social connectors: harness resources to create influence together, enjoy social resonance
- An Ko Rau × Hongshan Forest Zoo: bringing stores into nature, turning sustainability into trendy lifestyles
- FREITAG attracts social connectors with a swap event
- Songmont: connecting their worlds with real women’s stories of growth
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What we think
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Appendix – methodology and abbreviations
- Methodology
- Abbreviations
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