Seventeen years into building a business around sustainability, Public Inc. wanted to test a theory. The team, led by founder Phil Haid and VP Strategy Caleigh Farrell, had seen a growing disconnect between what people say they value and what they actually buy. So they partnered with Ipsos to create the 2025 Conscious Consumer Report—a Canada–U.S. study designed not just to identify this “say-do gap,” but to understand how brands can close it.
The answer wasn’t what most marketers think. “Confusing claims are the number one inhibitor of the conscious choice,” said Farrell. Haid put it more bluntly: “We’re leaving so much money on the table.”
A study designed to challenge assumptions
For years, Public Inc. saw research saying consumers would pay more for sustainable products. But in practice? “It just wasn’t our experience,” said Haid. So they set out to dig deeper. Rather than focus on values alone, the report measured behavioral drivers—what actually gets someone to choose the more sustainable option in the moment. “We wanted to move past the myth and test the mechanics,” Haid explained.
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Confusion, not cost, is the biggest blocker
The study revealed that price isn’t the main reason people walk away from purpose-led purchases. It’s the language. “Cost is the number one reason people don’t do anything,” said Farrell. “But it doesn’t help marketers. It’s a dead-end answer.” When claims are unclear or over-intellectualized, even the most well-intentioned consumers opt out.
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The future can wait—people care about right now
Most sustainability messaging talks about “the planet,” “future generations,” or “net-zero by 2050.” But that framing doesn’t match how people actually live. “People are consumed by the day-to-day,” Haid said. “We’re trying to sell a carbon-free future to someone who can’t breathe clean air right now.” The takeaway? Shift from collective and long-term to personal and present.
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Everyone wants to do better—if we make it easy
One of the report’s biggest surprises was how consistently all audience segments responded to the same claims. Whether a respondent was deeply committed or totally disengaged, the right language moved the needle. “We’ve been designing for the 9%,” said Farrell. “But even the so-called apathetic actors want to make better choices—if we make the pitch clear and relevant.”
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The pitch isn’t a detail—it’s the unlock
This report doesn’t just offer critique—it offers direction. “We have to stop marketing sustainability like a philosophy,” said Haid. “It’s a product. It needs to sell.” Farrell agreed: “Communications can move people up the purchase frequency ladder. That’s the real opportunity here—for growth, for impact, for everyone.”
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Learn more about Public, Inc.
Agency website
Phil Haid on LinkedIn
Caleigh Farrell on LinkedIn
Public Inc. on LinkedIn
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Contact: info@publicinc.com | +1 (416) 324-9971
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Doug Zanger is the founder and editor-in-chief of Indie Agency News. He is also the founder of the Creative Bohemian consultancy, lives in the Pacific Northwest and is insufferable about it.
