Industry Agenda Engaging Tomorrow’s Consumer Project Report 2014

The World Economic Forum's 2014 report details efforts to trigger sustainable behavioral shifts in millennials (ages 18-34). Key initiatives include the creation of a new Effie award to incentivize brand marketers, scientific testing of sustainability messaging in China, India, and the UK, and the development of a non-branded digital storytelling platform. Research findings indicate that millennials are most motivated by messages emphasizing simplicity, waste reduction, and the wellbeing of future generations, while rejecting corporate claims of being 'pioneers' or framing sustainability as a 'trend'.

• Research indicates a gap in marketer incentives: while 72% of brand managers are aware of their companies' sustainability agendas, most feel they lack the incentive to prioritize sustainability in their work.
• Millennials respond most positively to simplified messaging focused on reducing environmental impact and waste, preferring that brands lead the effort to create better products so consumers can 'consume smarter' with minimal effort.
• Messages appealing to the social conscience and the impact of current actions on future generations have strong emotional appeal and motivate millennials to adopt sustainable lifestyles across all tested markets.
• Certain messaging strategies are ineffective with millennials: framing sustainability as a 'trend' or making corporate claims of being a 'pioneer' or 'forward thinker' creates negative connotations or loss of interest.
• In-store research in India and the UK shows that millennial consumers often equate sustainability with product durability and longevity rather than the materials or processes used in production.
• The World Economic Forum is developing a non-branded digital platform to drive behavioral change by integrating sustainability into youth interests such as art, music, film, technology, celebrity, and sports through storytelling.

APA

World Economic Forum (2014). Industry Agenda Engaging Tomorrow’s Consumer Project Report 2014. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_RC_EngagingTomorrowsConsumer_ProjectReport_2014.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. Industry Agenda Engaging Tomorrow’s Consumer Project Report 2014. 2014. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_RC_EngagingTomorrowsConsumer_ProjectReport_2014.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=Industry Agenda Engaging Tomorrow’s Consumer Project Report 2014 |date=2014 |url=http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_RC_EngagingTomorrowsConsumer_ProjectReport_2014.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2014industry, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{Industry Agenda Engaging Tomorrow’s Consumer Project Report 2014}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2014}, url = {http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_RC_EngagingTomorrowsConsumer_ProjectReport_2014.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }