Abstract

Through strategically implementing sustainable practices, businesses can enhance their public image and incentivize consumers to purchase environmentally friendly products. In recent years, many enterprises have actively pursued corporate social responsibility, striving to achieve profitability, fairness, and societal benefits simultaneously, thus creating a beneficial cycle for both businesses and the environment. The COVID-19 pandemic has altered brand perceptions and consumer habits, impacting not only packaging materials, product life cycles, and corporate social responsibility but also significantly impacted sustainability. Personal care products are utilized by individuals on a daily basis, emphasizing the need to consider various indicators in designing brand image strategies to ensure sustainable development. This study focuses on indicators for sustainable brand image design strategies within the personal care product indicators, employing a modified Delphi method to establish these indicators. The relative weights of these indicators were determined using the Analytic Hierarchy Process. The research findings underscore that conveying brand ideals to consumers, committing to brand values, enhancing brand visibility, and creating value are considered the most crucial indicators in the design of sustainable branding strategies for personal care products. These results provide essential insights for researchers and brand developers to formulate corresponding strategies, thereby achieving sustainable brand development and enhancing competitiveness.

Introduction

With the promotion of the concept of environmental protection and sustainability, consumers increasingly prefer sustainable products, thus, sustainability has become a key strategy for corporate development. If environment-friendly corporations can motivate consumers to buy green products, it will be helpful to the global trend of environmental protection [1]. Consumers pay more and more attention to sustainable lifestyles, and they not only consider environmental protection but also expect to gain personal advantages from green products. Green is promoted in various areas, such as green energy in production and manufacturing or environment-friendly and zero-waste packaging [2]. Papanek pointed out that the development of products (goods and services) would directly affect society and the environment [3]; sustainable strategies can reduce the effects of the life cycle, and more importantly, change consumer behaviors [4]. The appropriate ecological protection requires adequate environmental awareness, and consumers with high awareness are more likely to have sustainable purchasing behaviors [5]. Encouraging consumers to buy environment-friendly products not only brings benefits to the environment but also creates opportunities for corporations. By properly implementing sustainable strategies, corporations can improve their image and convince consumers that they are environmentally responsible [6].

Sustainable development has been a focal point for researchers and professionals across various fields, such as engineering, business, and design. It encompasses three dimensions, environment, experience, and society, necessitating collective balance and optimization [7]. Internationally, renowned multinational corporations, including IKEA, 3M, The Body Shop, and Patagonia, spanning home, daily use, beauty and skincare, and clothing brands, actively engage in global sustainable development issues, addressing procurement, consumption, and carbon reduction. In recent years, the global trend among corporations and brands is dedicated to reshaping the global economy for the benefit of humanity, communities, and the Earth. This has given rise to the emergence of socially beneficial enterprises committed to a sustainability assessment, reflecting a broader societal trend and marking a shift in business philosophy. Emphasizing the interconnectedness of public interests, these enterprises showcase the capacity for corporate self-reflection and driving transformative change [8]. Nobel economist Robert Shiller contends that socially beneficial enterprises represent an innovative organizational model capable of generating more profits than traditional corporations. These enterprises leverage business to address societal and environmental challenges, thereby influencing legal obligations and corporate culture [9].

Conclusions

In today’s business environment, brands play a crucial role for both enterprises and products, with their image being the accumulation of consumers’ impressions of various elements. This study primarily conducts a quantitative evaluation of sustainable brand image design strategies for personal care products. Experts systematically analyze complex issues and employ quantitative calculations across different dimensions for assessment. However, the research has limitations, particularly the lack of consumer perspectives and discussions on the research topic. The study contributes to the existing literature by enhancing understanding in the field of brand management regarding the sustainable brand image of personal care products. Through quantified evaluations based on expert opinions, this study provides specific indicators for the sustainable brand image of personal care products, offering valuable references for future research. The methodological innovation applied allows for quantifying expert subjective evaluations, thereby enhancing the objectivity and accuracy of the assessment, potentially paving the way for new research avenues in similar studies.

Providing practical guidance is essential for brand designers and operators. This includes adopting eco-friendly materials, reducing energy consumption, and fostering values of mutual benefit. Moreover, brand ethos and commitments should be reflected in the brand’s visual identity to ensure alignment with their core values. By delivering both tangible and intangible value to consumers, brands can establish deeper connections and achieve sustainable development goals.