ESG Products Customers Actually Value

Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy has moved beyond reporting frameworks and corporate commitments. For many organisations, the priority is now commercial: translating ESG ambition into products and services that customers are willing to adopt and pay for.

 

Too often, ESG-led product development starts with internal targets instead of customer demand. The result is offerings that may read well in an annual report but struggle to gain traction in-market. Customers rarely purchase something simply because it carries an ESG label. They buy solutions that improve outcomes, reduce risk, save money or fit seamlessly into how they already operate.

 

The most successful ESG products are not virtue products. They are high-performing products with ESG benefits embedded within them.

Why Many ESG Products Underperform

A common mistake is assuming that stated customer preferences translate directly into purchasing decisions. Surveys frequently show that people care about sustainability and ethical sourcing. Yet purchasing decisions are usually shaped by price and perceived value. This gap means ESG features must create practical value. If customers have to compromise on cost or convenience, adoption slows.

 

Another issue is unclear communication. Technical carbon claims or opaque certifications can limit engagement rather than build it. Customers respond more strongly when benefits are immediate and easy to interpret.

What Customers Actually Value

Across sectors, the ESG propositions that perform best tend to fall into five categories.

 

  1. Lower Cost Through Efficiency
    Customers value products that improve efficiency and reduce ongoing spend. Examples include energy-efficient appliances, fuel-saving fleet solutions, low-waste packaging and software that optimises logistics routes. While the ESG benefit may be lower emissions or reduced waste, the purchasing trigger is often lower total cost of ownership. This is particularly relevant in B2B markets, where procurement teams are measured on cost discipline alongside sustainability outcomes.
  2. Reduced Risk and Greater Resilience
    Products that help customers manage exposure and maintain continuity are increasingly valued. Examples include traceability platforms, secure infrastructure, sustainable sourcing solutions, climate risk analytics and supply chain redesign. In uncertain conditions, resilience carries direct commercial value. Customers may not describe these purchases as ESG decisions, but they are often influenced by environmental and governance pressures.
  3. Better Health, Safety and Wellbeing
    Customers consistently respond to products that enhance day-to-day experience and performance. This can include healthier food options, safer materials, improved air quality systems, inclusive workplace benefits, ergonomic design, or financial wellbeing tools. Social impact becomes commercially relevant when it addresses tangible human needs. The strongest propositions position ESG through outcomes.
  4. Simplicity and Transparency
    Trust matters. Customers value products that make responsible choices straightforward. Examples include clear sourcing information, straightforward pricing, repairability options, transparent subscriptions, or dashboards showing usage data. Transparency builds confidence and supports decision-making. In markets crowded with vague sustainability claims, clarity becomes a differentiator.
  5. Identity and Values Alignment
    For some segments, particularly premium consumer markets or purpose-led B2B buyers, values can influence selection. Customers may favour brands that reflect their environmental priorities or ethical standards. However, this works best when supported by strong product performance and consistent delivery. Values can shape preference, but performance sustains it.

What This Means for Product Strategy

Businesses should stop asking, “How do we add ESG to our products?” and start asking, “Which customer problems can we solve in a way that also advances ESG outcomes. That shift moves ESG from a communications layer to a driver of product design.

 

Leading organisations typically focus on three disciplines:

 

  1. Customer-led insight: Identifying where sustainability or trust influence real decisions
  2. Commercial design: Ensuring ESG propositions deliver measurable economic value
  3. Credible execution: Supporting claims with data and consistent delivery

Questions Leaders Should Ask

Before launching an ESG proposition, leadership teams should pressure-test the opportunity:

 

  • What specific customer need does this address?
  • Would it remain valuable without explicit ESG framing?
  • Is the commercial benefit clear and measurable?
  • Can the proposition be explained simply?
  • Can every claim be supported with evidence?

 

If the answers are unclear, the proposition likely requires further refinement.

The Opportunity Ahead

The market for ESG products remains significant, but it is becoming more commercially disciplined. Customers are more selective and place greater weight on tangible value. That shift favours organisations willing to build substance over signalling. The next phase of ESG will be led by businesses that create products and services that are more efficient, more trusted and more useful, with ESG embedded as a source of strength rather than a separate message.

How We Help

At Lestura, we help organisations identify where ESG drives real demand and translate this into commercially robust, credible propositions. From growth strategy to product design and go-to-market execution, we connect ESG ambition to measurable commercial outcomes.