Engaging Consumers in the Discussion on Sustainability

The Camel Soap Factory started as a kitchen-based enterprise making hand-made cold process soaps before transforming into the company it is today. We are driven by our mission and values which prioritize the creation of natural products using low-impact manufacturing methods that generate little or no waste. Our Dubai-based company has grown exponentially since its inception in 2010 and we pride ourselves on continuing to build an authentic, inspirational, family atmosphere while remaining a company where every employee still knows how to hand-make our soap and feels connected to the products we sell.?

Early on, we identified a strong consumer interest in unique gifts and souvenirs to take back home from Dubai, a gap in the market that the original product range filled. Our camel soaps appealed to our customers in the first instance because they were locally produced and represented the region in an authentic way. Additionally, our product was quickly recognized, including via industry awards, as offering something special and natural, without petrochemical derivatives, synthetic dyes, or preservatives.?

Sustainable processes and minimizing environmental impact are central to the ethos of our company. Our factory uses less electricity than an average villa in Dubai. As far as possible, we source raw materials, including sustainably produced camel milk, locally. Our manufacturing processes use very little water. The packaging we use is kept to a minimum and most can be reused or recycled. Where raw materials are not able to be sourced from local producers, we pay attention to supply-chain and implement strategies such as buying in bulk, preferring transportation options with a lesser carbon footprint. All this contributes to the integrity of our product marketed as genuinely sustainable.?

Our use of the essentials of marketing for any product, including a strong brand image, appealing visuals, and distinctive packaging, is supported by consistently upbeat messaging about the individual being empowered to make meaningful choices that make a positive impact.?

The Challenge?

However, engaging consumers about sustainability when they are not already aware of and invested in actions to reduce the individual impact on the planet, presents a challenge. At The Camel Soap Factory, we have a range of strategies employed with the goal of our products being seen, not as marketing gimmicks, but as real solutions to a real crisis.?

Our original, core market for Camel Milk Soap was the gifting market. We found early success in providing a unique, quality product that appealed to the tourism and corporate gifting sectors. With increasing emphasis on CSR and shifts to business practices aligned with sustainability across many sectors, our B2B customer base has continued to grow and today we are definitely seeing increased engagement from these customers with messaging around sustainability.?

Open and Transparent Processes?

A feature of our approach to engaging customers on this topic is being open and transparent about the manufacturing process, our purpose as a company and the narrative of our journey which includes challenges and lessons learned as a growing business.?

Education?

Encouraging factory visits by corporate clients and having customers interact directly with the process is another powerful way to engage and educate consumers.?

The extended hiatus in tourism to the region, and travel more generally during the height of the pandemic, presented significant challenges for us. Our response to the temporary loss of the gift and souvenir market was to expand product lines, embrace e-commerce, and move into Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) products.??

Being local and natural remains by far our biggest B2C selling point with our dedication to sustainability and reducing impacts on the environment and the planet less well recognized.?

Social Media??

Naturally, social media plays a key role in our engagement with our customers. The company’s founder and owner, Stevi Lowmass, works to create a personable and pragmatic presence across our marketing and communications. Our messaging combines a real, human face with plain facts which maintains contact with existing customers. We believe this also helps in reaching more neutral or less aware consumers. For these consumers who are not already invested in the discourse and actions around sustainability and the environment, a more personal and authentic approach can work to engage them in what they otherwise often find an intangible, abstract topic. This is a very important goal of ours.?

The Power of Youth?

So-called ‘pester power’ has long been recognized as influencing FMGC purchasing choices. It’s also known that children are a significant force for educating parents, including on environmental and sustainability topics. Recognizing this, we recently supported the Dubai Chambers Sustainability week campaign by running a competition in partnership with Goumbook. Aimed at children aged 8 – 18 the competition involved submitting a 1-minute video highlighting the problem of plastic waste and why innovative new products like The Camel Soap Factory’s hair care bars make a real contribution to solving the problem.?

We also provide opportunities for school groups to participate in an educational factory tour. Students learn about the products, processes, benefits, and opportunities around creating a locally produced sustainable product range. Indeed, when seeking to engage a more neutral audience with sustainability, we recognize that children and youth are key.??

Selective collaboration and partnerships form another important aspect of our strategy for engaging consumers in sustainability.??

Supply Chain?

Sourcing raw materials locally from enterprises with environmental and sustainability values aligned with those of the company is a significant mechanism for us to build a community where knowledge, experience, and support are shared.??

Similarly, our participation in initiatives such as the Dubai Chamber of Commerce’s Centre for Responsible Business and Sustainability Network contributes to building our community while finding additional pathways for engaging customers and extending the reach of our sustainability messaging.?

EXPO2020?

Our being chosen as an Expo 2020 licensee due to our very strong focus on sustainability contributed to raising our company profile and accelerating interest in our product range internationally.??

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Just as Expo provided a forum to highlight the UAE’s commitment to improving sustainability, we recognize that government initiatives such as the imposition of charges intended to reduce single-use plastics and the ‘Dubai Can’ campaign promoting individual sustainable practices are also significant in establishing an audience willing to engage in dialogue and actions toward sustainability.?

In Summary?

Whilst most companies are seriously looking at their environmental footprint, and consumers demand labeling which makes it clear they can purchase a product with a clear conscience; we are still some way away, especially in the GCC, from really demonstrating why these principles are so important in the long run.??

Our personal hope is that The Camel Soap Factory, soap by soap, can contribute to making consumers more aware of their role in the change to support the health of our planet.?