When it comes to sustainable and ethically made merch, buyers are quick to show their support: 62% of distributors said they’d prefer to buy environmentally friendly products, and 60% expressed a preference for socially responsible items, according to recent ASI research. But as anyone in the trenches knows, those lofty ideals don’t always pan out when cost considerations come to bear.

Just because price can dampen enthusiasm for sustainable materials, however, that doesn’t mean it has to end the conversation. In this episode of Promo Insiders, derived from a #PromoSpace on Twitter, ASI Media’s Theresa Hegel talks with Daniel Cardozo, Promo for the Planet board member and president and CEO of Ethix Merch (asi/189731), and Lauren Piller, vice president at Eco Marketing Solutions (asi/185798), about strategies they use to overcome price objections to sustainable swag.

One winning technique, Cardozo says, is simply “truth-telling” and explaining why a certain product is a better and more sustainable option than what the buyer was originally looking for. “It’s not going to work every time, but you’d be surprised how people will respond to just being asked explicitly to do the right thing,” he adds.

Piller also suggests stressing the quality and longevity of ethically and sustainably made merch: “Because you’re spending more money and they’re nicer products, people are going to actually want to use them and carry them around.”

Another idea is to offer sustainable merch that has an experiential element. For instance, seed paper and seed bombs are a great way to promote a brand while also providing the meaningful, memorable experience of planting the seeds in a backyard.

Listen to this wide-ranging discussion that includes a surprise drop-in by Danny Rosin, sharing some encouraging stats from a survey of Brand Fuel (asi/145025) customers and their buying preferences.