A flashy ad or in-store promo may convince people to buy a new detergent or snack, but brands often struggle to turn these trials into repeat purchases. Canvas8 spoke to Wendy Wood, a professor at the University of Southern California, to find out how old habits stop new products from taking off.

Plastic is getting a lot of airtime right now: suddenly, what was once an invisible problem is at the front of people’s minds. Consumers are primed for change, so how can brands take the first by creating alternatives, educating customers and helping them form new habits?

In a bid to combat plastic pollution, The Body Shop has teamed up with TerraCycle to launch an in-store plastic recycling scheme. As environmental awareness grows, people are increasingly attracted to brands that enable them to use product packaging in ways that benefit the planet.

Aussie retailer Coles has faced criticism from shoppers and environmental groups following a series of flip-flops over its efforts to eliminate single-use bags. Though people want brands to take action on plastic waste, the incident showed that they don’t want to be inconvenienced in the process.