In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Roman Kirsch interviews Henrik Jonsson, CEO of agood company. Henrik shares the brutal reality of marketing sustainable products in a mass market that claims to care about sustainability but refuses to pay premium prices for it. Through painful lessons learned over five years, agood company discovered that circular products must compete on traditional value propositions—price, quality, and design—rather than relying on sustainability as a differentiator. Operating across five distribution channels and generating revenue through D2C, retail partnerships, corporate gifting, brand collaborations, and ODM partnerships, the company has evolved from a trial-and-error startup to a focused business targeting 50 million euros in revenue by 2029.

Topics Discussed

• Debunking the myth that consumers will pay premium prices for sustainable products

• Building a “seamless transition” strategy to replace non-circular products at competitive prices

• Operating across five distinct distribution channels with different marketing approaches

• Scaling from startup losses to profitability while maintaining circular production principles

• Managing provocative marketing campaigns and handling social media backlash

• Recruiting purpose-driven talent in competitive markets

• Balancing transparency about imperfection with authentic sustainability messaging

Lessons For Consumer Marketers

Abandon the Sustainability Premium Fallacy

Despite surveys showing consumers claim they’ll pay more for sustainable products, mass market reality tells a different story. Henrik learned that 80% of consumers across all markets—Sweden, Spain, Eastern Europe, or the US—don’t actually care enough to pay premium prices. Successful sustainable brands must achieve price parity or better while delivering superior quality and design. Sustainability becomes a “hygiene factor” that can tip purchasing decisions, but never the primary driver.

Structure Organizations Around Revenue Channel Reality

When 60% of revenue comes from retail partnerships, your marketing team and resources must reflect that distribution reality. Henrik restructured agood company’s entire organization after realizing their team setup didn’t match where money actually came from. This meant shifting focus from D2C marketing tactics to retail partner support, trade marketing, and B2B relationship building—a fundamental reorganization that many startups avoid but shouldn’t.

Use Provocative Marketing Strategically, Not Recklessly

Provocative content can drive viral spread, but requires careful execution and crisis management readiness. Henrik’s attempt to mock competitors’ factory announcements backfired when it was misinterpreted as political endorsement, forcing them to remove the content entirely. The lesson: provocative marketing works for breaking through noise, but teams must anticipate multiple interpretation angles and have response plans ready.

Implement “Seamless Transition” Product Strategy

Instead of trying to convert sustainability skeptics through education, focus on creating products so superior that the transition happens naturally. Henrik’s approach: make circular phone cases that are equal or better on price, lead time, quality, and design. This eliminates the need to convince skeptics about environmental benefits—they choose your product for traditional reasons while unknowingly supporting circular economy principles.

Recruit Through Purpose-Driven Employer Branding

Talented employees increasingly evaluate opportunities based on company positioning and mission, not just compensation. Henrik references Spotify employees wearing company merchandise as brand ambassadors—employees must be genuinely proud of what the company represents. For sustainable brands, this authentic purpose becomes a recruitment advantage, but only if the company can deliver on its mission authentically rather than through greenwashing.

Balance Transparency About Imperfection With Authority

Rather than claiming perfection, Henrik proactively acknowledges mistakes while maintaining authority: “We are not perfect and if you try to go after us, you will probably find mistakes. We do mistakes every day. But what we are doing is being as transparent as we can.” This approach builds trust while deflecting criticism from bad-faith actors who seek to discredit sustainable brands through minor imperfections.