The Synergy of Two: How a Husband-and-Wife Team is Helping Sustainable Products Succeed in the Market

Irene Lu and Ernest Kwan could possibly be referred to as Sprott’s dynamic duo—the Watson and Crick, the Ben and Jerry, Sonny and Cher? Joking aside, the point being that Irene and Ernest have found that magical, synergistic collaboration—as researchers and as a married couple. By working together at Carleton University’s Sprott School of Business and combining their areas of expertise, they have allowed their research programs to grow and evolve, and as a result, they tap into some very novel areas of ecologically responsible consumption; research that will create solutions in marketing for businesses and government—and that just may raise societal environmental consciousness through creativity.

Their research focuses primarily on repurposed goods—defined as the transformation of old products into new products of greater value that serve a different function. Repurposing goods is growing in popularity—particularly in ecommerce—for both producers (creators) and consumers. Moreover, repurposing goods is a key strategy to reduce waste and promote ecological sustainability. Because it is an emerging market, not much is understood about consumer motivations and attitudes toward repurposed products (to date, most research has focused on refurbished or recycled products), and as a result, Irene and Ernest are keen to close the gap in our knowledge.

Their research takes a multipronged approach to gain a holistic picture of sustainable products and examines both the production of repurposed goods—such as seller motivation, barriers faced, and outcomes to selling—as well as consumer preferences and motivations. What is interesting is that repurposed products are a bit of a nuance from other sustainable consumer goods. Irene and Ernest believe motivations and attitudes will differ because what makes repurposed products unique from other sustainable products is the amount of creativity that is required to repurpose something. Think hockey sticks into garden chairs, or earrings out of computer parts—this ingenuity and uniqueness could be alluring to both producers and consumers. Motivation to buy repurposed products, then, may not necessarily be about the environment, instead, about the prestige or novelty of a one-of-a-kind unique product.

Irene, associate professor of marketing, and Ernest, associate professor of supply chain management, currently work under a SSHRC Insight Development Grant to investigate producer and consumer perceptions and motivations of repurposed products with the goal to help business create marketing strategies that effectively reflect the needs of consumers.

This is valuable because when we have consumers more conscientious and willing to purchase sustainable products, it is good for our planet. What has been quite relevant in their findings so far is they have discovered that the primary motivation to produce/create repurposed products is not always environmental concern, but through producers’ creative process of repurposing goods, they go through a transformation. Irene and Ernest found that producers’ attitudes, beliefs, and ultimately their consumer habits are modified to become more environmentally conscious. Raising consciousness through creativity is a great unintended consequence to this.

Ultimately their research will not only empower producers, but also offer guidance to policymakers on how tohelp entrepreneurs effectively promote conservationism and sustainability—and to encourage consumers to embrace greener living.  Irene and Ernest’s next step is to address the impact of social media influencers on repurposing as a lifestyle.

Further to this, and what came as a natural secondary question to this research, Irene and Ernest want to understand the impact the COVID-19 pandemic may have on consumer preferences and attitudes toward sustainable products. Will concerns about COVID-19 discourage consumers from being sustainable if they are given the choice between a new versus a “used” product? Will there be additional factors influencing motivation and preference?

So, how did the dynamic duo come to be?

It was a day at a data-analysis workshop that changed everything. Irene came as a marketing PhD student looking to advance her quantitative data-analysis techniques and Ernest was teaching the workshop as an expert in quantitative methodology in the social sciences (his roots are in psychology). A combined love of research (and serendipitously, for each other), their academic careers changed course, and in 2008, Irene and Ernest began their academic careers at Carleton’s Sprott School of Business. Their research programs remain within their teaching areas of expertise, but over the years, they have amassed some novel and synergistic research projects together in the sustainable product marketing sphere.

And, what’s great about working together?

“The interesting thing about collaborative work with your spouse is there are a lot more opportunities to bounce ideas off one another. The moment an idea occurs to you, there is ample opportunities to engage in a discussion right away. We can share ideas easily; that aspect of it is exciting.” Ernest reveals.

The double-edged sword: Both Irene and Ernest recognize that it is vital to maintain a healthy work-life balance. So, although it is tempting to talk shop whenever the mood strikes, there are gentle reminders to each other about work boundaries; particularly when it comes to family time.

Through their research, Irene and Ernest are highlighting how business can effectively market sustainable products and allow this area of commerce to grow. Dynamic duo, Sonny and Cher, however you would like to see it, Irene and Ernest are a winning combination for Sprott and for our planet.