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Shelton Group

We are America's leading marketing communications firm focused entirely in the sustainability/ESG space. We exist to create a market advantage for the organizations that are creating a sustainable, equitable future

Shelton Group

We support companies to leverage their efforts in sustainability and CSR to build brand affinity, drive sales, attract & retain talent and support positive investor outcomes.

For 15 years we’ve been polling the market to deeply understand beliefs & expectations related to sustainability & CSR, and how those mindsets drive brand preferences & product purchases. Those insights allow us to create marketing strategies, Communication Constructs, content & campaigns that build a market advantage for our clients as a result of the meaningful work they’re doing to change the outcome for our world.

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Brands Are Shaping a Better Future by Designing for How People Live
Brands Are Shaping a Better Future by Designing for How People Live

4 months ago - SB Brand-Led Culture Change featured a host of insights into how brands are engaging customers and changing behaviors through circular design and making energy-efficient choices “normal;” and two new guides aim to equip businesses to meaningfully address social- and climate-justice issues.

For Companies with Authentic Sustainability Pursuits, the Devil’s in the Details
For Companies with Authentic Sustainability Pursuits, the Devil’s in the Details

11 months ago - Several discussions at SB’23 San Diego highlighted the importance of achieving total visibility into company operations, relationships, impacts and messaging — to avoid surprises that could hamstring progress.

Bottling the Secret Sauce: Brands Share Insights on Closing the Intention-Action Gap
Bottling the Secret Sauce: Brands Share Insights on Closing the Intention-Action Gap

2 years ago - At SB’21 San Diego, leaders in food, retail, finance, healthcare, pet care and more shared lessons learned from a variety of initiatives aimed at moving the needle on consumer behavior change.

Hey, Corporate America: Please Stop Saying, ‘We’ve Always Done Sustainability!’
Hey, Corporate America: Please Stop Saying, ‘We’ve Always Done Sustainability!’

2 years ago - Because it begs this response: “Really? If you’ve been doing sustainability for decades, why is the planet (and the human race) in the trouble it’s in?” And corporate America doesn’t really have a good answer to that.

Why Does the SB Brand Transformation Roadmap Matter in an ESG-Driven World?
Why Does the SB Brand Transformation Roadmap Matter in an ESG-Driven World?

3 years ago - While ESG frameworks such as MSCI and Sustainalytics help investors spot and manage risks, the Brand Transformation Roadmap also helps companies account for social or environmental value and brand leadership — all are needed for a holistic sustainability strategy.

Even COVID Can’t Stop Sustainable Packaging
Even COVID Can’t Stop Sustainable Packaging

3 years ago - As hopes mount for a new, post-COVID “normal,” many systems are in flux and the state of sustainable packaging is once again in question. How will businesses adapt? Or re-adapt? Or un-adapt? Shelton Group CEO Suzanne Shelton and the Sustainable Packaging Coalition’s Adam Gendell share their insights.

US Consumers More Concerned About Ocean Plastic Than Climate Change
US Consumers More Concerned About Ocean Plastic Than Climate Change

5 years ago - New study finds bans of single-use plastic and awareness of circular alternatives are breaking through to consumers. The impacts of climate change remain much more intangible.

Brands Large and Small on Driving the Change They Wish to See in the World
Brands Large and Small on Driving the Change They Wish to See in the World

5 years ago - SB’19 Detroit was off to an engaging start this week, with powerhouses including Allbirds, Cisco, Eileen Fisher and Timberland comparing notes with rising craft brands and even Little Miss Flint on the most effective ways to continue to drive change toward a healthy, sustainable future.

Plastic Straws Are on the Path to Extinction; You’ll Never Guess What’s Next
Plastic Straws Are on the Path to Extinction; You’ll Never Guess What’s Next

5 years ago - The global feminine hygiene market accounted for $31.23 billion in 2017 and is expected to reach $62.84 billion by 2026. To stay relevant in this booming sector, investment in developing products responsive to these changing consumer demands is not only smart, it’s imperative.

Of Plastics and People: Suzanne Shelton Shines Light into the Consumer Mind
Of Plastics and People: Suzanne Shelton Shines Light into the Consumer Mind

5 years ago - Through intensive research, Suzanne Shelton and her firm have gained insight into the ‘what next’ brands are looking for: less conversation, more action. And consumers are actively asking for more sustainable options — not alongside, but in place of traditional products and packaging.

Show Me the … Health Benefits?
Show Me the … Health Benefits?

5 years ago - Utilities, retailers, appliance brands, even public officials beat the same drum to market to consumers: “Save energy! Save money!” It’s an easy refrain, but it’s not the smartest one.

EDF Unveils Crowdsourced Platform to Accelerate Sustainable Supply Chains
EDF Unveils Crowdsourced Platform to Accelerate Sustainable Supply Chains

5 years ago - Supply Chain Solutions Center offers tools to help supply chain professionals meet corporate environmental targets.

On 30th Anniversary of 'Just Do It,' Nike Puts Kaepernick Where Its Mouth Is
On 30th Anniversary of 'Just Do It,' Nike Puts Kaepernick Where Its Mouth Is

6 years ago - Nike’s 30th anniversary edition of its iconic “Just Do It” campaign, released this week, features embattled football star Colin Kaepernick, in a move practically designed to stir up controversy — but which ultimately aligns perfectly with Nike’s ethos of living courageously.

Consumers Ready to Reward Brands That Take Stands
Consumers Ready to Reward Brands That Take Stands

6 years ago - When Dick’s Sporting Goods bans the sale of assault rifles, or McDonald’s makes a commitment to get 100 percent of its packaging from renewable, recycled or certified sources by 2025, how does their position in the marketplace change?

The Conscious Consumer vs. the Consumer Unconscious
The Conscious Consumer vs. the Consumer Unconscious

6 years ago - Last week, over 2,000 representatives from our global community of sustainability practitioners, brand strategists, product and service innovators, thought leaders and other change-makers convened at SB’18 Vancouver. Attendees shared their latest insights on a multitude of themes pertinent to improving business around the world. Here, we dig into brand and organizational efforts to get consumers to deliver their part of the sustainability equation, by putting their money where their mouths are.

People Aren’t Saving the Planet. Corporations Are.
People Aren’t Saving the Planet. Corporations Are.

6 years ago - It’s official. Sustainability is mainstream. You probably already knew that. What you may not know is that Americans aren’t really changing their personal behaviors. They’re changing their buying behaviors. And that gives brands a new way to win in the marketplace. Here’s what we’re seeing in our ongoing polling of Americans to understand their attitudes and behaviors related to the environment: One of our most recent surveys finds that 88 percent of Americans believe the average person should be taking concrete steps to reduce environmental impact, and nearly 80 percent feel a sense of personal responsibility to change daily purchase habits and practices to positively impact the environment.

Playing the Planet Card: Will Talking About the Environment Finally Promote Energy Efficiency? 
Playing the Planet Card: Will Talking About the Environment Finally Promote Energy Efficiency? 

7 years ago - Once upon a time – back when we first started marketing energy efficiency and sustainability – we told our clients that if you wanted to get consumers to save energy, the last thing you should do is talk about the environment. It’s too polarizing, we said. Why take the risk of alienating a big part of your audience? But our story is changing – along with the American mindset. That’s why we’re excited to bring you this year’s Energy Pulse™ free special report based on a brand-new poll of more than 2,000 Americans.

Water Is an Increasingly Precious Resource — But Do Consumers Understand That?
Water Is an Increasingly Precious Resource — But Do Consumers Understand That?

7 years ago - Has a water crisis touched you or your community this year? You probably know that 2016 was a big headline year for water, from California’s lingering drought to Flint’s public health disaster. Here in East Tennessee, where we rarely worry about the availability of fresh water, the idea of scarcity hit home this fall in an unprecedented way: We endured our most severe drought in nearly ten years, setting the stage for a massive wildfire that ripped through the tourist town of Gatlinburg and killed at least 14 people.

An Open Letter to Manufacturers
An Open Letter to Manufacturers

8 years ago - Do you ever have that Charlie Brown moment? You know, the moment when you’ve done something again for the umpteenth time, hoping for a different result, but you get what you’ve always gotten? That’s my current relationship with the Eco Mode on my one-year-old, fairly expensive dishwasher. I rinse the dishes (wondering if I’m just making environmental matters worse), pop them in the dishwasher, press the Eco Mode button and hope for the best. And then I sort through the dishes when the cycle is done, pull out the ones that actually appear to be clean and leave about a quarter of them in the machine, to be washed a second time when it’s full (in Regular Wash mode).

'Eco-Friendly,' 'Renewable,' 'Sustainable' - Are 'Green' Buzzwords Reaching, Influencing American Consumers?
'Eco-Friendly,' 'Renewable,' 'Sustainable' - Are 'Green' Buzzwords Reaching, Influencing American Consumers?

9 years ago - While new surveys are emerging left and right attempting to find the pulse of the ever-elusive consumer when it comes to sustainability, that stubborn attitude/behavior gap still persists. So, let’s take a few steps back … Does the growing proliferation of “green” jargon really reach a mass audience? Do these buzzwords and terms carry political baggage? Do consumers understand their meaning? And more importantly, do they stir up positive or negative feelings? Do people associate them with increased expense or better health?