STAKEHOLDER TRENDS AND INSIGHTS -
CSR schemes are standard fare these days. They’re essential and expected, but by no means do they guarantee a strong consumer response. The industry — and society as a whole — has evolved to the point to which the possession of a mission statement on its own is no longer sufficient.
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS -
Moving the needle on consumer behavior remains a monumental task - but a necessary one if we are to achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With household consumption accounting for nearly 70 percent of economic activity in the United States, consumers’ choices can make a real difference. At the same time, consumers are faced with so many decisions in their day-to-day lives that “decision fatigue” is commonplace. We cannot expect consumers to weigh the environmental and social implications of each of their actions and purchases.
ORGANIZATIONAL GOVERNANCE -
Three-quarters (76 percent) of Millennials consider a company’s social and environmental commitments when deciding where to work and nearly two-thirds (64 percent) won’t take a job if a potential employer doesn’t have strong corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices, according to the 2016 Cone Communications Millennial Employee Engagement Study. The study reveals that meaningful engagement around CSR is a business – and bottom line – imperative, impacting a company’s ability to appeal to, retain and inspire Millennial talent (that’s a business case if we ever heard one).
ORGANIZATIONAL GOVERNANCE -
“What comes to mind when you think of millennials in the workplace?” Bethan Harris, strategist and collaborator at Collectively and the League of Intrapreneurs (LI), asked during her Tuesday afternoon session at SB’16 Copenhagen.
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS -
Consumers are expecting a new dynamic in the relationship they build with brands. The team from Edelman gathered a full room at Wednesday’s lunch time session to unveil the breakthrough ‘2016 Earned Brand’ research study for the first time. The purpose-centric data surveyed 13,000 consumers in 13 countries about their interaction with their favorite brands.
CONSUMER BEHAVIOR CHANGE -
In a rich and fascinating afternoon workshop on Monday, behavioural design experts Sille Krukow and Teis Andres of Krukow Behavioural Consulting explored their theory and tools on how conscientious companies can design the right environments in which consumers can achieve their sustainability aspirations.
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS -
“The sustainability movement has been slowly gaining momentum, but I think we would all agree that it isn’t moving fast enough and the world we live in can’t afford for us to continue moving at the current pace.”
PRESS RELEASE -
Corporate sustainability is no longer a niche subject important only in the minds of a handful of regulators and environmentalists. As our collective understanding of the value of sustainability has grown, new audiences have joined the conversation. For sustainability professionals, catering to this growing and diverse audience can be challenging.
INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY -
As Americans count down to Election Day, more than three-quarters (78 percent) believe the winner of the presidential race should prioritize the faster adoption of renewable energy, according to the seventh annual Sense & Sustainability® Study released by G&S Business Communications (G&S). The G&S Sense & Sustainability Study was conducted online by Harris Poll in August 2016 among 2,007 U.S. adults.
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS -
Are traditional gender norms of “manliness” slowing the advancement of the sustainable economy? Turns out, they might, according to new research in the Journal of Consumer Research.
But while prior research attributes this gender gap in sustainable consumption to personality differences between the sexes, the new study proposes that it may also stem partially from a prevalent association between "green" behavior and femininity, and a corresponding stereotype — held by both men and women — that sustainable consumers are more feminine.
INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY -
A new study released by mobile marketplace OfferUp has found that many Americans are increasingly drowning in things they no longer need or want, yet – strangely enough - there is a widespread struggle to meet household expenses on time every month.
COLLABORATION & CO-CREATION -
At SB’16 Cape Town in May, Tetra Pak, South African Airways (SAA) and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) came together to share their views on the importance of building market demand from environmentally conscious consumers to move sustainable commodities further into the mainstream.
STAKEHOLDER TRENDS AND INSIGHTS -
Two surveys of consumers in the United Kingdom (UK) have highlighted their growing demand for food supply chain ethics.
Research from Globescan showed that the vast majority of shoppers believe that food companies and the government are responsible for ensuring long-term food production sustainability. 92 percent of shoppers put the onus on food companies, indicating they should focus their efforts on securing the future sustainability of food, while 85 percent believed the government should be held accountable.
INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY -
Each year, a new wave of computers, smartphones and accessories spill onto the market with smaller components made from increasingly complex materials. Even as awareness of e-waste has grown and the circular economy has begun to spread its wings, progress is being undermined by a disposable culture in the tech industry.
CONSUMER BEHAVIOR CHANGE -
One of the most vexing challenges in the sustainability movement is how to get people to do the right thing. Research by organizations such as GlobeScan suggest that the majority of consumers care about sustainability and want to do the right thing, yet the gap between desire and daily behavior remains a major obstacle to progress.
I believe that we have been focused on getting people to do the right thing, when a more fruitful path would be to make doing the right thing the default choice.
MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
Closing gaps in knowledge and improving understanding about the benefits of renewable materials can have a transformative effect on the economy and the environment, according to findings in a new report from Tetra Pak.
CIRCULAR ECONOMY -
In this week's roundup, UK-based organizations continue to lead the charge against food and beverage-related waste.
First, grocery giant Asda has revealed the results of a customer-focused behavior change campaign; Frugalpac launched a new hot beverage cup that is made from recycled paper and can be recycled in any normal paper or cardboard facility; and egg processing plant Just Egg found a way to redirect its eggshell waste.
PRESS RELEASE -
Seafood consumers put sustainability before price and brand
New independent research reveals global motivators to seafood purchase
Consumers perceive NGOs and scientific organisations as contributing most to protecting oceans
Independent certification increases consumer trust in brands
Awareness of the blue MSC label is 37% amongst all consumers
MSC-aware consumers say they will pay a premium of up to 11% for MSC labelled seafood
STAKEHOLDER TRENDS AND INSIGHTS -
The largest-ever global analysis of attitudes toward seafood consumption, released today, has found that sustainability is a key driver for seafood purchases: Across 21 countries, sustainability is rated more highly than price and brand, with nearly three-quarters (72 percent) of seafood consumers agreeing that in order to save the oceans, shoppers should only consume seafood from sustainable sources. More than half (54 percent) said they are prepared to pay more for a certified sustainable seafood product.
CIRCULAR ECONOMY -
Confusion around food labels and expiry dates results in millions of tons of food waste each year, estimated to cost consumers $29 billion in the United States (US) and nearly £0.6 billion in the United Kingdom (UK). While many people throw away food because they perceive a safety risk, most date labels are not designed to indicate safety. Rather, “sell by” dates provide instructions for retail staff, “best before” refers to quality, and “use by” is related to safety.