ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE -
An engaged workforce is critical to an organization’s success, no matter what products or services you’re selling.
MARKETING AND COMMS -
We reached out to communication leaders in the SB community for their take on P&G’s spotlight on toxic masculinity.
BEHAVIOR CHANGE -
During this season of giving, many of today’s more discerning consumers won’t be joining the masses scrambling to answer the siren call to stock up on discounted “stuff” — they’ll be remembering the values meant to be at the heart of this season, by taking REI’s advice to #OptOutside to enjoy nature and giving back by cleaning up; and when they do shop, they’re increasingly basing their loyalty and purchasing decisions on companies’ reputations rather than just product features and price.
MARKETING AND COMMS -
The news last week that the Christmas advert from Iceland — a UK supermarket chain specializing in frozen food — has been banned is a bad decision.
Iceland’s advert — a repackaging of a short, animated film by Greenpeace released earlier this year with a powerful, consumer-friendly sustainability message — shows a brand that is trying to do good work by improving its impact on the world.
ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE -
Corporate culture sets the groundwork for how your team interacts with each other and your customers.
BEHAVIOR CHANGE -
For the fourth year in a row, this Black Friday, REI will close all 153 stores, process no online payments and pay more than 12,000 employees to #OptOutside with friends and family.
BEHAVIOR CHANGE -
As Apple, the world’s second-largest smartphone producer, prepares to sign the death warrant of the wildly popular iPhone 6s with the rumored launch of multiple new models later this month, Back Market — the largest marketplace exclusively dedicated to bringing thousands of refurbished electronic devices and appliances from certified professionals to consumers — has launched an awareness campaign rallying the public against planned obsolescence.
MARKETING AND COMMS -
Purpose-driven brands can build stronger emotional connections with consumers that go far beyond a transactional relationship, according to the newly released 2018 Cone/Porter Novelli Purpose Study. Nearly eight in ten (79 percent) say they are more loyal to purpose-driven companies and would tell others to buy products from those companies (78 percent), while two-thirds (66 percent) say they would switch brands and over half (57 percent) would pay more.
LEADERSHIP -
As we at Sustainable Brands — and anyone working to rectify the damage people have done to the planet — are well aware, it's all too easy to ignore pressing social and environmental issues if their effects can’t be seen or felt in our daily lives.
After a life-altering excursion across three continents, SoulBuffalo CEO and founder Dave Ford was determined to find a way to change this, by taking those just as responsible for causing as solving many of these issues — global corporate decision-makers — out into the wild to experience the effects of their business decisions with their own senses.
MARKETING AND COMMS -
For decades, the ASPCA has been advocating for better breeding practices and adoption for dogs with campaigns that focused on educating the public on where pet store dogs come from.
But over time, the influx of digital technology has completely transformed how people get dogs. And Millennials, the largest generation of dog lovers ever, are increasingly relying on online sources, which makes it difficult to track where our furry friends are coming from.
PRESS RELEASE -
As a leader of Responsible Business in the hospitality industry, The Rezidor Hotel Group publishes its 2017 Responsible Business Report. Included since 2010 in Ethisphere’s World’s Most Ethical Companies List, Rezidor is committed to work in a responsible and sustainable way. Rezidor operates 470+ hotels of sustainable hotel brands such as Radisson Blu and Park Inn by Radisson. Rezidor is a member of The Radisson Hotel Group.
MARKETING AND COMMS -
At a moment when the world is beginning to more fully acknowledge the power and voice of women, big name brands and organizations are using their influence — and some creative marketing — to shed light on issues such as the gender pay gap and the lack of opportunities for women in STEM.
MARKETING AND COMMS -
Air New Zealand has uncovered a unique way to use its global reach to spark a conversation around climate change. In partnership with Antarctica New Zealand and the New Zealand Antarctic Research Institute, the airline has created a new safety video that showcases the frozen continent and highlights the important climate and environmental science taking place there.
MARKETING AND COMMS -
You’ve probably read the proliferation of literature about the benefits of hiring purpose-driven employees, which can result in increased productivity, higher retention rates, and more effective collaboration, just to name a few. But have you ever wondered how purpose-driven employees impact your organization’s branding and marketing?
PRESS RELEASE -
Black History Month serves as a good reminder for us to celebrate achievements in the African-American community, but we should also engage in open conversation on where shortcomings exist and progress remains to be made.
MARKETING AND COMMS -
Last week, in response to President Trump’s decision to scale back Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments, outdoor retail brand and sustainability leader Patagonia in turn announced it would be suing the President, a definitively bold move — even for the likes of the brand that brought us “Don’t Buy This Jacket” an
MARKETING AND COMMS -
Furthering its mission to create a kinder, healthier world — one snack at a time — KIND has launched a new video campaign that explores the courage it takes to be kind towards strangers in an effort to kindle a conversation about what it will take to overcome the issues currently dividing the US.
The video release, in conjunction with a nationwide contest, is part of KIND’s effort to explore the differences between being “nice” and being “kind” — an oft overlooked distinction that has tangible implications on how we act towards one another.
BEHAVIOR CHANGE -
Consumers have a critical role to play in pushing forward the sustainability agenda, particularly when it comes to food. But initiating change requires both educating the public about the issues and inspiring them to action, the latter of which isn’t always a straightforward process.
MARKETING AND COMMS -
A digital initiative bringing to life real stories about real people in the Bangladeshi garment industry is proving a game-changer in the country in its first year of launch.
“Made in Equality” is a website and Facebook page illustrating garment workers’ life experiences in their own words. The simple format of an individual’s image, presented alongside their quotes, is proving moving and powerful.
WALKING THE TALK -
With the launch of its #OptOutside campaign in 2015, REI set a new precedent in retail, shuttering its stores on Thanksgiving and Black Friday, giving its employees a paid day off and – on a day that has come to represent consumerism at its most extreme – encouraging staff and consumers alike to forgo the shopping frenzy in favor of the great outdoors. The move epitomized the company’s ethos and kickstarted a movement to drive positive behavior change and impacts.