Marketing and Comms
How brands are evolving in the area of sustainability marketing and communications — and how their stakeholders are asserting their own needs and preferences.
Record Number of Companies Recognize Biodiversity Risks, But Struggling to Turn Commitments Into Action
Cross-Posted from Finance & Investment. Self-reported data from over 7,700 companies that responded to questions on biodiversity through CDP’s climate change questionnaire shows they are ready to disclose on biodiversity, sending a powerful signal to negotiators ahead of COP15.
UN Forum on Business and Human Rights, Day 3: Responsible Lobbying vs ‘Corporate Capture’
For most readers, bribery or corruption aren’t part of your everyday experience — though they should be part of due diligence processes on your business partners and supply chain. However, the danger that one department says one thing and another does something different and inconsistent is clear in every company.
The V Model: Validity, Vulnerability and Elon Musk
The financial and reputational freefall that Eli Lilly experienced in the first few weeks of Musk’s tenure as Twitter chief illustrated an underappreciated factor in an organization’s level of vulnerability: validity. Companies need a risk model that includes the key elements of vulnerability — and that helps them take precautions, set up checkpoints and plan for contingencies.
New Guide Shows How CMOs Can Mainstream Sustainability by Closing Say-Do Gap for Good
BCG and the CMO Sustainability Accelerator — a coalition that includes Sustainable Brands, ANA and Adweek — have developed a practical guide to help brands “bring green to the mainstream” by developing and marketing sustainable choices for all consumers, not just those moved by sustainability claims.
Harnessing the Power of Social Media for Good Delivers Brand Trust and Loyalty While Driving Meaningful Change
When done thoughtfully, brands can use social media to champion sustainable living and generate positive outcomes that are favorable to people, the planet and their overall business results.
Brand Blind Spots, Empty Promises Hindering Effective Action Against Plastic Pollution
Cross-Posted from Chemistry, Materials & Packaging. As seen in ongoing incidents of greenwashing and a new Greenpeace report, the onus is on consumer product manufacturers to take more comprehensive approaches to stemming their flow of plastic into the world — and turning the tide of public opinion.
New Cookbook Showcases Meals That Benefit Both Human and Planetary Health
"The Cookbook in Support of the United Nations: For People and Planet" features 75 recipes divided into sections on food systems, biodiversity, sustainable consumption, food and climate change, and food waste — and shares each dish’s carbon footprint.
Supply Chain Waste, Consumer Demand Highlight Business Case for Transparency
Cross-Posted from Supply Chain. A new study examines the waste challenges companies are facing due to the global supply chain crisis and how they are being tackled, and how consumer priorities impact waste — they now report prioritizing product durability and transparency over sustainability.
Purpose-Driven Brands Continue to Encourage More Conscious Consumption Habits in Antidote to Black Friday
Cross-Posted from Behavior Change. As US consumers report more conservative gifting plans due to money worries, alternatives such as Freitag’s S.W.A.P. events and Poshmark’s Secondhand Sunday meet the downshift in enthusiasm for the Black Friday shopping frenzy.
Climate Change in the Divided States: Why Polarization Should Be Sustainability’s Most Important Issue
If we continue to be distracted by our biennial game of political ping-pong, we are unlikely to avoid the most devastating impacts of climate change — unless we fundamentally address the underlying causes of polarization and disinformation as part of our sustainability agenda.
Campaigns from Fridays for Future, Universal Music Group Aim to Usher Young Voters to the Polls
Fridays for Future reminds US voters about the real existential threat to our planetary health, while UMG launches new installments of its ‘Use Your Voice’ and ‘Pull Up to the Polls’ initiatives to support voter education and to help get young people to the polls this week.
2 in 3 People May Be Willing to Halve Their Consumption to Help Save the Planet
Cross-Posted from Behavior Change. 68% of people ‘somewhat agree’ they’d reduce their consumption by half to avoid environmental damage and climate change — especially those with worried children at home, according to a new survey. But the gap between aspirations and actions remains wide in all countries.
‘If I Knew, I Would’: Why Brands Must Partner for Change at Scale
Cross-Posted from Behavior Change. COVID reshaped our capacity for collaborative change. We saw that, when people had the right information, they would act accordingly. We must help people understand how to participate in the sustainable economy and what their impact can be. Even more, we must change social norms so that people feel compelled to opt in.
McCain Foods Enters the Metaverse with Regen Fries, Showing Potential of ‘Farms of the Future’
Through collaborations with Roblox and the first NFT-themed restaurant, Bored & Hungry, McCain is providing a fun way to help younger audiences understand the problems with conventional farming and the benefits of regenerative practices.
We Must Be Able to Read the Label: The Imperative of Ingredient Transparency
We believe that increasing the accessibility of information and transparency of ingredients is critical to transforming the cleaning products industry. Tapping into consumer demands for sustainable and trustworthy cleaning supplies will also drive the clarity needed by manufacturers to better understand what is in their products.
Generating Win-Wins: 4 Key Ingredients of Successful Social-Purpose Marketing
For a purpose-driven business, marketing must transform from traditional advertising to building a social-purpose ecosystem, requiring a fundamental shift in the way marketing is integrated and delivered. In a recent webinar, BCLC, PepsiCo and CLMBR discussed how they are shifting their marketing strategies to accelerate social purpose.
After Formal Apology, Ocean Conservancy Works to Repair Damage Done by 2015 Plastics Report
Cross-Posted from Waste Not. Key recommendations failed to understand plastic pollution from a holistic perspective — placing too much blame on the five most impacted Asian countries and suggesting carbon-heavy options for disposal.
For Sustainable Behavior Change, Brands Must Cut Through the Marketing Noise to the Hearts, Values of Consumers
Cross-Posted from Behavior Change. This week at SB’22 San Diego, over 1K sustainability practitioners have converged to share insights, tools, inspiration and opportunities for collaboration with the goal of building a regenerative future for all. Here, we catch up on the latest insights into enlisting the help of consumers to help brands meet their goals.
Authentic, Verified Information Will Elevate Your Brand’s Climate Credentials
Climate action is increasingly important to incorporate into a brand’s value proposition to customers and consumers. These four steps will enable brand managers to take clear and meaningful actions — which, in turn, can connect with consumers and differentiate products in the market.
Tourism Pledges Expand in Scope, Intention as Industry Reinvents Itself
The success of tourism pledges lies with destinations, not travelers; and for any pledge to be effective, it must be used as part of a destination’s wider sustainable tourism strategy, rather than an isolated destination-management intervention.
