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.
Kolster to Brands: Tout Not How Great Your Product Is, But What It Can Help People Become
In his new book, The Hero Trap, Thomas Kolster says rather than promoting what’s good about their company or products, brands need to shift their focus to their customers — specifically, their brand’s role in helping its customers transform their lives.
BASF to Release Carbon Footprint Data for Its 45K Products
Cross-Posted from Chemistry, Materials & Packaging. The chemical giant has been a leader in innovative approaches to quantifying the impacts of its diverse product portfolio.
Q&A: Meet the Team Helping Brands Stay ‘Grounded’ in Their Purpose
NYC-based brand strategy agency Grounded is on a mission to help brands, retailers and nonprofits activate their purpose and close the stubborn consumer intent-to-action gap.
Global Public Thinks GDP Should Include Health, Education, Environmental Data
Cross-Posted from Finance & Investment. The 2020 GlobeScan-Ethical Markets “Beyond GDP” survey finds that an average of 72% of people across 11 countries would prefer to broaden GDP to incorporate these additional data.
Doconomy's 2030 Calculator Democratizes Product Carbon Footprint Labeling
Cross-Posted from New Metrics. Swedish impact-tech startup Doconomy has launched a new, free tool that enables fast and reliable product carbon footprint calculations for brands and manufacturers.
Greenpeace Canada Supports FSC Responsible Forestry Standard
In June, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Canada celebrated the first anniversary of its new responsible forest management standard — which has received strong support from industry and NGOs alike.
From the Source: New System Offers Brands Data on Sustainable Cotton-Growing Practices
The US Cotton Trust Protocol provides measured and verified data about US cotton; which allows fashion and textile brands and retailers to track annual progress toward their targets, and help them tell their sustainability stories.
Cartwright to Brands: Look Inward Before Responding to Social Issues
Keith Cartwright, the creative force behind such powerful statement ads as P&G’s “The Look” and “The Choice,” shares his insights and advice to brands and agencies on how to most authentically respond in times of crisis.
Recycled Plastic Certifications Are Stifling Innovation
Cross-Posted from Chemistry, Materials & Packaging. Recycled plastic certification makes sense. Manufacturers need confidence that the raw materials they’re acquiring meet their requirements and are truly recycled. But more certifications likely means higher costs and thus less recycled plastic.
Good Start — But Let’s Move from ‘Brand Say’ to ‘Brand Do’
Cross-Posted from Walking the Talk. Much-needed updates to a growing number of brands in response to the Black Lives Matter movement is a great start. But deep, lasting impact requires two main actions — apologies; and adjusting the social paradigm.
Over 400 Advertisers Show Facebook That They Won’t Tolerate Hate
Cross-Posted from Behavior Change. In just over two weeks, the Stop Hate for Profit campaign has rallied the support of over 400 companies — all of which have pulled their advertising dollars from Facebook and Instagram for the month of July.
UNESCO Spotlights What Our ‘Next Normal’ Should Look Like
UNESCO’s new campaign asks us to question our ideas about what is normal, suggesting that we have accepted the unacceptable when it comes to our environment, economies, public health and societies for far too long.
A Brief History of Food Declarations; and the Path to Better Ones
Food is not about boxed brands on a shelf, but about people and the environment — hence, our need for food declarations. We’re working on one that not only certifies the ingredients, but shows consumers the impact they make with the purchase of each product.
Research Shows Business Imperative for Authentic Action to Address Social Injustices
Cross-Posted from Walking the Talk. The latest Porter Novelli Purpose Tracker reveals a new mandate for US companies to authentically and substantively address racial inequality and myriad social justice issues.
Kolster to Brands: Avoid the ’Hero Trap’ and Close the Intention-Action Gap
Cross-Posted from Walking the Talk. Internationally recognised speaker and author Thomas Kolster, also known as Mr. Goodvertising, takes a hatchet to his earlier beliefs around purpose-driven brands in a new book, “The Hero Trap.” He says the one question brands need to be asking and acting on to change behaviors at scale and unlock sustainable growth that benefits all is ‘Who can you help people become?’
Trending: Heritage Brands Rush to Distance Themselves from Racially Stereotyped Images
Amidst the social unrest that has flooded the US since the murder of George Floyd, four household-name food brands, whose brand identities have long centered around racial stereotypes, are updating their images and logos to reflect the changing societal consciousness.
How to Communicate with Purpose During a Pandemic
As impact communicators and advisors, it’s our responsibility to remind those we work with and those we meet along the way that businesses that lead with purpose and credible, authentic values are those that will stand the test of time.
Storytelling Has the Power to Eliminate Institutional Racism, Forever
Cross-Posted from Walking the Talk. Corporate America, through storytelling, can eliminate institutional racist policies and laws to create economic opportunities for African Americans; and hence, themselves. I urge every corporation to create storytelling programs to weave your employee/client/supplier base into a seamless diversity quilt.
Is your SDG Response Defensive, Selective or Holistic?
Take a minute to scan your last sustainability report’s CEO statement, and to peel back the glossy SDG infographics. Can you say, hand on heart, that your company’s current SDG response really is creating system-wide value?
Brands Speak Out to Support Black Lives Matter, But Actions Speak Louder
Brands are more willing than ever to take public stands in support of important issues. But while many aren’t much more than social media sound bytes, others go beyond lip service to action.