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.
Despite Big-Time Backing, Climate Leadership Council’s Carbon Dividend Campaign Falls Flat
The Climate Leadership Council (CLC), an international policy institute whose mission is to mobilize global leaders around effective and equitable climate solutions, has launched a new ad campaign promoting its proposed carbon tax.
EY: In an Uncertain Global Economy, Communicating Purpose Is Key
A majority of business leaders believe in the value of a strong corporate purpose and only a minority say their company’s main purpose is to maximize shareholder value says a new report by EY. Based on a survey of 1,470 global leaders representing companies across various industries in developed and emerging markets around the world, the report reveals that purpose, not profit, is the key to success amid a turbulent global economy.
Unilever, UN Women Set Out to Slay Gender Stereotypes with Progressive Advertising Alliance
In recent years, Unilever has distinguished itself both as a champion for sustainability and overcoming gender bias with campaigns, initiatives and internal actions that work to align the company’s products and purpose. Further building on this reputation, the consumer goods giant has launched a new global alliance aimed at eliminating stereotypical portrayals of gender in advertising and all brand-led content.
Kimberly-Clark Tackles Deforestation, Lab Waste with New Partnerships
Putting its Sustainability 2022 strategy into action, Kimberly-Clark has ramped up its relationship with environmental NGO World Wildlife Fund (WWF) with the launch of its new "♥ YOUR PLANET" ("HEART YOUR PLANET") campaign. Designed to encourage consumers to choose products made with fiber from responsibly managed forests, the campaign will display WWF’s logo on Kimberly-Clark paper towel, facial tissue and toilet paper products sold in North America.
Dove, Google, WWF Secure Top Spots on 2017 World Value Index
The people have spoken. The results of enso’s 2017 World Value Index are in and brands such as Amazon, Goodwill, Google, World Wildlife Fund and Dove came out on top.
'The Economist' Raising Awareness of Food Issues Through 'Gross,' Uncomfortable Experiences
Each year on a global scale 30-50 percent of food produced goes to waste, $750 billion worth of food is thrown away and, in the United States alone, 35 million tons of food are discarded. The statistics surrounding food waste are staggering, but governments, NGOs and businesses alike are increasingly taking action to raise awareness for the problem, drive innovation and reduce waste along the value chain.
Don’t Put Vegetables in the Corner: A Q&A with Behavioral Science Researcher Linda Bacon
New research out of the London School of Economics should wake up many in the food industry. In a first-of-its-kind experiment, Linda Bacon – a graduate student in behavioral science and former Global Strategy Director at Mars, Incorporated – tested whether placing plant-based dishes in a separate vegetarian section on restaurant menus influenced ordering. The study’s findings have important implications for how the food industry might move more people to eat healthier and more sustainably, and may just change how we talk about plant-based foods.
SB’17 Detroit Workshop Explores Actionable Strategies for Breaking ‘Gridlock’
Gridlock - being stuck in a seemingly intractable situation - can come in many forms. It can be a colleague who refuses to believe in climate change, or an executive who, for reasons hard to understand, is holding back progress on a key sustainability initiative at your company. But it is undoubtedly something anyone working in sustainability has encountered more than once.
The Body Shop Combats London Air Pollution with Cleantech Ad Campaign
After London air pollution levels surpassed allowed limits for 2017 just five days into the new year, new initiatives to improve air quality and draw attention to the city’s growing pollution problem have been popping up on the regular.
Willard: Sustainability Champions Must Learn to ‘Speak Business’
For several years now, Bob Willard, former IBM exec and current sustainability “guru,” has been working to create a resource to help sustainability champions break through to senior leadership and accelerate change within the business world. Last week, on day one of SB’17 Detroit, it officially launched.
The Art of Modern Sustainability Communications: How to Embrace an Audience-First Approach
Recent research clearly indicates that today’s stakeholders expect more from companies — they want to purchase from and work for companies that champion sustainability. This shift in attitude is dramatically altering the way that companies conduct (and even think about) their businesses.
2 Dope Boys & a Podcast: How to Avoid Brand 'Eff Ups' and Cultural Misalignments
“Culture moves faster than brands and companies,” 2 Dope Boys co-founders Michael Brooks and Phil McKenzie said in their Monday morning workshop at SB’17 Detroit. As the antenna and point of translation that operates between culture and business, 2 Dope Boys imparts the importance of bringing cultural and historical context to uncover the true problem within organizations.
3 Reasons Sustainability Isn’t Seen as a Priority, and a Host of Tools to Overcome Them
The two biggest disrupting forces transforming the market today are technology and sustainability, yet many marketers still don’t see sustainability as a priority. Sustainability has a business problem that needs to be addressed. Research by Ricardo Caceres, former Global Marketing Director of Sustainability at The Coca-Cola Company; and Omar Rodriguez-Vila, Professor at Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business, identified three core reasons:
Aspiration & Advocacy: How Can Lululemon Help Redefine the Good Life?
SB’17 Detroit is bringing thousands of sustainability professionals together this week to ask one question - what is the role of business in fostering and creating the Good Life? On Day 1 of the conference, BBMG and Lululemon explored this question with a group of curious, passionate sustainability professionals. Using BBMG’s methodology, we all became designers for a few short hours to develop programs and promotions that would authentically connect with the brand’s consumers and enable both to live their purpose.
Brand Advocacy vs Aspiration in the New Era
When it seems that corporate America has seized control of our government, of our society, it can be hard to wake up every day excited to go to work. Trust in brands has never been lower. Expectations have never been higher. Yes, corporations may have unprecedented power under the new administration, but like never before, consumers are calling out brands for their values. It seems there’s no middle ground and there’s no place to hide. In a world that’s increasingly volatile and transparent, humans will decide whether brands live or die.
New Report Reveals 86% of US Consumers Expect Companies to Act on Social, Environmental Issues
A new study by Cone Communications adds to the body of work that links consumer shopping decisions to corporate values. The 2017 Cone Communications CSR Study examines consumer attitudes, perceptions and behaviors around corporate social responsibility, as well as if and how companies should stand up for social injustices.
The Opportunity of the 'Reset': How to Go Beyond Social Marketing to Effect Real Cultural Change
Change is hard for all of us. Including those working for change.
Nat Geo, Water Aid India Launch Campaign to Tackle Water Scarcity in India
Lack of access to clean drinking water is the reality for millions of Indian citizens, an issue that National Geographic and Water Aid India are hoping to tackle through the launch of Mission Blue. With support from top Bollywood talent, the initiative aims to raise awareness about water scarcity and demonstrate how small acts of conservation every day can help secure a safe, clean water supply for future generations.
State of Play: Why Organizations Still Rely on Games for Sustainability Education
From Coca-Cola’s “Happiness Arcade,” which helped make recycling fun for kids in Dhaka; to Heineken’s Brewing a Better World Digital Experience, a series of mini-games in which users “are faced with the challenge of balancing their will to compete with taking care of the world,” purpose-driven organizations have long used gaming experiences to engage stakeholders on various sustainability issues.
KIND Foundation Launches Digital Tool to Bridge Social Divides, Develop Greater Empathy
New research by Morning Consult has revealed that only one-in-five adults surround themselves with people who share different perspectives and ideas, underscoring the severity of the “filter bubble” and the extent to which algorithms dictate the information we are exposed to online.